Off-Site vs. On-Site
To be compliant, all businesses need to properly destroy the personal and sensitive data of their customers. Professional document shredding boils down to two choices: mobile document shredding or off-site document shredding. Knowing which to choose has caused many a headache for business owners. A quick definition of each is:
• Mobile Professional Document Shredding is when a specially outfitted truck is brought to your place of business and the shredding generally occurs in your parking lot.
• Off-Site Professional Document Shredding is when your documents are picked up and transported in a secure vehicle to secure facility and shredded.
Now that you have a general definition of each, how do you choose? The following information should give you a clearer idea of which direction your business should go in:
1. All shredders are not the same. Make sure they are NAID certified. This gives you the confidence that the company you choose has passed rigid test audited by the National Association of Information Destruction.
2. How difficult to destroy is your media? If you only have paper products that need destroying, either mobile or off-site should work just fine for you. On the other hand, some types of media are just more difficult to destroy; such as CDs, DVDs, plastic, microfiche, etc. If you have this type of media to destroy, be absolutely positive that you ascertain the shredder can destroy them. In most cases, off-site shredding can handle this type of media easier than mobile shredding.
3. The more sensitive the documents, the more important it is to have it destroyed in a tightly controlled environment. If you are more comfortable having the shredding occur onsite, where you can monitor it yourself, then you will be more comfortable with a mobile shredding company, but be careful that the onsite shredder is not hand feeding the shredder. If, however, you dislike this idea, you will probably want to use an off-site shredding company.
4. Cost. Every purchasing decision a business makes must include cost. Mobile shredding is the more expensive option.
Additionally, before making a final decision, pay a visit to the off-site shredding companies you are considering, as well as the local offices for the mobile sites. Find out everything you can about their equipment and what happens to the destroyed documents. Who are their current clients? Typically, this information, combined with the above steps, will give you the answer you need in choosing a mobile or off-site shredding company for your business.