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Monthly Archive for: ‘August, 2011’

Irene, Disaster Preparedness and Your Business 0

Wow, is there a lot of talk about, with the latest hurricane and its impending doom on the East Coast.

It would be easy to say good night Irene.  But before you do, please take precaution.

Yes, Irene is on her way.  There is much to be concerned about, but if you haven’t already done so, take a moment to address the following steps to protect your business.

While we are a mere 24-36 hours away from being greeted by Hurricane Irene, there is still time to take the following precautions:

1.  Make sure your data is backed up.  As important, make sure you move the backup tape to a secure location somewhere other than your place of business.

2.  Protect your place of business.  Several things to keep in mind here; protect your windows, make sure your IT equipment is far from windows and above any potential water plains.   If your business is in a high risk area, know where you might temporarily relocate your technical equipment in order to get up to speed again.

3.  Have a communications plan.  In the event that you have any sort of disaster, who are you going to call.  What is your chain of command and what are each individuals specific responsibilities?  Make sure everyone knows where to go, who to call and what to do.

4. Don’t forget about your customers. Make sure you communicate with them as well.  They should know how to get a hold of you and what your contingency plans are.  sometimes setting up an out of area number in advance can be extremely helpful.

5.  If you feel overwhelmed, check out the FEMA website.  They have great information in the event of emergencies.

I hope this helps.  Be safe and take precautions.

Mike

document imaging, onsite shredding

 

 

 

Posted on: 08-27-2011
Posted in: Updates

Who’s in charge of your information destruction?“ 0

When it comes to document shredding, we find way too often that the responsibility is left up to a facilities manager or purchasing agent.

If one were to ask why, I imagine we would here the response, “because we’ve always done it this way”.

That is not a satisfactory answer any longer.  With the implementation of the latest federal legislation, regarding the destruction of private information, the rules have changed.

Whether your greatest concerns are HIPAA, FACTA, FACTA’s Red Flags Rule or any other recent legislation pertaining to the protection of private information, it is important to review your current practices and to understand your organizations responsibilities.

We have seen more recently, the responsibility for document destruction be managed by the company’s risk management officer.

So, at the very least, if you don’t reassign this responsibility to your risk management team, you should at a minimum, have them weigh in on your current practices.

To learn more about the latest federal guidelines pertaining to the destruction of private information, please click here.

Mike

shredding PA,  Information destruction, document scanning

 

Posted on: 08-19-2011
Posted in: Updates

Run for time not distance… 0

Well, August is here and we’re getting hammered with “Back to School Promotions”,  ”Penn State Football forecasts” and unfortunately, wrapping up summer vacations.

I’m looking forward to a week long vacation on The Outer Banks with my family, so while in the throes of getting ready for vacation, I thought I would take a break from writing about business today.

With all of this activity, we are also seeing a little break in the weather.  The heat is beginning to subside and now we can get out and exercise without the risks associated with the heat and humidity.

For me, it also means the beginning of my fall marathon training season.  I know, I said fall, but its imperative to begin building the marathon base now for a successful fall running season.      

I’m scheduled to run the Philadelphia Distance Run in September. This is a well organized 1/2 marathon that draws some really elite competition.  The elite runners always bring a great sense of excitement to the race.

I am then focusing on my main goal which is to run The Philadelphia Marathon in November.

Milestones

This training season is an especially exciting one for me, as I will be reaching a milestone in years, as well as miles.

You see, I will turn 50 the day after the Philadelphia Marathon.   Also, with this being my 32nd marathon, if I tally all of the training miles from over the years, I will eclipse 24,000 miles.

This is the equivalent of having run around the world.   In it’s own way that seems pretty special.

Lessons Learned

But what have I learned from all of these races and miles and years?  What wisdom can I pass on to you that might make this worth your while?

Well, if you have tried running, or want to run, the best advice I can give you is to run for time and not for miles.

All too often, I have heard people over the years say things like, “I can only run 2 1/2 miles”, or I could never run 5 miles let alone a half marathon or marathon.

I think that too often, this is far from the truth.  When it comes to running, so much of it is mental.

Keep track of your time not your miles…

To run for miles seems tedious.  You go out for a run one day, then you come home and jump in your car to figure out how far you actually ran.  Once you do this you limit yourself as to where you can run.  Why ? Because you want to know how far you ran.

So, I often tell people to try going out and running for time.  Instead of running 2 miles, run for 22 minutes (or whatever your pace is).  after all, time equals distance.   If you know your time you can basically calculate your distance with reasonable accuracy.

Running for time allows you to improve your  running experience in 3 significant ways:

1.  Running becomes easier- At least mentally, when trying to increase your volume of running.  Instead of running 2 miles to 2 1/4 miles, it seems far easier to run an additional 2-3 minutes.  If you are doing an out and back run, then it is only increasing your distance out by 1-1 1/2 minutes.

If you are just beginning, I would suggest you try running 3 days a week.  Typically it’s best to alternate days in order to give your body a day in between to recover, possibly monday-wednesday and friday.

If you can run for 20 minutes per day.  Start taking one of your days (runs), let’s say fridays run and increase your time by 3-4 minutes. At the end of 4 short weeks, you will be running 3 – 3.5 miles.  Keeping the other two days the same for a period of time, allows you to increase your volume with minimal risk of injury.

Once you have exceeded 35 minutes with your friday run, you might increase your monday run to 25 minutes, while continuing to increase the time of your friday run.  By doing this you will see that after just 2 months you will have not only doubled your running time, but doubled your distance.

If you continue to do this for another 8 weeks, guess what?  You will have nearly tripled your time and distance.

2. Allow for Flexibility- By running for time rather than mileage, you allow yourself flexibility in terms of where you run.  I know certain people who run the same exact routes everyday.  How boring can that be?  I know, I have some favorite running routes and others that just fit sometimes, because they are familiar and thus; become comfortable.

By running for time, you allow yourself to go wherever you want to go.  I think this encourages you to be more curious and discover new places.  It is especially helpful if you want to venture into the wilderness.  Trail running is can be a great experience.   Not only can it be a great escape from your normal routine, but it often lends itself to becoming more relaxed and the terrain is generally easier on the legs.

3.  Freedom while traveling- Some of my favorite running experiences have occurred while traveling.  Because I typically run for time, I am willing to be more adventurous.  My favorite run of all time might have been when  I ran 17 Mile Drive in  Carmel, CA.  Absolutely beautiful and a bit challenging.

So, try it out.  I think you will find it to prove beneficial.  My wife Lynda used this method when we first met and she has now run 7 marathons.

More recently, my older sister Patty, hadn’t run at all (maybe 1-2 miles in one of her fitness classes), but now she her longest run is @ 9 miles. All using the simple notion of running for time and gradually increasing her time during one run per week.

So, to add some perspective to the nearly 24,000 miles of running, if I would 24 hours a day, for 125 consecutive days, I would reach 24,000 miles.

That is a lot of time.

Mike

document imaging, shredding State College

 

Posted on: 08-12-2011
Posted in: Updates

8 Steps to a Sound Records Retention Program Comments Off

There are several factors that go into a sound records retention program.  However, it is quite possible that nothing is more important than showing consistency.

According to Donald Skupsky, JD, CRM there are 8 components to a sound records retention program:       

8 Steps to a Sound Records Retention Plan

1. Systematically develop the records retention program. According to Skupsky, a records retention program is not systematically developed if the decision to destroy records is based upon whim or impulse.

Make sure you have a records retention schedule to guide their destruction.

2. When creating your retention schedule you must address all of your records.  To fully protect your organization, you must address not only the originals, but you must also address the copies, including information copies and personal copies.   Skupksy warns that even if the original documents are destroyed according to schedule, any copies left behind can be used against you in the court of law.

3.  Address all media in your retention program.  Most organizations recognize digital media as part of their retention program; however these records can often be overlooked when it comes to records destruction.  Be mindful of your electronic records when it comes to the destruction of records.  It’s easy to over look electronic records when it comes to destruction.

4.  Gain written approvals.  Once you finalize your retention plan make sure you have your CEO, legal council and tax advisor review your plan.  These approvals show that you have been diligent in establishing a sound and legal program.

5.  Destroy records in a systematic fashion.   This is one area where the success or failure of a sound retention program can be measured.  If records are destroyed in a half hazard  way it is often a clear indication that your program is less than systematic.

6.  You must manage your program.   Once your program is approved by the leaders of your organization, it is imperative that you assign someone or some individuals to make sure the program is carried out systematically.   A records retention program is fluid.  It is constantly changing in that laws change, the volume of records increase regularly and one must stay on top of it to maintain compliance.  Be sure to train your staff to know the latest requirements; either yours or the federal or state guidelines as they relate to your records.

7.  When not to adhere to your destruction schedule?  When you are notified of pending litigation, government investigation or audit.    If you receive notification of any of the three previously mentioned situations, report the notification to your legal counsel immediately.

8. Document, document, document…  not only is it important to document your retention program to demonstrate  a systematic operation, but it clearly shows your consistency and adherence to your plan in the event of an audit or other form of legal intervention.  Make sure you have detailed and documented signatures and approvals for all actions carried out in your program, especially when you are destroying information.

If you follow the 8 steps listed above, you are sure to find yourself in a positive position in the event that you are questioned regarding your retention practices.  If you do nothing else, show consistency in your practices, for it will go along way towards supporting your efforts to demonstrate a sound program.

If you want to learn more about how to develop a retention plan contact me or search Donald Skupsky, he is truly a pioneer if records retention scheduling.

Mike

Retention guidelines, records storage, document shredding

Posted on: 08-5-2011
Posted in: Updates

Red Flags Rule…does it apply to me? 0

You can pretty much bet on it.  If you aren’t aware of, or adhering to the latest Red Flags Rule, chances are you should be.

When the Red Flags Rule first came about, it was focused on financial institutions; mainly banks, lenders and investment institutions.

The focus was on protecting the personal information of clients and those with whom they dealt.  But with the increased frequency of identity theft, the FTC has extended the law to carry over to any business which extends credit to its clients or those who deal with personal information.

Who needs to comply?

Well, anyone who provides a service and invoices a customer, meaning the client can pay after receiving the product or service is considered a creditor.  So unless you run a business in which your customer pays you cash on the spot, you are considered a creditor.  A far cry from where this bill began.

When it comes to handling private information, that is an easy one to identify.  If you have a single employee or confidential customer information then you handle private information.

So what are the requirements for compliance?

1. As an organization you must identify your areas of vulnerability.  Where are the areas within your organization that private information might be at risk?  Is it in transfer of electronic information?  Maybe it is in how private information is physically handled in transition from department to department.  Or possibly the simple fact that private information lay exposed after hours while third party cleaning services are performing their services.

Identify these areas of risk and write them down.  You want to build systems and practices to protect your information.

2.  Create Your Written Information Destruction Manual.  What are your practices for destroying and protecting your private information prior to disposal?

Your board of directors or the principals of your organization must create a written document addressing the very issue.

3. You must educate your employees as to your organizational policy.  They should read and acknowledge their understanding of your policy and know that their employment is contingent upon their abiding by your guidelines.

The Benefits of Compliance

So, take stock, know your vulnerabilities and communicate your plan.  By doing so, you can reduce the risk of a breach and in most cases you can avoid a heavy fine or at minimum, reduce the amount of your fine in the event of an occurrence.

Were you aware of your organization’s responsibility to comply?   Please let me know.

If you would like help writing a plan or training your staff I would be happy to help.

Mike

compliance training, paper shredding, document imaging PA

Posted on: 08-1-2011
Posted in: Updates