WITH the success of Archway Caribbean, Jamaica could become a regional hub for document storage and retrieval, offering competition to offshore storage centres in places like India.

Archway Caribbean, located in Reading, St James is a full-service document storage and retrieval company launched three years ago with the goal of offering a complete outsourced records and document management solution to the Jamaican and overseas business marketplace. In addition to information management, storage, retrieval and shredding, Archway also offers email management consultations, scanning, server backup and storage and disaster recovery solutions, David Holland, managing director, told the Caribbean Business Report (CBR).

“Today more than ever a company has to properly manage its information as it reduces operational and real estate costs, it improves efficiency and increases security, promotes business continuity and legal compliance,” reasoned Holland. He said Archway could reduce operational costs for companies that are paper-intensive such as those in the financial and insurance sectors, retail, legal and the public sector.

However, while Holland is targeting businesses in Jamaica and the Caribbean, he also has his eyes set on a bigger target in the future, one that could make Jamaica, a country blessed by its prime location in the Caribbean, the hub for document storage and give it a piece of the multi-billion dollar industry. “Outsourcing records management has been standard practice for over 60 years in the US and Europe,” Holland said. “Jamaica is a near-shore outsourcing destination and makes us an ideal alternative over India and other areas for companies in the US to reduce their costs by outsourcing their records and document management,” he said.

According to Holland, Jamaica has huge potential as an excellent near-shore outsourcing option for companies in North America.

“It is important to understand that quick document turnaround is key. Sending physical documents from the US to India isn’t as efficient as sending to Jamaica given the time it takes to reach India,” said Holland. He added that even though the cost to operate from Jamaica may be a bit higher than in India, it is still more cost effective for companies that consider the big picture.

“In our research we have found that companies who are considering outsourcing take into consideration many factors; customer service and physical proximity being very important. Companies want to know we are a close extension of their business and are a “trusted partner”. Being a “near-shore” management facility, they derive the cost-benefits as well as having the peace of mind that their Jamaican partner understands how their overseas customers and business work,” Holland said.

As for the security of the information stored, Holland said Archway’s security can stand up to international scrutiny and the natural disasters that often threaten the country. “Our facility has been designed to international safety and security standards,” Holland said. “We employ private security, CCTV and fire-suppressant systems to ensure the information is safe. Our buildings are also hurricane resistant, earthquake resistant and are above a flood zone,” he said. Noting that the major threats to a company’s valuable information is neutralised, Holland assured: “Our employees are not privy to what information is stored.”

“Our business is the security of our clients’ information. Access to any document is restricted and access is by authorisation only. Only authorised personnel have access to the database, which means there is an auditable trail,” he said.

According to Holland, Archway’s primary facility can store as many as 150,000 boxes. But storage capacity is limitless for files and other documents. “We have a dedicated server facility to store many terabytes of scanned images and we have already identified other areas around the Caribbean to expand,” Holland said.

The storage service is offered on three levels from the basic document storage and indexing of files at level; one, to back file record imaging and lifecycle management of files at level two and the complete outsourcing of a company’s document management at level three.

“This is where we re-direct company’s mail to our facility, thus eliminating the paperwork in offices,” Holland said of level three. “We will then scan, process, electronically deliver, store physical paper and destroy companies records when their retention period is due. This service creates the ultimate paperless office.” This is all at a cost starting at JA$1.50 per day for a legal or letter size-box of documents.

“We can typically save companies 50 per cent on basic storage costs alone, but the real savings derive from improving business process by moving from a paper-based office to digital. But basically it costs US cents per month to store a legal/letter sized box of documents or from as little as JA$1.50 per day,” Holland said.

This, he argues offers tremendous benefits to any business, including giving them the freedom to concentrate on their core operations.