On-site Vs. Off-site: Which Is A Better Document Destruction Strategy?

Document destruction is a critical practice for every modern business. From small start-up organizations to national corporations, every company generates thousands of documents each year. When you’re finished with your documents, you want to destroy them properly to ensure confidentiality of sensitive information. As you weigh varying document destruction options, you must decide whether you’d prefer on-site or off-site services.

On-site

On-site or mobile shredding involves a specially designed truck going to a business and shredding the documents right on the premises. The truck is outfitted with an on-board industrial shredder, and the clients can watch the shredding process happen right before their eyes. The shredding company will issue a certificate of destruction once they’ve finished the shredding.

The biggest advantage of on-site shredding is the peace of mind that comes with knowing that a minimal number of people were involved in shredding the documents right there at the company. The fewer people that must handle the documents, the more secure the process. The biggest disadvantage of on-site shredding is the cost. Specialized trucks are not cheap, and destruction companies charge a premium to come to your place of business.

Off-site

Off-site shredding involves collecting and transporting the documents via a cargo truck to a shredding facility. Off-site shredding is more affordable than on-site shredding because it is not as expensive to operate a cargo truck as it is to operate a shredding truck. Typically, documents from multiple clients are mixed together during off-site shredding. Some people believe that this process increases security by reducing the chances of someone being able to recreate the documents. In reality, industrial shredders create such tiny shreds that it’s virtually impossible for anyone to reconstruct them.

The biggest disadvantage of off-site shredding is that company owners can’t observe the shredding process. Additionally, the process of transporting the documents to a shredding facility involves more time and more staff members, both of which can increase the risk of a security breach. You must be honest with yourself about the shredding process and how much risk you’re willing to take with it.

UCI offers comprehensive copier, document and managed services for companies of all sizes in the Texas Panhandle, including on-site document destruction. To learn more about our on-site paper shredding in Amarillo and Lubbock and how we can meet your document destruction needs, contact us now.