What is the cost of storing archives?

Storage costs for paper archives are determined on the basis of the amount of archive material. Prices start at €25 per month. That includes the possibility of requesting relevant files from your archive at any time, or even have them delivered digitally. What are some factors to consider?

To determine the budget of the monthly costs, it is customary to start from the amount of archives. The archives must be safely packed in archive boxes to ensure the security of the data. In the archive management industry, the number of linear metres of archive is usually taken as a starting point.

Depending on the number of linear metres of archive, a budget of € 12 to € 15 per year can be used for the storage costs. A minimum monthly rate often applies. Again, the more linear metres (m1) of archive there are in storage, the lower the average metre price becomes. The storage period also plays a role in this.

Before the archive is in storage, a start-up investment is required, consisting of the costs of packaging, moving and storing the archives.

The paper archive is protected by packaging. This minimizes the influence from outside (moisture, light, vermin) or the loss of documents. Also, the data is somewhat protected from curiosity or data leaks. Finally, this makes it possible to move files properly and find data faster. During packing, the data is linked to a unique box number that guarantees findability. It doesn't really matter which files are packed together, as long as it is linked to the unique box number in the inventory list. Then it can always be found. With 'the end in mind', it is wise to pack together for each year of destruction.

Tip  If you are going to package archives, it makes sense to do so on the basis of destruction period. As a result, an archive box can be destroyed when the retention period of the files has expired. This saves space, costs and ensures that your organization also adheres to the destruction policy.

Once the archives are packed in sturdy boxes, the move can begin. The costs of moving the archive boxes from the existing location to the archive depot depend on the location (attic, basement, ground floor), the accessibility for the car (walking distance, loading facilities), the distance to the archive depot and the number of archive boxes.

After transport, the boxes are included in the digital locating system and placed in the racks in the archive depot. The archives are located independently of location in order to make optimal use of the space. This means that the system indicates where an empty space is available for the archive. It will then be placed in that location. So not necessarily all the boxes of a customer together. This method of distribution guarantees safe storage, as it is not possible for an outsider to know where the files in question are located. And it ensures that the storage depot is used optimally, so that the costs are well distributed and you benefit from the lowest storage fee.

The archive can be destroyed after the desired retention period. The archive boxes are then removed and destroyed in accordance with the CA+ standard. The storage stops and the archive storage costs end. The final invoice for destruction is drawn up.

The story above indicates that the costs for external storage of archives consist of various components. And that it is possible to take care of a number of parts yourself and thus save on your total project.