Archive relocations

More than just from A to B

Many companies and organizations have physical archives that cannot be digitized for various reasons. The business case for digitization can be negative – in other words, it would be too expensive. There may also be a need to preserve the original records due to regulatory or legal requirements. In several countries, for example, there are requirements that certain records must be kept in paper form, which can affect global companies. Therefore, it is a fact that physical archives exist now and in the future, and sometimes they will need to be moved.

If you don’t work with archives yourself, you might think that moving an archive is like any other moving task. Well, archives can potentially consist of many archive boxes and items, and there might be a lot of extra work involved in setting up and taking down shelving systems and the like. But fundamentally, it seems like it’s just about moving things from A to B.

Or is it?

The truth is that archive relocations are often complex processes that require thorough preparation and follow-up. If you fail to think through the entire relocation process or finish the work, you risk ending up in situations where the archive cannot be used, and a possible re-establishment can be very resource and time-consuming.

Where is the archive being moved to?

Ideally, the person responsible for the archive has been involved in selecting and approving the facilities to which the archive is being moved, optimally based on a specification that takes location, facilities, and security into account. However, there is also the risk that colleagues without prior knowledge of archives were responsible for the selection. The worst-case scenario, of course, is that the archive is referred to facilities that turn out to be physically smaller or of lower quality or security than the previous facilities.

Therefore, it is important that you always have an overview of the size of the archive, including the number of shelf meters, so you can quickly clarify whether potential facilities will be able to accommodate (and structurally support) the entire archive. It is also necessary to calculate growth estimates. If you have established and approved clear and unambiguous governance for the archive, setting requirements and documenting work processes, you will be in a stronger position if you need to object.

Even if the new facilities meet your overall requirements, there are still considerations that are useful to think through before the moving process begins:

  • Should a new shelving system be installed, or should the old one be reused?
  • How can the space in the new facilities be best utilized?
  • Are there specific circumstances that affect the logistical processes for the move?
  • What security requirements must be met during the move?
  • Should it be possible to locate and access the archive’s material throughout the moving process?

If necessary steps are overlooked or time is not spent identifying potential unforeseen events in advance, you can easily end up in situations that can hinder or completely stop the moving process.

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Archive relocations naturally involve physical work, but they also encompass a wide array of other tasks

The Many Tasks of the Moving Process

As mentioned, an archive relocation is about more than just transporting from A to B. Whether the relocation process is carried out all at once or step by step, there are many tasks that need to be completed before the move can be considered complete.

To name just a few examples:

  • Preparation of a risk analysis for the specific relocation.
  • The archive’s contents must be prepared and packed for transport – both to protect the material physically and, in some cases, to guarantee the integrity of the material and secure any possible confidential content.
  • Shelving systems and other forms of storage in the new archive must be set up, mapped (possibly in databases), and marked.
  • Space registrations must be changed in relevant databases and platforms.
  • Any physical space registrations on archive boxes and folders must be changed.
  • Procedures, policies, contact lists, risk analyses, and contingency plans must be adjusted or possibly rewritten.

There are many tasks associated with an archive relocation, but one should not underestimate that the physical moving work also plays a crucial role in ensuring the process is carried out safely and efficiently.

It is therefore a good idea to draw on the knowledge of colleagues or the movers who may be hired for the task to clarify practical and logistical issues. At the same time, it is important to specify any special considerations and requirements associated with handling and transporting the archive and its materials.

Be Proactive

It is not unlikely that at some point there will be a need to move an archive. Perhaps, after lengthy negotiations, you have finally been allowed to move the archive out of the basement and into new and modern facilities. Conversely, the notice of the move may come as a bolt from the blue with expectations that the moving process will be both quick and cheap.

Whether under joyful or urgent circumstances, there are certain steps that can be taken in advance to ensure an archive is optimized for a possible move:

  • Thorough and current governance for the archive, including procedures, policies, strategies, and contingency plans.
  • Specification requirements for new facilities.
  • Focus on eliminating potential backlogs of archive material.
  • Security classification of the archive’s materials.
  • Implementation of a barcode system for space registration.
  • Statistics and an overview of the size of the archive with estimates for annual growth.
  • Clarification and concretization of the issues associated with archive relocations to management and decision-makers.

It’s worth remembering that no matter how well you prepare, there will still be a lot to deal with during an archive move, and you can easily lose oversight or end up in unforeseen situations. Therefore, it’s essential to plan and execute the move in a way that prioritizes and considers the moving process as a whole.