CaseStudy

From Document Manager Magazine Vol 19 No 05 - September/October

A recent office move created the impetus for Ordnance Survey to outsource the management of its document storage and retrieval functions

Government, business and individuals alike all rely on Ordnance Survey, the national mapping agency of Great Britain, to provide accurate and up-to-date geographic data. To the public, Ordnance Survey is best known for its paper maps. In fact, there are around 650 different recreational and leisure maps alone, together covering every corner of Britain. And even in the internet age, Ordnance Survey still sells around 2.5 million paper maps every year. But today it is digital mapping data that accounts for around 90% of their business. Both the public and private sectors need an accurate, reliable geographic framework to help them deliver effective and efficient services and make better decisions.

Ordnance Survey's recent Head Office move to a new facility in Southampton created the need for outsourcing a number of business services, including storage and management of a variety of documents (both current and archive) as well as many historical artefacts.

Box-it, a proven supplier of high calibre, secure document management services to government departments, was selected by Ordnance Survey through a formal procurement process with the acquisition going through an OCG framework agreement with the Eastern Shires Purchasing Organisation (ESPO) for both document storage and document scanning solutions.

Ordnance Survey had previously occupied spacious premises originally built in 1969 to accommodate over 5000 staff as well as large printing presses for the creation of maps, which provided sufficient space for on-site storage and archiving. Technological advancements over the years and greater use of outsourced business services for map print production has reduced the need for such a large workforce spearheading the move to a new, smaller building specifically designed to meet the requirements of more streamlined activities for efficient modern map making. Ordnance Survey needed an extensive range of historical documents, artefacts and equipment (ranging from files and boxes to large scale plans, photos, pallets and surveying equipment) to be placed into safe storage for preservation. There was also the on-going necessity to out-source storage for its current documents and records with the ability to swiftly access/retrieve files as and when required.

With short notice and a tight deadline to work to, Box-it assigned a dedicated project management team to the task of cataloguing and bar-coding all files and stored items allowing for their efficient tracking and future retrieval. Box-it's logistics team recorded the transfer of files and boxes to its purpose-built storage facility, while the Box-it IT department created a modified online management system for Ordnance Survey to have control of the archive themselves. Ordnance Survey can now order online, by email or fax to receive next day retrievals as standard with the ability to request urgent retrievals electronically via 'Scan on Demand' within four hours.

Box-it, with its headquarters in Winchester and regional branches nationwide, looks after a large number of document boxes, around 50,000 files and 80 pallets for Ordnance Survey together with a substantial number of artefacts in a dedicated facility with security and environmental controls. Box-it provides a full range of digital and paper document management solutions spanning storage, scanning and shredding, as well as Omnidox powered business process outsourcing for Accounts Payable, Digital Mailroom, HR Management and Forms Processing.

"We are extremely pleased with the service provided by Box-it. Our records are now at the right place at the right time; saving us time and money and being local they are also helping with us with our carbon footprint and commitments to the environment. All in all, a successful partnership," says Vernon Birkett, Records and HR Projects Manager, Ordnance Survey.

More Info: www.boxit.co.uk

CaseStudy