This customer is one of the leading commercial banks in Africa and has had numerous successes throughout its duration. However, the customer was facing several pain points, and they stemmed from difficulties with their filing system. The following are a few of the major pain points from the previous inefficient filing system:

• Lack of storage space
• Inefficient retrieval of customer information because of unorganised filing
• Overloaded workforce trying to manage files
• Rising customer complaints from slow delivery
• Rapidly increasing wages due to incorporating offers just for data management

The customer had been trying to manage file storage internally, but didn’t possess the level of expertise to handle the large volume of files containing customer information. In addition, the customer did not physically have the storage space for all of the files.

While G4S is best known as a provider of innovative security solutions, in this instance, the company was tasked with drawing upon its experience in logistics and archiving.

THE GOALS

There were several goals to this project, with the common theme being efficiency improvement. Better efficiency in the archiving, file retrieval, and file disposal system would solve these goals:

• Improve customer satisfaction: Due to the slow speed of delivery when customer information was needed, the customer had been receiving poor customer feedback. A more efficient system would result in faster delivery and happier customers.
• Save money on staffing: The bank’s wage bill was incredibly high as a result of the dedicated staff needed just to manage files. A G4S solution would decrease the need for a large file management staff.
• Improve file disposal processes: With an inefficient file disposal process, the archives would become unwieldy with outdated files not being removed and destroyed in a timely manner. Improving this process would be one of G4S’s goals for this project.

With an aim at improving efficiencies to resolve these goals, G4S acted quickly to devise a solution.

THE SOLUTION

G4S relied on its years of experience to put together a plan that would completely turn around the archiving challenges the customer had been facing.

The following components to the solution were swiftly implemented:

• Trained Archiving Personnel Deployment: G4S put a staff in place that was highly experienced in archiving and file management.
• Racking, Document Filing, and Labelling: Documents were labelled based on department and person, then arranged into a racking system.
• Procedure for Requested File Retrieval: G4S began handling file storage and a set protocol in place for file retrieval requests.
• Courier File Delivery: Upon request for files, G4S provided courier service to quickly and efficiently deliver the files.
• Aged File Disposal: All files were sorted through and any aged files, based on dates set by regulations from the local reserve bank, were set aside to be disposed of.

All the elements to this solution were put in place and service was delivered within one year.

THE RESULTS

The results of G4S’s solution were overwhelmingly positive, with some very tangible and measurable results. Customer satisfaction was no longer an issue, as the customer has seen an incredible 99% improvement in customer feedback on the efficiency of service. Improving customer satisfaction was objective number one when this project began, so this level of improvement is a remarkable success.

As the customer was no longer attempting to manage its own archives in-house, 28 of its archiving offices were closed and converted into offices that create a better value for the bank. In addition to closed offices, 28 members of the staff that had previously been managing files retired. This labour cut saves the bank GBP 4,800 each month.

The improvement in the file disposal procedures has proven to be lucrative as well, with the customer generating GBP 600 each month from the disposal of files at a paper recycling facility. Finally, the bank itself has also experienced an improvement in the work environment, as employees can now do their work with the necessary information readily available.