BALLAST Enables VRC to Complete 3 Times the Audits to Keep Pace with Growth

Vital Records Control (VRC) is a full-service records and information management company that offers solutions for document storage, digital imaging, data backup, healthcare information management, and destruction. Founded in 1988, VRC has quickly grown to become a national leader in information management.

In recent years, VRC has experienced exponential growth as they strived to keep pace with the growing needs of customers with challenges in managing archived documents in a highly regulated business environment. “I’ve been with VRC for 10 years, and during that time we’ve seen record growth. We originally started out with 10 locations and, as of today, are now at 76,” says Michelle Byrd, Senior VP of Compliance for VRC.

VRC secures critical documents and digital media in climate controlled storage facilities, so they are preserved and available when their customers need them. This means VRC is subject to the same regulations, such as privacy of sensitive information, that their customers are subject to. As a result, VRC has developed policies and procedures to ensure they are compliant with industry regulations such as HIPAA, PCI, and SOC 2.

To verify each facility is adhering to VRC’s standard operating procedures, Byrd’s team performs monthly facility audits. Prior to BALLAST, this was a manual process. They would go onsite, fill out a paper evaluation, and manage the data via spreadsheets. There was no consistent approach to scoring, and it was difficult to see if a facility was meeting expectations. “It was overwhelming to sit and try to collate all of the information needed for the facility assessment. As we grew, the sheer quantity became too much of a manual task. I felt as though something constantly had to be adjusted, and where do I go to adjust it? It was overwhelming,” expressed Byrd.

As VRC rapidly onboarded new facilities, the workload became insurmountable, and they began looking for ways to automate the risk assessment process. VRC had a long-standing relationship with LBMC and were introduced to BALLAST. “We looked at other applications but settled on BALLAST because it met our needs. It was flexible – not just an out-of-a box application,” says Byrd.

VRC’s decision to deploy BALLAST allowed them to bring their internal audit function even more in-house. Whereas previously they had to physically travel to Alaska to perform an onsite assessment, they could now perform a virtual assessment using BALLAST. “We can perform three times the number of audits per month with BALLAST,” Byrd added. “With our growth velocity, BALLAST helps us track and integrate new locations faster and more seamlessly than before.”

Prior to BALLAST, VRC was not able to truly achieve visibility and accountability with their manual processes. BALLAST has not only helped streamline the assessment process, but also provides consistencies in scoring, intuitive dashboards and remediation tracking across their sites. “BALLAST has helped create a sense of accountability, where we can see streamlined lists of issues that need to be remediated,” affirms Byrd.

In addition to BALLAST’s excellent customer service and support, Byrd highly recommends BALLAST because they are a trusted partner. She says, “I like to work with companies that I can form a relationship or partnership with, and LBMC and BALLAST have achieved that goal with VRC.”

Learn more about how Michelle Byrd, Senior VP of Compliance for VRC was able to reduce site visits and complete 3 times the audits with BALLAST by browsing these related videos.