Are You Choosing The Right Facility Vendor?

Here are some key pointers to think about.

The reality for most businesses is that for day-to-day needs, everything from catering to computers, there are often many contracted vendors coming in and out of the office. That can open your workplace up to risk. (Think of all those open computer screens, all that sensitive paperwork out in the open, or even company passwords that are posted in your employees’ cubicles.)

Consider a recent incident out of Philadelphia involving a nurse’s stolen work phone containing the personal information of hundreds of patients. The breach of that single mobile phone—that wasn’t password protected or encrypted—resulted in HIPAA violations and a whopping $650,000 fine to the health care provider, Catholic Health Care Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

At the time of the theft, the provider “had no policies addressing the removal of mobile devices containing protected health information from its facility or what to do in the event of a security incident,” according to officials.

The company-issued phone theft—and lack of security policies in place—is a reminder that businesses are on the hook for keeping data safe on employee-issued devices—and everywhere else, for that matter.

You don’t have to put your business at risk.

Ask possible vendors the right questions

When vetting a potential vendor or business partner, no matter how urgent the situation, here are some of the overlooked areas you’ll want to check:

• Is the vendor insured? If so, what are their levels of insurance and are is their business financially stable?
• Is the vendor versed in the California Labor Code?
• Is there a formal safety plan implemented? There are frequent inspections?
• What pre-move procedures is the vendor taking to prevent accidents and injuries?
• Can they provide a list of the regulations they’re bound by? If they don’t have that information available? It can be a serious red flag.
• Do their business practices align with yours? Think eco-friendly solutions.

Put a plan in place for information security

Office managers responsible for facilities management have often added on information security to their other responsibilities. Doubling up on these roles means that you, could be responsible for the security of thousands of records, both paper and online.

Your office can prevent security problems in the future by evaluating vendors right now with an eye toward security. Keeping company property safe is something to keep top of mind when moving your office, or even during a workplace re-org or redesign when documents and devices are being handled by outsiders.

Here are just a few ways that Corovan handles confidential materials with care:

• packs with sealed crates versus less secure cardboard boxes
• uses black shrink wrap instead of clear shrink wrap for further privacy
• hires and trains qualified professional movers who are background checked

It’s imperative that you partner with a company you can trust to manage your assets as responsibly as you would yourself—that’s Corovan.