J.H. Bennett
Spanning three generations, J.H. Bennett is one of the oldest family owned moving and storage companies in Pennsylvania.
So when company president J. Gordon Naughton added records storage to its line of services in 1991, it seemed like a novel idea.
“It was a natural extension,” recalls Naughton, from his company’s headquarters at 1705 Rasberry street in Erie, Pennsylvania. “That single decision led us from our core Business of moving and storage to a Blend of interrelated companies with cutting-edge technology.”
“Today, we embrace new technology,” says Naughton, “not because of any magic it brings to the table, but because technology enables us to provide outstanding service to all our clients, from individuals and small businesses to large corporations.” In fact, J.H. Bennett — the only locally-owned full-service document management firm in the tri-state region — is realizing an annual 20-percent growth in its document management business.
According to Naughton, this growth is driven by two dynamics: executives have come to understand that maintaining and preserving company records is serious business, and the pressures of regulatory compliance mandate a strict program of comprehensive record keeping. In this increasingly demanding regulatory environment, a document management solution not only improves the bottom line, but also helps limit exposure to civil and criminal liability due to noncompliance.
To ensure compliance with these mandates, J.H. Bennett provides a full line, or “one-stop shop,” of document management services, a media storage vault, hardcopy storage, mobile shredding, and imaging services including the latest document management software, Laserfiche®.
Laserfiche®, which is exclusively offered by J.H. Bennett in the tri-state region, enables companies to run “smarter” by streamlining processes for managing documents, records and workflow. Through digitized archives, the software allows users to locate vital information instantly and efficiently. Secure Web access allows individuals, businesses and government agencies to share information with remote offices and customers, while security options ensure compliance with government and industry-mandated standards, including Department of Defense (DOD) standard 5015.2.
A distinct feature of Laserfiche® is that it integrates easily with a variety of primary business software applications so that any size business or operation can utilize its many features.
“Think of it as a virtual filing cabinet, where every file is automatically cross-indexed and fully searchable,” says Naughton. “The user interface is really simple. It’s based on a Windows file structure with files and folders familiar to most offices, all designed for ease of use. It can store not only your scanned images, but also any type of electronic information, Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, and any reports that you generate out of third-party software. You don’t have to generate paper documents, or scan it; you just store it in the software. Once a file is imported into Laserfiche®, it can be easily found in seconds.”
A major stride toward the utopian “paperless office,” such instant access to archived information means that companies can work faster, smarter and can certainly use less paper — much less paper.
Consider the research. According to a study by Coopers and Lybrand, the average office: makes 19 copies of each document; loses one out of every 20 office documents; spends $120 searching for each lost and/or misfiled document, $250 recreating each lost document, $25,000 to fill a four-drawer file cabinet and $2,000 annually to maintain it. Additionally, the average office stores 90 percent of their corporate memory on paper and only accesses 5 to 15 percent of all active storage each year.
Through records management services, these costs are quickly contained. Document management integrates with a company’s current system to make it more efficient and reduce costs — not the other way around.
J.H. Bennett records management stays competitive by continually looking for more efficient ways for clients to secure, access and control their most critical information. The company offers a unified all-encompassing approach that employs industry proficient CDIA+ (certified document imaging architect) consultants for customizing document management programs, retention schedules, as well as for clients to utilize its specialized Media Vault for offsite backup and disaster recovery. Recently, J.H. Bennett also has expanded its reach by offering Mobile Destruction Services in partnership with Vantage Healthcare to provide secure shredding in Erie and beyond.
“People need to know that our document management company is not an afterthought; it’s not a sideline; it’s a viable and important component of our business,” notes Naughton. “Our company was modeled after one of the largest records centers in the United States, and our plan is to continually seek and provide cutting edge services equal to anywhere in the world.”
In fact, a modern, temperature-controlled 36,000-square-foot warehouse, of which phase two was completed in 2005, is available onsite at the company’s Erie headquarters to meet any storage challenge, including sensitive office records and electronic media services.
Naughton further observes, “Our concept of a records center as one vendor–one invoice is unique to this area. This is the one place you can come for a total solution. If you’re using more than two file cabinets to run your business, we can save you time and money. Isn’t that the bottom line?”
Achieving these results, however, would not be possible without J.H. Bennett Moving & Storage, the hallmark of the J. H. Bennett name. The moving business, established in 1914 by Naughton’s grandfather, holds the largest market share in Erie, while partner United Van Lines is the largest mover nationwide with a fleet of 10,000 trucks.
Through this partnership, the company has carved its niche by providing transportation and warehousing services for everything from packing and crating personal household goods to high value products, trade show exhibits and sensitive electronic equipment. J.H. Bennett can relocate a household, an office, and likewise serve as the HR professional in employee relocations.
Except for the modern van, the equipment and certainly the skills of the van operator, the physical mechanics of moving have not changed in the last 50 years. The most dramatic transformation has occurred in the last 10 years.
“Estimators” are equipped with Palm technology for faster and more accurate estimates, the information from which can be easily transmitted through the company’s registration system.
“Move coordinators” have the responsibility of notating and responding to customer requests before, during and after the move. Therefore, they must have real-time access to all information pertaining to that individual’s move, including van location.
“Our van locator tracking system, SkyBitz, allows us access to the location of our trailers 24 hours a day,” explains General Manager Kent Mitchell. “Trailer location is reported in ‘real time’ providing accurate arrival times, and an extra level of security for cargo, be it household items or a company’s display or high value sensitive equipment.”
With a password, customers can check the location of their shipment online instantaneously, he notes.
Mobile communication is revolutionizing the industry throughout. Drivers today are equipped with smartphones, full-featured mobile phones with personal computer-like functionality, which allows dispatchers to digitally transmit order information to them anywhere in the country. Access to this information subsequently has a direct impact on improved deliveries and customer satisfaction.
With relocation ranked as one of the three most stressful events in a person’s life (right behind death and divorce), Naughton says, getting the job done right and on time is what matters most. In the moving business, there are no “do-overs.” Real time and accurate information is critical to this success.
“We have invested thousands locally and millions nationally to meet our customers’ expectations,” he says.
That’s one reason J.H. Bennett specializes in transportation agreements with corporate customers that are relocating employees. The agreement guarantees levels of service, prices and a professional “move coordinator” to ensure the move is seamless. All the company has to do is make one phone call; the next time they hear from J.H. Bennett is really a matter of opening the bill.
“It’s just taking care of all the details,” notes national account sales employee Fenton James. “It’s taking care of items that we call ‘third-party services’ like hanging a chandelier, crating special high value paintings or a plasma TV.”
This full-line of relocation services is one segment of the J.H. Bennett Moving & Storage business. In the past year-and-a-half, the company has added Go Mini’s®, best described as low-cost, portable do-it yourself storage containers, which are ventilated, easy to move and placed onsite for loading and unloading at ground level. The containers run in size from 12, 16 to 20 feet long.
“Some people don’t want to rent and drive a truck, so this solves that issue where they load the containers themselves,” says Naughton. “What we do is park it for them, they load it at their leisure, and we pick it up when they want and take it to our place for storage or their destination.”
Storage has always been a staple of J.H. Bennett’s services.
J.H. Bennett encourages clients and potential clients to come and take “unannounced” visits to the storage facility. The facility is a defining factor in J.H. Bennett’s quest to differentiate itself; it is military approved, internal and externally video monitored, entry code protected and remotely monitored for intrusion, temperature and fire 24/7 — 365 days per year.
“Nowadays, people are expecting more and they should,” Naughton continues. “We’ve always been ahead of the curve and have grown with our customers’ expectations.”
When it comes to quality and service, J.H. Bennett is always moving forward.
For more information, visit www.jhbennett-moving.com, www.jhbrecordsmgt.com or www.gominiserie.com.