BAE Systems: keeping highly confidential documents in safe hands

Iron Mountain gives BAE Systems the confidence that its highly confidential documents are in safe hands

Challenge:

Records stored in many disparate locations and facilities of varying quality expose customer documents to risk of loss or damage

Solution:

Outsourcing records management to Iron Mountain assures the security and integrity of sensitive documents

Value:

Customer confidence through maintaining highest security standards and ability to provide critical documents rapidly

Client

As one of the world's leading defence groups, BAE Systems designs and manufactures products for air, land, and sea forces. With its headquarters in Farnborough, Hampshire, the company employs more than 100,000 people worldwide, providing cutting-edge products and services to customers in over 100 countries.

Challenge

Back in 2004, the Military Aircraft sector of BAE Systems recognized that it had a potential problem: inactive paper records were archived in multiple locations ranging from cupboards to large containers. This caused problems when records had to be retrieved and exposed documents to the risk of loss or damage. Furthermore, BAE Systems needed to ensure it was fully adhering to the requirements of customer contracts in the management of hardcopy records.

The BAE Systems Military Aircraft sector invited six companies to tender for an end-to-end solution in 2005. Iron Mountain emerged as the successful contender and was awarded a five-year contract. Chris Sumner, Information and Media Services Manager for Military Aircraft, picks up the story: "We chose Iron Mountain because it was the only company able to offer an end-to-end service. Its UK coverage meant there would always be an Iron Mountain site conveniently close by."

The documents that Iron Mountain would need to store for BAE Systems ranged from routine paperwork to confidential information. "Iron Mountain was able to demonstrate that its processes and facilities had been built to the exacting standards that we demand," Chris continues.