How to Save Money on Your Records Program

Whenever I meet with in-house counsel or compliance leaders, the same message comes up: budgets are tight. Everyone is expected to do more with less, yet the amount of information to manage keeps growing. Regulations multiply, systems expand, and data volumes continue to rise. The need for an effective records program has never been greater, but that does not mean it has to be expensive.

The good news is that there are many ways to cut real costs in your records program without sacrificing compliance or quality. The key is to be deliberate, disciplined, and willing to question long-standing habits. Here are some practical ways to save money while keeping your program strong.

Own your retention schedule

Some organizations “rent” their retention schedules through annual vendor subscriptions. These subscriptions can be costly and often rely on generic templates that do not reflect your business. By creating and maintaining your own schedule, you eliminate recurring fees and gain control. You can make updates as laws or business needs change without waiting for a vendor.

While you are at it, simplify your schedule. Old-style retention schedules with hundreds of categories, complex legal language, and outdated references are difficult to manage and nearly impossible to follow. Broader categories make it easier for employees to understand what to keep and what to delete. Simpler schedules improve compliance and reduce the time your team spends answering questions. A schedule that people can actually use is one that saves money.

Combine records and privacy efforts

Your privacy and records teams probably manage a portion of the same data. Coordinating or merging these efforts can reduce duplication. When retention and deletion rules are aligned and managed with the same tools, both functions save time and resources.

Do not pay twice for legal research

Buying an off-the-shelf records schedule can seem convenient, but many of these products contain mistakes or misclassifications. Some organizations then hire consultants to review and correct them, which means paying twice for the same work. A qualified consultant can develop a legally correct and defensible schedule without the need to purchase a prepackaged product.

Avoid low-value projects

Be cautious about analysis-heavy projects that never seem to end. Vendors often recommend creating a detailed data map as a first step in updating your program. These projects frequently confirm what you already know, which is that you retain too much information. They also become outdated quickly. The real value comes from implementing and automating your program, not from endless analysis. Put your time and budget into actions that move your program forward.

Use the tools you already have

Before investing in new software, review what you already own. Platforms such as Microsoft 365 include capabilities for publishing policies, automating retention, and deleting expired records. Savings often come from properly configuring existing systems rather than buying new ones.

Reduce offsite storage costs

Offsite paper storage can quietly drain budgets. Vendors make it easy to send boxes to storage but difficult and expensive to retrieve or destroy them. To save money, start by educating employees that there is rarely a need to print. Keeping records electronically is both compliant and less expensive.

Next, audit your offsite boxes to identify those that contain expired records. Many organizations find that a large portion of their inventory can be destroyed. Review all invoices carefully and check for billing errors, which are surprisingly common and almost always in the vendor’s favor.

When negotiating with vendors, focus on reducing not just monthly box fees but also “hostage fees” for removing boxes and needless service charges. Some vendors even add administrative billing fees. Push to eliminate those costs. With a focused effort, offsite storage is one of the easiest and most significant areas for savings.

Automate deletion

Modern systems can automatically delete records once their retention period expires, as long as legal holds are respected. Automated deletion reduces online storage, cuts eDiscovery expenses, and lowers breach risk. Automation also frees your staff from time-consuming manual cleanup.

Right-size your resources

You may not need a large records management department. A cost-effective approach is to designate departmental coordinators who spend part of their time supporting records compliance. This model builds ownership within departments and minimizes overhead.

Finally, measure and report the impact of your savings. Track boxes destroyed, licenses avoided, and hours saved through automation. Sharing these results with leadership builds confidence in your program and demonstrates that records management delivers real value.

Reducing costs in records management is not about doing less. It is about doing the right things more efficiently. The strongest programs are practical, lean, and aligned with business realities. They cost less because they eliminate waste. Most important, a well-run, cost-effective program frees both budget and attention for higher-value work that helps the business operate responsibly and intelligently. That is an investment every organization can afford to make.