Gentoo Group

The Benefits

-        35,000 archived files digitised in accordance with compliance policies

-        Archives digitally accessible to authorised users

-        Site converted into 15 affordable properties for additional income

-        Eliminated the cost of outsourcing storage facilities

The Background

Managing more than 29,500 homes across the Sunderland area, Gentoo Group provide affordable housing to more than 60,000 tenants.

Having been active since 2001, Gentoo have naturally generated a lot of paperwork – and while they started to digitise their active records in 2011, the scope of this didn’t extend to their legacy archives. Consisting of 35,000 files, each with an average of 85 pieces of paper stored in depots and offices around Sunderland, this legacy archive contained around 2,975,000 individual sheets of paper.

The Challenge

Following a review of their site, Gentoo knew they’d have no option other than to digitise their legacy records; reasoning that the cost would be offset by downsizing the obsolete space.

However, the Group was storing documents in several buildings across the city – one of which was due to be demolished – and to make matters more challenging, the heavy regulations and compliance policies surrounding Gentoo’s work meant that documents couldn’t just be picked up and scanned off-site. 

The Solution

To start with, Apogee visited the facility that was scheduled for demolition – formulating an efficient digitisation strategy that could be completed quickly and compliantly. Fortunately, the property references that Gentoo had provided gave Apogee a valuable head-start when it came to organise the digitised files; since there was already an existing system in place to cross-reference from.

With all the files digitised and stored on a secure server, Gentoo can now access them with the touch of a button. After Apogee digitised legacy records from sites across two more areas, Gentoo were well and truly ahead of the curve during the disruption of 2020 – since Gentoo employees were able to remotely access documents and return them to tenants and solicitors very quickly, in line with legal requirements.

The Outcome

With their legacy records stored digitally onto a secure server, Gentoo are able to provide a dynamic and effective service that is in line with current regulations – but with significantly less buildings costs eating into their budget than before.

Now beginning plans to move their operations to Sunderland City Hall, Gentoo aims to downsize even further – with plans to free up half of their offices by moving all legacy files offsite. This will include eliminating the cost of outsourcing storage facilities, which are expensive when dealing in bulk.

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