2007 Electronic Records Management Survey

According to the 2007 Cohasset/ARMA/AIIM Electronic Records Management Survey both business and government are in the midst of a sea change regarding how records are managed.

Driving Forces of Change

The survey results note that "due to the ever-increasing magnitude of litigation and the need for regulatory compliance, records have assumed even greater value. Always important in determining the outcome of disputes, records now have become pivotal in determining the destiny of organizations as well as the fate of business and government leaders."

Also pointed out was the fact that, "processes that were satisfactory for managing records in the past are now inadequate due to the pervasive presence of electronic records and the associated challenges of technology and volume:"

• The adoption of electronic mail and other communications technologies which create new types of records;
  
  
• The complexity of electronic records and the business processes which produce them; and
  
  
• The exponential growth of records resulting from the ease with which electronic records can be created, distributed and stored.

The Findings

In a report summarizing the findings, researchers uncovered the following key indicators:

• In many areas there has been a significant shift from awareness to action, since the last survey was conducted. An increasing number of organizations now include electronic records in their retention policies and procedures.
  
  
• For most organizations, a great deal still remains to be done to achieve credibility in the management of their electronic records and a sustainable best practice level performance.
  
  
• Major gaps and risks related to the handling of archival and backup media were confirmed
  
  
• Significant gaps in accountability for day-to-day management of all types of electronic records were reported.

Researchers also noted that the findings "strongly suggest that records management awareness has begun to turn, at least in some areas, into action and improvement. For the first time since the survey was first conducted in 1999, a majority of respondents reported that their organization's system for records hold order includes electronic records. This represents a 32 percent improvement since 2003."

Some of the most interesting findings relate to shifts and gaps with regard to who has the responsibility for life cycle management of records. The 2007 survey reports a notable shift toward records management reporting to the legal-compliance function. There is a shift away from IT having day-to-day management responsibility.

Senior Management Involvement Needed

The survey's findings also provide support and compelling reasons for "senior management in business and government to focus much greater attention on their organization's records management performance, particularly the challenges associated with electronic records. While meaningful progress has been made in addressing key aspects of electronic records management, many issues continue to exist in varying degrees."

The 2007 Electronic Records Management Survey was conducted by Cohasset Associates, Inc., a firm specializing in document-based information management. The survey was jointly sponsored by ARMA International, the preeminent organization serving the field of records management, and AIIM, the leading provider of electronic records management training.

For additional information on the study, visit www.arma.org
Source: www.arma.org

Best Practices for Records Management

In today’s dynamic business and regulatory environment, the need for a compliant records management program is a must-have for organizations of all shapes and sizes. Iron Mountain, a proven records management expert and services provider, notes that poor record keeping can now put many businesses in danger of escalating fines and penalties. The bottom line is that compliant records management is no longer optional.

In a thought-provoking and informational white paper, Iron Mountain offers the following best practice approaches for the critical area of records management:

1. Develop a Records Retention Schedule
   This is the foundation of a solid records management program. The Records Retention Schedule provides the foundation for the protection of organizational assets and the surest method to avoid risk and litigation. The schedule essentially ensures that records are kept only as long as legally and operationally required, and that obsolete records are disposed of in a systematic and controlled manner.
   
   
2. Create Policies and Procedures
   Further support for the records management program is provided through a series of documented policies and procedures that address each component of the program - in accordance with operational and legal requirements. Policies and procedures should address all records regardless of media type, and roles and oversight responsibilities should be designated and defined. Records management policies should also be developed to work in close tandem with your business continuity plan and strategies.
   
   
3. Facilitate Ease of Information Access
   Information is the lifeblood of business decision-making. Consequently, a successful ongoing records management program hinges on your organization’s ability to provide access to information for business support, litigation response, and compliance purposes. In addition, organizations need to establish the capability to access records by multiple indexing parameters, such as subject matter, record creator, recipient and date.
   
   
4. Ensure Top-to-Bottom Employee Compliance
   Best practice techniques for records management will only be successful if there is organizational- wide compliance and accountability. Records ownership at every level of the organization is required to achieve compliance. Further, the records management program should be integrated into the organization’s internal audit process.
   
   
5. Establish Consistent Records Disposition Practices
   Consistent records disposal practices enable retention and regulatory compliance and decrease corporate risk. Records disposition should be conducted in accordance with the Records Retention Schedule. Perhaps most important, an established pattern of systematic records retention and disposition serves as evidence that your organization is making a good faith effort to conform to the law.

Additional information and access to the complete Iron Mountain white paper is publicly available at www.ironmountain.com.
Source: Information is copyright of Iron Mountain, Inc.