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D A I LY

APRIL is being celebrated as Records and Information


Management (RIM) Month, but do you know the history of
THREE-PAGE SPECIAL RIM Month?
MONDAY, APRIL 25, 2011. In 1995, ARMA International initiated National Records
and Information Management Day (NRIMD) to focus
public attention on the importance of records and information
management. It was an effort spawned
by the members of GRECO (US
Government Relations) in an effort
to bring attention to their cause
of passing the Federal
Paperwork Reduction Act.
As part of the first festivities
commemorating NRIMD, a
gathering was held in Washington,
D.C., attended by members of
Congress and the Executive branch.
The day served a two-fold purpose of
by VERA FORDE promoting records and information management as well as
PRESIDENT, BARBADOS ASSOCIATION OF RECORDS AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT advocating the passage of the Paperwork Reduction Act.
HOW an organization manages the information it generates from its business transactions with This action became the rallying call for all records and
customers and the processes involved, impacts the quality of the type of service it provides to its information managers.
stakeholders. Proper management of customer information enables organizations to speed up VERA FORDE (GP) In 1997, NRIMD was expanded to a week (NRIMW) and
delivery, adjust service offerings and become and remain competitive. This can be achieved eventually to a month in 2003. Source: ARMA International
through efficient and effective records and information
management (RIM).
RIM is about creating, capturing, registering, classifying,
indexing, storing, retrieving and securely disposing of records
and developing strategies to manage them throughout the
records lifecycle.
Quick access to records is crucial
Timely access to records enables an organization to operate
efficiently. This is not an overnight achievement; it comes with
careful planning and implementation of the records
management programme.
The discipline of records and information management
consists of principles and practices designed to efficiently
manage and control records before they are created,
throughout their use, until their ultimate disposal. Key among
these practices is the creation and capture processes. Creating
and capturing, complete, authentic, reliable, trustworthy and
usable records of customer information translates into efficient
service, which in turn puts the organization into a more
competitive and productive enterprise.
When transacting business, a series of interactions take place
between the customer and the organization. The information
generated from these interactions or transactions is evidence of
what transpired during the transaction (in other words … a
record).
Also customers document their requests, queries or
complaints in forms, correspondence or via the phone. Such
information constitutes the building blocks of an efficient
customer service.
Findability or retrieval comes into play after creating or
capturing the information. Finding and accessing customer
information is a key element to efficient customer service.
Findability begins with documenting contextual information
about the transaction. This information, called metadata, enables
quick retrieval and tracking of information. Documentation
should include: type of transaction, business process used, title
of record, actions or decisions taken (or not taken), level of
security, retention and disposal information and so on.
Classifying the information
A classification scheme places records in context. It is a
conceptual structure intended to group information together
into standard categories. Using a classification scheme enables
record-keeping systems to keep documents and records of
similar subjects together (called series) making it easier to find
information when required. An index (roadmap) of how
records are arranged, and also where these records are stored
could then be developed from the classification scheme.
Storage
Where and how you store the information is critical;
records must be stored in trustworthy systems that will manage
the information through time while ensuring their integrity is
intact. This is even more critical for electronic records, where
issues of obsolescence are an ever present concern.
Finally, glue all of this together with documented policies and
procedures on managing customer information. It is also
important to implement and include audit mechanisms to
ensure compliance with these policies and procedures.
Creating, and capturing accurate, and authentic information
from business transactions, and making the information
accessible to those who need access to it increases efficiency.
Good RIM will enable customer service representatives to
resolve complaints and answer queries in a timelier manner. It
will also support a more robust corporate memory and lessen
the likelihood of customers hearing the words ‘please call back’
frequently. Queries will be resolved during the first call using
data already maintained in the RIM system. Hopefully,
policymakers will see this as something worth striving for!
28. MONDAY, APRIL 25, 2011. DAILY NATION

by EMERSON O. BRYAN requirements, where records


in the cloud that have attained
RECORDS AND their retention limited ought
INFORMATION to be eliminated as part of the
MANAGEMENT (RIM) is a risk management strategy.
very dynamic field which The problem is that it is
constantly seems to be oftentimes difficult to
evolving increasingly into a determine where these
more complex discipline, records are, as the cloud
mainly due to innovation and servers may be in another
development of electronic geographic location or
computer solutions for the scattered across several
management of information. locations. This does not
The new flavour in absolve the company from the
electronic records EMERSON O. BRYAN (GC) responsibility of undertaking
management is Cloud or expertise in or control proper disposition. It is also
Computing, which has been over the technology usually difficult to undertake
touted by vendors in the ICT infrastructure in the ‘cloud’ electronic discovery
industry as the best solution that supports the applications (eDiscovery) forensic
to manage electronic which and manages their exercises.
information, especially information. These applications While not knocking the
unstructured data that are not are accessible from various benefits of cloud computing
subject to a formal records client devices through a thin solutions, it is with RIM
management programme. client interface such as a web support that this solution
What do we mean by browser (like web-based becomes more of a benefit
Cloud Computing? email). than a risk to information
The United States National Cloud-based SaaS solutions governance. With proper
Institute for Standards and are getting the attention of metadata tagging under the
Technology (NIST) defines RIM professionals, since guidance of both the
Cloud Computing as a model vendors use as the ‘selling- information technology team,
for enabling convenient, on- point’ that all information can and the RIM team, cloud-
demand network access to a be kept ‘forever’… meaning based solutions could improve
shared pool of configurable content in the cloud needn’t collaboration and knowledge
computing resources (for be deleted or destroyed. sharing and thus improve the
example networks, servers, Sounds great … except competitiveness of the
storage, applications, and where there may be a legal enterprise.
services) that can be rapidly compliance requirement. While it may not be
provisioned and released with These legal requirements possible to have a full
minimal management effort or may be: on privacy and discourse on the implications
service provider interaction. security matters, for example, for other cloud-based
[sic] the US Patriot Act, where services, it is hoped that
Specifically, as it relates to physical servers in US policymakers would begin with
RIM and Cloud Computing, jurisdiction may be confiscated sound records management
the concern is with software if they affect national security; theory before deploying this
as a service (SaaS) solution, retention and disposition in type of solution within the
which require no knowledge keeping with good governance enterprise.
DAILY NATION. MONDAY, APRIL 25, 2011. 29
by CHERRI-ANN BECKLES

SUSTAINABILITY has become the


new benchmark for businesses in
today’s economic climate. Businesses
strive to achieve sustainability in
order to endure the unforgiving
financial times. Good governance,
that is, optimising and controlling the communication; breaks down external, when the right records and shown
use of business information, plays a information silos; streamlines information can be found at the right that
key role in remaining sustainable and processes and enables employees to time, at the right cost. employees spend 20 per cent of
in turn good records and information meet their business objectives. Moreover, records and their time searching for lost records
management (RIM) facilitates good When this type of information is information would not be kept and information and 50 per cent of
governance. captured and recorded for beyond the period in which they are the time, they can’t find what they
Today’s businesses need to dissemination to employees through needed thereby reducing the risks to actually need. In the end, records and
reinvent and/or redesign their a process of knowledge management, business that can lead to loss in information management would
information strategy to make better there are many benefits to be had. revenue. It reduces the need for the improve the reputation of a business
use of their information in this Well informed employees feel more organisation to increase its records by giving all of its stakeholders the
unstable environment. The right invested in their work and this storage capacity hence reducing the assurance that there is transparency,
information should be captured and inevitably results in increased cost of purchasing or leasing executive accountability and tight
stored as organisational records that productivity. additional storage equipment and governance.
would provide evidence and Records and information space. Records and information
information for use overtime. A CHERRI-ANN BECKLES (GP)
management would also ensure that In addition to these benefits, management will enhance your
good example of this is documenting your business records and who needs it. Businesses would businesses would be able to avoid business’ capacity to endure today’s
organisational policies and information remain reliable, enhance their relationship with their the cost of searching for and harsh economic environment while
procedures which leads to improved consistent and available to anyone customers, both internal and duplicating information. Research has simultaneously increasing its value.

by ANTONIA CHARLEMAGNE-MARSHALL

IF A DISASTER OCCURS
TODAY, can you realistically
answer in the affirmative that the
vital records of your organization
are secure? Well, if the answer is
no, then this three-step guide can
assist you with starting a vital
records protection programme.
First, you must identify what
are your vital records and who is
responsible for these records in
case of emergency. As the name
suggests, vital records, are those
records essential to the continued
ANTONIA
life of your organization. Remember,
CHARLEMAGNE-
you cannot place a monetary value
MARSHALL (GP)
on records and information critical
to the operation of your organization, as they are legal and
necessary. The paper or media may have little intrinsic value
but the value of the information contained is incalculable.
Without a vital records protection programme, you may
not be able to account for your sales contracts, accounts
receivables, accounts payables, payroll records, strategic and
tactical plans, key correspondence documenting legal action or
affecting huge financial commitments, deeds, titles, leases,
service level contracts, birth certificates etc. What may be
deemed as vital records may depend on the type of
organization.
Secondly, create and document a storage plan for these
records. The plan selected is dependent on factors such as
how vital these records are to the organization, access needs,
security and the cost of the system to be utilized. This plan
should include a vital records protection schedule and a
records procedures manual.
The vital records protection schedule documents the
record number, record name and a description along with the
method of protection whether by duplication, dispersal, onsite
or off-site storage. The procedures manual will act as a
governance and guidance tool for communicating the
importance of the vital records protection plan and also as a
reference guide for records management personnel in
processing and identifying vital records.
Finally, implement the vital records storage plan. How do
you do this? Start by securing filing shelves to walls, in case of
an earthquake, raising electronic equipment and filing cabinets
above flood level and securing them (at least six inches off the
ground), in case of flooding or a burst water main. Also,
consider purchasing fire resistant cabinets and storage
containers. Alternatively, you could outsource storage of your
holdings to an off-site storage facility.
Selecting the appropriate plan is dependent on your
organization’s specific needs, holdings and budget size and
should ideally be part of a risk management programme.
Following this basic vital records protection plan may make
the difference before, during and after a disaster. It may be the
deciding factor whether you commence operation the first
day after the all clear, a month after or not all. You decide.

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