Are you developing your records management instruments and solutions in the same way that you previously handled your paper or are you excluidng them, perhaps not intentionally but excluding them nonetheless? With changes in regulatory guidelines that include ediscovery, mandates to move digital and report on breaches of information of all types, including electronic records, is your organization at risk?
Electronic files should be addressed in the same way as paper files when it comes to records declaration and management. If the electronic file meets the criteria of being a record, it must be managed as a record and all applicable retention and disposition policies will apply. The fact an electronic file is not paper does not exclude or exempt it from being discoverable and a potential audit risk. The challenge is in the fact it is electronic, a somewhat unfamiliar realm to many when it comes to records management.
You need to make an investment in your records management practices to include electronic files. If you are unsure of where to begin, you need to take the time and make the time to learn what works and what doesn’t work with electronic records management through interactions with industry experts, peers who have implemented successful environments and educational programs that prepare you to design, implement and maintain electronic records as part of your overall records management practices.
You need to assess your organizational capabilities and readiness by looking at:
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How interoperability and tight integration with business and financial system applications improve capture and management of records
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Why centralized control of information and records is critical in managing your information assets
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ISO standards that will aid in developing your records management program
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The role metadata plays in managing and retrieving records
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The roles SharePoint, Software as a Service, and open source applications play in relation to your computer solutions
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How to implement ERM solutions from business case to roll out
What say you? Do you have a story to tell about managing eRecords? What are your thoughts on this topic? What is on your mind? Do you have a topic of interest you would like discussed in this forum? Let me know.
Email: Bob Larrivee, Director and Industry Advisor - AIIM
Email: blarrivee@aiim.org Twitter – BobLarrivee
www.aiim.org/training
#ElectronicRecordsManagement