Where are our Austin folks? Meet Amy Harrelson--you've probably already seen that name as she's been active in AIIM's community, helping just launch the new ECM community. But now she's on a mission to see if Austin locals are interested in meeting up in person, who's on board? With AIIM18 in San Antonio this year, hoping to find some new energy in this area, and Amy is just the one to lead it. Interested? Connect with Amy online. Let's meet up!
Thanks for sharing your story with us Amy!
Where do you live? Austin, TX
How long have you worked in information management? This will be my twentieth year!!
What does your work entail? I oversee the daily workings of the RIM program
Do you have company support? Overall, there is organizational support from the top down.
How are you helping drive the goals of your office through your work?
I try to align Records and Information Management best practices with the strategic goals of the organization in order to demonstrate where sharing accurate information with minimal operational impact in a timely manner adds value and efficiency to the overall way we conduct business. By working with business units within the organization that house and maintain information, I help them understand what they have, who else in the organization uses or needs it, retention and compliance requirements around it, and assist in determining the best way the information should be categorized, stored, secured, and shared.
What has been the biggest success in your career in information management?
In my earlier days, I was a system admin for an ERMS/ARMS application. During my tenure, I led a three-phased project designed to assist the organization in quickly accessing accurate information from multiple sources in one location. The project consisted of revamping the classification and metadata structure of the application to reflect business operations (gaining a 98% user satisfaction score in the process), integrating the application with key business systems including the email management application, and implementing remote scanning operations and electronic workflows. By focusing on quality control and efficiency, we were able to substantially mitigate fraud and improve overall operational processes. Because of my work on this project, I received Summit, the highest recognition in the organization. I was also allowed to implement a new enterprise wide training program bringing both IT and RIM together to discuss lessons learned and what roles each has in making information sharing successful.
What’s your current biggest work challenge?
My biggest struggle right now is getting people to see the benefit in thinking proactively instead of reactively in regards to best practices and minimum functional or technical requirements in applications. Aligning current information management and sharing practices with compliance and strategic vision as well as fully vetting probable risks, impacts, and tradeoffs associated with functionality, scalability, and integration potential in future asset purchases and retirements can be difficult depending on where the team member’s focus is.
You recently helped found the virtual ECM community, can you tell us why you wanted to get involved and what the goals are of the community?
I wanted to be involved in the creation of the ECM community because most of my time and energy goes into ECM planning on some level every day in my current position, and the struggle is real… J
In all seriousness, having an environment where professionals in every role associated with the ECM process can convene, learn, ask questions, and get different perspective that will ultimately make all of us better at what we do and enhance the quality of work we produce is HUGE!!! The ability to connect with and lean from others is priceless.
Who would you recommend joining this community?
Anyone and everyone who touches a portion of the content or information management process in their organization.
AIIM18 is in San Antonio, Texas in April this year, pretty close to your own community in Austin. As we hope to gain a lot of local participation this year, what’s your goal following the conference regarding keeping the local community engaged?
I would love to see a local AIIM chapter started here in Austin, even if it is more of a “virtual family”, having the ability to pick someone’s brain that is local would be wonderful!!
How can other members help? I guess if enough people are interested we should join forces and see what happens!! If there is anyone in Austin who is interested in starting a chapter, let me know, I am in!!
If you could ask any question to the AIIM audience with the hopes of solving an issue, what would that be?
How do you best communicate and manage expectation versus reality when dealing with AI tools such as StoredIQ for overall accuracy of inventorying and classifying unstructured data in regards to how much human review and interaction is needed?
What are the top 3 things you have gotten out of being a member AIIM?
- A renewed zest and zeal for what I do – inspiration
- Access to current and relevant information in mixed consumable media that I can digest when, where, and how I want to
- A sense of community and the ability to pull from an exorbitant amount of tribal knowledge and to lend a little to it as well
As it’s now 2018, what’s one thing you’re looking forward to in the new year?
A vacation!! I did not take one last year.
#MemberSpotlight