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Member Spotlight: Devon McCollum

By Jessica Lombardo posted 04-10-2019 12:14

  

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Devon McCollum joined AIIM in 2018 after 15 years in the industry. He quickly jumped in by networking with others through AIIM's online community, VIP Lounges, and applying to share his expertise at AIIM19! He just returned from AIIM19, so we sat down to talk to him regarding his own successes, challenges, and advice for other professionals in the industry. If you have not yet connected with Devon, do so here!

Name:
Devon McCollum
Position:
Corporate Records & Information Manager
Company:
Members 1st Federal Credit Union

Where do you live? Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

How long have you worked in information management?: I have over 15 years of experience in document and records management.

What does your work entail? Do you have company support? How are you helping drive the goals of your office through your work? I am a department of one, so I am essentially developing a records management program from scratch. I am reviewing and revamping the procedures in place; creating and maintaining a compliant records retention policy and schedule; rethinking redundant workflows, and planning a modernization of our current content management solution. Members 1st Federal Credit Union is exceptionally supportive of my efforts, and it wasn’t a hard sell: To remain in compliance and reduce both network storage and physical records storage real estate, an efficient records management program is a must-have. One of our enterprise-wide goals is 100% member satisfaction. The success of our RIM program definitely plays a part in being able to provide quick, modern solutions internally and externally.

What has been the biggest success in your career in information management? The biggest success in my career so far has been creating and formalizing our Records Retention Policy and Schedule. This credit union began in 1950 and is now a $4B organization. I don’t believe there has ever been a formal, comprehensive document in place – at least one that was specifically designed for us. This 52-page document truly is a work of art.

What’s your current biggest work challenge? So far, I think my biggest work challenge has been understanding and mapping how this multi-departmental enterprise shares and uses documents. My current workplace has over 25 departments, and I admittedly did not come from the banking/credit union industry. There are so many potential interdependencies to consider when managing a records retention schedule. I like a challenge, and most people within the organization are eager to help me learn about their departmental documents.

What does Intelligent Information Management mean to you? Intelligent Information Management, to me, means next level enterprise content management concepts, strategies, and solutions. This includes robotic automation processes, cloud-based content management, blockchain security strategies, and essentially everything you wish your ECM could have done. It truly embodies “working smarter, not harder.”

You just came back from your first AIIM Conference, what were your main takeaways from that experience? I had such a great time at AIIM2019! It was empowering. One of my main takeaways from the experience is that we are a very diverse group of people who experience the same successes and pain points. Networking is essential, and I think it is very healthy to exchange ideas with like-minded people. Also, it is a great time to be in the RIM industry. There are so many technologically advanced tools to make our work easier and more accurate, and it was great to learn more about the latest developments. To those who have not yet attended an AIIM Conference, I highly recommend doing so.

You not only attended the conference, you spoke at the conference on gaining buy-in! Not to give away your presentation, but what do you believe is the most important factor in gaining support? I was so thrilled to be a speaker. Getting buy-in can be tricky sometimes, but I believe if you are able to really define and highlight the value you’re adding, you will earn the support you need.

Finally, what are your 2019 IIM goals (either for your own career or within your organization)? One of my personal 2019 IIM goals is to learn all I can about blockchain technology. I am fascinated with it and how it can work with our permanent documents. Within the credit union, I would say my current goals are to make significant progress in digitizing our physical records and structuring the unstructured content. Daunting tasks indeed, but I am doing what I love.


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Comments

04-10-2019 21:10

And thanks, @Jessica Lombardo​

04-10-2019 16:40

Same here, @John Daly.​

04-10-2019 15:30

It was great meeting you at the conference @Devon McCollum!​