The Value of A Records and Information Management Program
Over the past few years, the question has been raised periodically "What is the value to an organization of having a good, solid RIM Program?"
One only needs to look as far as the headlines to see the impact of not managing an organization's information assets properly. The serious financial impacts and damage to the reputation of certain major corporations have resulted in their names all but disappearing from the landscape. In some cases, these organizations had viable records and information management programs; they simply failed to follow established policy and procedures when it really mattered.
There are many components to a RIM program. One of the cornerstones is a strong policy statement, supported by Senior Management that is in keeping with the organization's objectives and business practices. This should take into account the need to establish practices that will result in maintaining the right information; effectively managing it over its life cycle and ensuring it is accessible when necessary. The policy should clearly identify the stakeholders within the organization and take into account their business needs, as well as any regulatory, statutory, legal and fiscal obligations for maintaining the information.
Once a policy has been crafted, procedures should be developed to carry out the objectives of the policy. The procedures need to take into account concerns such as the variety of media forms and volumes of information an organization generates and receives and clearly identify who has responsibility for managing the information for the organization. Depending upon the physical constraints of the organization, there are different models to consider for RIM programs. Among these are centralized and distributed systems, both of which have advantages and disadvantages.
If the organization has offices in a number of locations, all of which have needs to access some of the same information simultaneously consideration should be given to a centralized system, which incorporates the use of electronic means of distribution. While this may not be possible for smaller organizations (due to financial considerations) it is beneficial compared to having multiple copies of information distributed to numerous locations that results in the need for additional resources (materials, space, labor and time) to manage and maintain.
Another key component is an approved retention schedule for your information assets. After the records have been inventoried, identified and categorized into logical groups (typically known as "record series"), research will need to be performed to establish periods for retention. These should be based on any requirements placed on the organization by regulatory agencies and business needs for the information. Minimum and maximum retention periods should be established, and they should be evaluated and approved by legal counsel (if your organization has such a function). The effective use of a retention schedule for proper disposition of information in a timely manner can have numerous benefits for an organization. In addition to limiting the cost for space required to maintain information beyond it's useful life, it can keep an organization from being exposed to legal actions related to information that is no longer pertinent in the event of a subpoena or discovery action. Prior to appropriate disposition of information, consideration should also be given to any potential historic or enduring value of information to an organization. Information assets identified that meet these criteria should be considered for inclusion in an organizational archive.
During the process of establishing a RIM Program, key stakeholders will likely be identified within the various parts of the organization. Establishing a "network" of these individuals can prove invaluable to the RIM Program for communicating the policies and procedures throughout the organization. Simply having policies and procedures isn't enough if they aren't communicated and followed by all members of the organization. As noted in some of the cases of improper management of information in the recent past, it wasn't the lack of a program that caused the problem, it was the failure to effectively communicate it and ensure everyone was aware of it.
One of the other critical components of a RIM Program is related to business continuity. It is important to identify records and information that an organization considers vital to their continued success; items that will be required within the initial hours following a disaster or other unplanned disruption of business. This information needs to be protected and distributed in a manner consistent with the organizations need for access to it. Items to be considered are those that have direct and immediate operational and fiscal impact on the organization's core business objectives.
A well-designed and managed RIM Program can result in lower costs, improved access, effective management and proper retention of information assets, all of which have positive impacts on an organization's bottom line.
This article was written for the ARMA Pacific Region Website by Lawrence Medina, Senior Records Administrator at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Northern California.
Mr. Medina is past President of the Golden Gate Chapter of ARMA has been an ARMA member since 1972.