 |
||||
 DID YOU KNOW?Nearly five exabytes of business e-mail is exchanged annually. Source: IDC |
February 2008: In this issue
Dear Records Manager,Today, most business information is used and exchanged in electronic format, and correctly storing this information is a critical part of good records management. The reality is that most electronic documents are stored according to each user's preferred filing method, which can make retrieval a difficult task. This can have a major impact, from decreased productivity to increased litigation cost and risk. With this in mind, this month we are focusing on best practices for filing electronic records. We've developed an excellent needs assessment tool to help you design the right electronic folder structures. We've also got an excellent interview with Joanne Wiens, author of TAB's Guide to Creating an Electronic Filing Structure in which Joanne talks about the importance of getting the right electronic filing structure in place, and what you can expect along the way. Your feedback is important to us, so if you have any thoughts on this or any other issue, please let us know! Regards, 1. Electronic Folder Structure Needs Assessment
With so many rules and business requirements impacting the storage of electronic records, it is no longer enough to click "save as", create electronic folders on the fly and use any name that comes to mind to store your electronic records. Business organizations need to systematically and proactively design electronic folder structures and effective naming conventions based on best practices in records management. This needs assessment tool can help your organization design and name electronic folders to comply with laws and find information faster and more reliably. Depending on where your organization is in this development process, these assessment questions can be used as either a check-up on current practices or a checklist of opportunities to add value. The assessment addresses four key areas:
Download this valuable information resource here. You can walk through this needs assessment tool on your own - or call one of our records management experts to help. 2. TAB Guide to Creating an Electronic Filing Structure
Today, most electronic documents used in business tend to be stored according to each user's preferred filing method, making it difficult for other users to retrieve the information they need to do their jobs, resulting in duplicate files and version confusion. This can cost organizations in terms of errors and reduced productivity. They may also be at risk of non-compliance with federal and industry regulations and leave themselves vulnerable in the event of litigation. An electronic filing structure can minimize these losses and risks. Like a physical filing structure, an electronic filing structure organizes electronic documents in a central location within an organization's network drive, making it easy for users to retrieve information and enhancing regulatory compliance. This guide was created to help you develop and implement an electronic filing structure for your organization, and examines:
This is an invaluable resource for any organization that wants to ensure their electronic records are properly accessible, compliant and secure. Get the full guide here. 3. Get Better Access to Your Electronic Documents: An Interview with Joanne Wiens
OnRecord sat down with Joanne Wiens, a senior consultant at TAB Canada, recently to talk about the what, why, who and how of electronic filing structures. OR: Thanks for taking the time to talk to OnRecord, Joanne. Let's start with the basics: what is an electronic filing structure? JW: It's a pleasure to be here talking about a subject many companies are concerned about today. Simply put, an electronic filing structure is a central location on an organization's network drive where all of the company's documents are stored. The ideal goal is an electronic filing structure that makes sense for the organization's business and workflow and improves productivity. OR: So it's like the electronic counterpart of a physical filing structure. JW: Exactly. The typical physical filing structure is a centralized space with visibly and logically labeled folders which all relevant users can easily access. The same principle would also apply to an electronic filing structure, where you'd have centrally located folders stored on a company's network drives, with file names that follow a consistent and logical naming convention. OR: Why is it so important for companies today to have an electronic filing structure? JW: What's happening in most organizations today is employees are filing away electronic documents in the way they think makes the most sense. So this creates inconsistency across the organization and results in a lot of duplicate or misplaced files. OR: What is the business impact of that? JW: This translates to thousands of hours of time wasted looking for documents, and errors and inefficiencies because of version control issues. IDC, which as you know is in the business of market research intelligence, found that workers spend close to 10 hours a week searching for information. In addition to the costs resulting from lost productivity, IDC also found that failure to find information has led to significant financial losses at many organizations. OR: The news is full of horror stories about the cost of e-discovery, and the lack of preparedness on the part of organizations. Would an electronic filing structure address some of the challenges around e-discovery? JW: Definitely. Companies recognize now but didn't five years ago that all their electronic information was discoverable. Those that went through litigation were shocked when they realized how much information was hidden in their documents and how many versions of their documents were lying around. An electronic filing structure allows companies to have better control over their documents, and makes it easier for them to track document versions. OR: How prepared are most organizations for handling electronic files properly? JW: While many companies today have software programs for managing their physical files, the same cannot be said for electronic files. Unlike physical files, electronic files cannot be seen, so organizations are not always aware of the volume of information being created and stored. There may be a false perception that electronic files are under control because they're stored somewhere on a drive or on someone's PC. However, I think more and more companies are starting to realize that they need to tame this beast. OR: What's involved in creating an electronic filing structure? JW: Creating a useful electronic filing structure is generally an inexpensive undertaking, but companies must be willing to invest the time and effort to plan and implement the change, and to continue to monitor, maintain and enhance the system. Communication is also critical for a successful electronic filing structure project. It's a team effort that calls for each person to be accountable for particular areas of responsibility. OR: Who needs to be involved in an electronic filing structure project? JW: Ideally, you would create a small project team for each department led by someone from records management, someone from IT, possibly your legal department, and representatives from the department. And while it's important to get input from all team members on how folders should be organized and how files should be named, only one person - likely the records coordinator for the department - should be allowed to create, revise and delete folders. OR: How much time does it take to develop and implement an electronic filing structure? JW: Depending on the size of the department and the volume of information, the process could take a couple of days or a couple of weeks. It's a multi-step process that includes information gathering through interviews and meetings, developing a taxonomy and naming convention, creating folders, converting file names, and organizing files into the appropriate folders. If you could do that one department and be successful from beginning to end, then you can take that methodology and apply it to other departments across the organization. OR: Is security an important consideration when creating an electronic filing structure? JW: Security is critical. Access to electronic files must be restricted to authorized users, who are each assigned levels of access that correspond with their roles in the company or in a particular project. OR: What are some of the challenges to creating an electronic filing structure? JW: An electronic filing structure puts some control over an area where employees have had free reign for quite some time, so in some way what you're really doing is changing the company's culture and that can be a huge challenge. Getting users to embrace an electronic filing structure also means changing everyday work habits and attitudes. People need to be encouraged to share information and not hoard documents in their personal spaces on the network drive. Recognize that most people are resistant to change to some degree. OR: How can organizations overcome these challenges? JW: To effect this culture change, senior managers need to demonstrate their support for the new electronic filing structure. Ideally, staff at all levels needs to be involved in the design of the new electronic filing structure. After all, they have the best understanding of how their information needs to be organized in order for them to be efficient and effective. OR: And how does an electronic filing structure fit into an organization's overall records management strategy? JW: The new structure should integrate into your existing records management program in a way that allows users to cross-reference between electronic files and physical files. Future projects to convert physical files into digital records should also be considered when designing the electronic filing structure. OR: And what is the major benefit organizations should expect to see from these types of projects? JW: Information is not in a nice neat little package - it is spread all over the network and that can be a nightmare. With a well-designed electronic filing structure, you're picking up all those thousands of scattered bits of information and putting them away into one neat and well-organized room. This is a great help to any organization in terms of access, retrieval and risk management. And remember for the new structure to be most effective, it should be integrated into an organization's overall records management strategy. Joanne is a senior consultant with TAB Products of Canada. Previously, Joanne has been an independent consultant providing document management services for a variety of clients. She is a Certified Document Imaging Architect and has worked on a number of imaging/database projects. While electronic records and e-discovery are her current focus, Joanne has also designed and implemented classification and retention schemes and paper-based filing solutions. Joanne partners with TAB's clients to develop and implement ISO-standard records management programs for paper and electronic records, including e-mail records. 4. Introducing the OnRecord Q & A: a Call for Submissions!
5. TAB Sponsors ARMA's E-Discovery & Beyond Seminar 2008
You'll hear visionaries and experts in the Legal, RIM, and IT fields discussing what works and how to make it part of your organization's information management foundation. You'll walk away with a plan of action and an understanding of the tools and processes needed to reduce your risk and make your organization more competitive and compliant in the process. Sign up today and learn how information governance solutions can help you reduce risk and increase preparedness for discovery while lowering costs, improving returns, and promoting business agility. For more information and to register, visit www.arma.org/ediscovery 6. News: TAB Published in Facilities Management JournalWe are pleased to tell you our own Ross Nepean and Jason Pearce have co-authored an article that appears in the January/February 2008 FMJ. The piece, Do More with Less: Space Planning in Records Management, examines in detail how a total records management solution will help you fulfill your operational mandate in the face of rising rent and a shrinking workspace. You can read this excellent space management article here.
|
|||
|
Join our mailing list | Remove your email from our mailing list | Privacy Policy | Send to a colleague To help ensure delivery of TAB's newsletter to your inbox, please add our email reply address (usnews@news.tab.ca) to your Address Book or Safe Sender List. If you do not wish to receive the TAB newsletter, please click on the link above or click here. You can also send mail to TAB US Headquarters, 605 Fourth Street, Mayville, WI 53050. |
||||
Get better at designing and naming your electronic records folders
Are you building a new e-records filing structure? Looking at upgrading your existing structure?
With as much as 95 per cent of information today coming from electronic sources, retrieving files from your company's network drives can be a challenging and time-consuming task. Not only does this pose problems for efficiency, it can be a major risk when it comes to discovery and litigations. The answer? Get an electronic filing structure.
We are creating a new Q & A feature for 
In response to the growing concern about the risk organizations face regarding their electronic information, ARMA International will explore the issues and solutions around managing electronically stored information in its