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July 2008: In This Issue
- What Your Colleagues are Reading »
- OnRecord Q&A: We've Got the Answers »
- In Case You Missed It: A Breakthrough in Binder Storage! »
- News: Paperless or Paper-less? »
- News: U.S. Feds Guilty of Sloppy RM »
Dear Records Manager,
We know our subscribers are always curious to know what their colleagues are reading, so this month we've put together some of the top downloaded resources so far in 2008.
We also have a great reader submitted question in our OnRecord Q&A feature that addresses the challenge of following a corporate records retention program or the age-old RM question of "why can't I keep everything?"
As always, your feedback is important to us, so if you have any thoughts on this issue, please let us know!
Regards,
TAB
1. What Your Colleagues are Reading
Here's a quick round up of some of the most popular pieces from the last few issues of OnRecord.
 1) Tips for Managing Electronic and Paper Files in the Hybrid Environment
Are you finding managing electronic and paper records in the same environment to be a challenge?
To help you, we've put together five excellent and comprehensive tips to help you handle the challenges of the hybrid environment. Applied as part of a comprehensive records management solution, the techniques and tools discussed here can help your organization thrive in both the paper and electronic worlds, bringing the two together in one value add for your organization's business.
Get it here.
 2) Tips for a Green RM Program
Good environmental practices are good for business, and your RM program is no exception.
It just makes sense today to develop an environmentally sound records management program that manages paper, electronic and other media across each phase of their life cycle. This valuable resource will help you get there.
Read it in full.
 3) Digital Imaging Needs Assessment Tool
Popular with readers who are considering imaging as part of their RM program, this tool is designed to help you establish if imaging is right for you through:
- Understanding how your current filing system is structured
- Assessing whether or not a move to digital imaging is the right option for your organization, and
- Understanding what might be involved in such a move
This tool will also help you look at imaging with respect to your organization's:
- Imaging objectives
- Overall RM strategy
- Current filing environment
- Collaboration and access issues
- Compliance and disaster recovery planning
Download it here!
2. OnRecord Q&A: We've Got the Answers
 This month our guest OnRecord expert, TAB Consultant Brenda Vandermey, answers the following question from Scott M., of Edmonton, Alberta who writes:
A colleague of mine is opposed to "throwing records away" as he puts it, even when they are past their retention period. His question is always "why can't we just hang on to them?" What can I tell him? Why should he stick to the retention schedule?
Brenda Vandermey responds:
By keeping records that are past their retention period you miss the opportunity to reduce storage space and cost.
But more importantly, you expose your organization to possible liability in public information/open records requests. Where the retention schedule is a legally binding document, documents are required to be disposed of at the end of their retention period, if no additional action was required.
Remember, the schedule is designed to tell you how long to keep active records on site, and how long to keep inactive records, when to destroy records and it also gives the authority to destroy records.
It is essential to have a records retention schedule and to follow it to ensure legal and regulatory requirements. It demonstrates corporate due diligence, minimizes litigation risk, makes better use of office space, optimizes storage costs on and off-site and allows for more efficient data retrieval and use.
Most companies have a retention policy that states that you destroy documents according to retention schedules and that you only suspend normal document destruction when required by legal or tax holds.
Hope that helps!
Got a question for our RM expert? Submit it to us and we'll answer it in a future issue of OnRecord.
3. In Case You Missed It: A Breakthrough in Binder Storage!
 At TAB we are very excited to present a breakthrough in binder storage, our new FORTIfile D-Ring Binder.
We premiered this product in our last issue of Off the Shelf and the response was overwhelming. Our readers are as excited by this binder storage alternative as we are!
So in case you missed it, here are the important details:
- Developed to reduce the wasted space conventional binders create in any filing system
- Available exclusively in a 1 ¾" inch expansion D-ring folder
- Competitively priced against conventional binders
This FORTIFile D-Ring Binder also offers records management options not available on binders, including:
- Ability to colour code
- Addition of accessories such as inner pockets for cd storage, etc.
For more information on this breakthrough in binder storage, call 1-800-417-8010 or complete our online response form.
4. News: Paperless or Paper-less?
The technologies that were supposed to create a paperless office are in fact generating more paper than ever before. This article examines that phenomenon and how organizations are coping with changing paper usage patterns.
5. News: U.S. Feds Guilty of Sloppy RM
The Government Accountability Office has released a report slamming the Fed's management of records throughout their life cycle. The details of the GOA report findings.
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