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 DID YOU KNOW?Providing enough paper for China's 1.3 billion people to have the same per capita consumption as Finland would require the additional production of 422 million tons of paper a year. Source: Earthtrends |
June 2008: In This Issue
Dear Records Manager,We had a great response to last month's look at the changing role of imaging in records management. Part of that response was the challenge raised by many readers around how they should handle the retention and discovery issues that come along with electronic documents. Accordingly we've put together a Conversion Readiness Assessment Tool to help you meet the legal record-keeping requirements and evaluate how well your existing RM program will support the conversion process. And we've also got a great summary of the hybrid environment survey results we conducted back in April! Your feedback is important to us, so if you have any thoughts on this issue, please let us know! Regards, 1. Conversion Readiness Assessment Tool
Many organizations are turning to electronic imaging to decrease their records storage expenses. But simply scanning your records doesn't necessarily mean you will be able to destroy all of the original documents. And on a more general level, for conversion to truly benefit your organization, your existing RM has to be able to support it. Answering the following questions will help you:
This is an invaluable resource for anyone who is thinking of enhancing their records management capabilities with an imaging program, and you can download it here! 2. Hybrid Environment Survey: The Results Are In!
The Big Picture Still bogged down in paper? You're not alone. Not surprisingly, none of our respondents have eliminated paper records entirely. In fact, it seems that paper still dominates the records management world, with over half the respondents indicating that paper accounts for more than 80% of their records. 16% of the respondents seem to be leading the move to electronic, indicating that over 80% of their records have been converted, and a third of our respondents have converted half their records to electronic. And even though paper records make up the bulk of all records, electronic records are becoming a bigger part of the filing world. Over 60% of respondents indicated that half their files are a hybrid of electronic and paper. Only a quarter of respondents deal with less than 20% of their records as a hybrid. Physical Records Creation In the bid to reduce the amount of physical records generated, organizations are going after those processes and areas that tend to be the most prolific producers of paper first, such as accounting, HR, operations and project management. In fact, 30% of our respondents reported moving accounting documents (e.g. AR reports, payroll) to an electronic process and 50% of our respondents reported moving operational documents (e.g. purchase requisitions, expense records) to electronic! Realizing Workflow Efficiencies A testament to the efficiency and collaborative power of electronic documents, over 70% of our respondents said they had incorporated imaging to improve workflow. The most popular processes to incorporate it into were accounting and finance followed by HR. Interestingly, a number of respondents reported that rather than using specific verticals, departments or processes as criteria for imaging, they let "frequency of use" determine what was imaged. Strengthening Disaster Recovery As with workflow, there was also strong showing for using electronic means for disaster recovery and vital records protection among respondents, with over 70% saying they had some process in place. How exactly are they using electronic means? Typically respondents are scanning vital records both as they are created, and either storing that data on CD's which are kept off-site, or on remote or co-location servers, although some respondents did report using the electronic versions for day-to-day and storing original paper documents in a secure vault. The Retention Challenge Retention seems to be the biggest challenge when it comes to the hybrid environment, with just under 50% of all respondents reporting that they were just starting to manage content against their retention rules, or had no rules in place at all. For those that were mapping electronic content to their retention schedules, the majority (33% of respondents) approached the problem by treating their electronic documents the same as their paper documents, with the remainder using EDMS (11%) or fixed schedule specific to electronic content (5.6%). What Does it All Mean? Paper continues to dominate the RM landscape, but electronic records are coming on strong. Increasing numbers of companies are converting existing processes, driven by the benefits, including:
The major paper producing areas, like accounting, are a popular starting point for the conversion process. Given the number of respondents who indicated that they were just getting started or had only recently started, the above general trends look set to continue and expand in scope. Interestingly, in reviewing a number of the individual responses, two specific challenges emerged regarding the hybrid environment: managing electronic content against retention rules and rolling electronic content programs out across the enterprise. At TAB, we think that the answers to these challenges lie in education and training of individual personnel in combination with the development of comprehensive records management programs designed to address electronic and paper content equally. 3. How Has Records Management Changed Within Your Organization?
In an upcoming issue, we'll examine that question and how companies handle records management within the corporate structure. The fact is that records management is gaining executive visibility in organizations everywhere. As organizations recognize the role of records management in risk management and compliance, many organizations have adjusted where records management reports into the organizational structure. This adjustment has meant significant change to the overall priorities, budget and accountability for RM everywhere. Tell us how the records management function has changed in your organization and we'll share the responses in an upcoming issue of OnRecord 4. News: Electronic Medical Records Will Save LivesDid you know that medical error is in the top 10 causes of death in the US? Studies show that doctors and hospitals with access to electronic records have significantly fewer deaths attributed to medical error. Find out why having your records available at the click of a mouse could save your life. 5. News: Life in the Email AgeAs the impact of email on the legal landscape continues to make news, companies have begun monitoring employee email for everything from proprietary data leaks to cyberslacking. Find out more about the evolving legal impact of emails as well as tips on worry-free emailing.
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Your organization has decided to move forward with converting your documents into an electronic format via an imaging process. But is your RM program ready? Do you know which documents you will be able to discard? Would your converted documents stand up in court?
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