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June 2010: In This Issue
- Toolkit: Managing the Mix of Paper and Electronic Records »
- FREE Records Management Dictionary »
- Now Get More RM Software Choices »
- Shop Online With TAB Express »
- What Your Colleagues are Downloading »
Dear Records Manager,
For most of us, having to manage both electronic and paper records in the same environment is now a fact of life. The success of electronic formats has meant widespread adoption, while the volume of paper records continues to grow.
The result is a hybrid environment of record formats that poses a unique set of challenges for records managers everywhere. So what’s the best way to meet this challenge? Our solution was to create a Toolkit for the Hybrid Environment, available for free download this month.
We’ve also have a great Records Management Glossary for you, just click the link for your free pdf and this handy resource is yours! We value your feedback. If you have any questions, or want to discuss any of the issues raised in this newsletter, please get in touch!
Regards,
TAB
1. Toolkit: Managing the Mix of Paper and Electronic Records
 Are you finding managing electronic and paper records in the same environment to be a challenge? You aren't the only one.
The increasing emphasis on electronic records in our field is undeniable. A recent TAB survey found that over half of the respondents had replaced at least 20% of their files with electronic records, at a time when paper record volumes continue to grow.
In the same survey 20% of organizations reported that over 60% of their record collections were a hybrid between paper and electronic.
This “hybrid” environment is creating a "two-headed" beast that presents new records management challenges, and to help you meet them we’ve put together this useful toolkit.
Tool 1: Tips for Managing Electronic and Paper Files in 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.
Tool 2: Disaster Recovery and Vital Records in a Hybrid RM Environment: A Risk Management Action Plan
This tool looks at risk management in terms of collections that mix paper and electronic records, detailing 7 steps for assessing risk in this environment and creating a plan to protecting your vital records.
Tool 3: 5 Tips for Selecting and Implementing RM Software in the Hybrid Environment
Looking for a software solution to handle both paper and electronic docs? We've put together five tips to help you select and implement software in the hybrid records management environment.
Tool 4: Enterprise Content Management vs. Records Management Software: What's the Difference?
The marketplace is full of software that will manage your records content, improve information access, as well helping with risk management, compliance and any potential discovery process, but the options can be confusing. This resource will guide you through the basics of ECM vs. RMS and help you select which is right for you.
Download the entire toolkit here!
 Have you ever come across a records management term and weren’t exactly sure what it meant? Don’t worry, now you can look it up in our free glossary!
The truth is that in our field there are a lot of different terms, acronyms, and phrases that get used and it isn’t always easy to keep track of them. Some are unique to records management, and some are imported from human resources, government agencies and so on.
So to help you stay on top of RM language, we've put a set of terms and definitions that you can download and keep for reference when needed.
This month, our resource covers A to E. Look for our F to Z glossary in an upcoming issue!
Get the FREE glossary here.
 TAB is proud to have recently acquired the SmeadSoft suite of tracking and records management software solutions. For clients who understand that leveraging technology is highly efficient way to track, manage and secure their critical records, these products are the industry gold-standard.
The SmeadSoft solutions fall into two categories: physical record tracking, and records management systems.
Physical Tracking
The physical tracking solutions are designed to track paper files, or other physical objects throughout their lifecycle. The solutions offer a wide range of ways to manage and track records, including barcode tracking. The physical tracking solutions include:
- SmeadSoft Paper Recordkeeping
- Smeadsoft Inventory Management
- SmeadSoft Property and Evidence Room Management
Records Management Systems
The SmeadSoft Records Management Systems (RMS) include all of the functionality of the physical tracking solutions with the added functionality for tracking electronic records. Additional functions, including imaging, allow organizations to track, manage, secure and maintain their physical and electronic records in a single, unified, easy-to-use solution.
The records management solutions include:
- SmeadSoft Records Management System
- SmeadSoft Records Management System
for Government
- SmeadSoft Records Management System
for Human Resources
- SmeadSoft Records Management System
for Property and Evidence
- SmeadSoft Records Management System
for Clerks and Registrars
- SmeadSoft Records Management System
for Case File Management
- SmeadSoft Records Management System
for Health and Human Services
These two solution sets join the TABQuik™ solution as part of a comprehensive suite of solutions offering TAB users a progression of solutions designed to help them track their records in any form.
If you’d like to find out more about how TAB can help you deploy technology for better records management, please contact us.
 Check out the easy-to-use format of our new online ordering system at www.tab.com/shoponline.
Our completely redesigned site now features:
- Expedited checkout
- Choice of shipping locations
- Purchase tracking
- Our entire product line for easy browsing
Just visit TAB Express, sign up and begin placing orders—it’s that simple!
(Please note, you will need to sign up for the new site even if you currently order online. Call customer service for further assistance: 1-888-822-9777.)
 Want to know what your colleagues are reading?
These are some of our most popular recent downloads:
Demonstrating ROI for Records Management Initiatives
Need to show the ROI on your RM Program? This guide tells you how!
We'll give you a strategy for demonstrating records management's ROI based on hard and soft dollar revenue flows, reduced risk and improved long-term returns.
A recent survey of OnRecord readers identified three main sources of hard and soft dollar return on investment for records management initiatives:
- Savings on physical storage space
- Staff productivity gains
- Reduced risk exposure
We'll examine these three objectives in light of basic ROI principles, focusing on those records management approaches which can help optimize that investment over time.
Download this valuable resource here!
Myth Busting: A Records Retention Action Plan
Unsure why, when and how long to retain records? Want to know the best way to develop a retention plan?
Records retention scheduling plays a significant role in an effective RM program, but unfortunately, myths and misconceptions about retention are common.
Without the proper level of due diligence, ad hoc decision making and vague assumptions about retention can threaten an organization's compliance with legal and business requirements, putting you at risk.
Bust the myths and get the facts on records retention in this must-have FREE download. You will learn:
- How increasing reliance on electronic records affects retention issues
- Why the 'Seven Year' default rule is just a starting point - and is sometimes misleading
- Identify threats to these records
- What privacy regulations and Sarbanes-Oxley mean for retention
- Why 'long term' and 'permanent' aren't synonymous
- How to make sure you are only keeping valuable records in your archive
- How to develop and implement a records retention plan
Download your copy here.
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