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October 2008: In This Issue

1. Myth Busting: A Records Retention Action Plan »
   
   
2. Introducing a Roadmap to Compliance »
   
   
3. ARMA 2008 is Almost Here, Come and See Us There! »
   
   
4. News: Reduce the Cost of E-discovery with RM »
   
   
5. News: RM Software - The Morning After »
   
   

Dear Records Manager,

Is your records retention schedule based on the right information and requirements? If not, you may be exposing your organization to unnecessary business and compliance risks. To help you cut through the confusion and get the right information, we’ve put together an excellent resource, Myth Busting: A Records Retention Action Plan.

This month we are excited to introduce you to what will be an ongoing series in OnRecord, The Roadmap to Compliance. TAB has developed a roadmap approach that incorporates the critical elements of a good records management program that will not only improve your access to information, but will get you to a state of full compliance! Every month for the next few issues we will be examining a different component in detail.

And don’t forget, ARMA 2008 is almost here, hope to see you there!

Your feedback is always valuable, so if you have any feedback on this issue, please get in touch.

Regards,

TAB

1. 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?

Because of the vital role that records retention scheduling plays in an effective RM program, it is one of the most talked-about topics in information management. 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 month’s 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 this valuable resource here.

2. Introducing a Roadmap to Compliance

Government and the courts continually enact legislation and create laws that affect your company. Accordingly, you must be able to demonstrate due diligence and consistency of records management practices while ensuring the accuracy and security of the information held in your records.

The good news is that getting to compliance can also mean achieving your organization’s objectives! TAB’s Roadmap will help you get to an effectively designed records management program – an essential tool to not only enhance compliance, but also to increase customer satisfaction, improve access to information, and optimize real estate allocation for physical collections.

This month we will take a high level look at the roadmap, and in following issues we will examine each element in detail.

Functional Classification

A records management program starts with the "what," a common way of naming records known as a classification system. This is the “sign post” that clearly identifies information and facilitates filing, retrieval and archiving.

It is the classification system that provides the basis for compliance, risk management, retention periods, security safeguards and other related issues.

Retention Schedules

Once a classification system is in place, retention schedules must be assigned to every record within your environment.

The "why" of the roadmap, a retention schedule establishes how long an organization needs to keep its records as they progress through their organizational life cycle, including whether records are ultimately destroyed or archived.

Corporate Policies & Procedure Development

Here we outline the "who" by detailing the responsibilities of the user community as per the functional classification system and retention schedule.

We develop these policies and procedures to clearly establish what types of records are included in the program, who is responsible for various activities and who authorizes certain actions.

TAB SMART Program

This is a supervised exercise in which your organization’s employees are educated on all aspects of your records management program, and specifically as to what is a record vs. non-record material. This knowledge is then used to conduct an overall cleanup of the information within their areas, removing unnecessary materials, and moving records to the appropriate locations.

This exercise is a great way to ensure that you are only keeping essential information, thereby reducing what you are spending on storage and making your information more accessible.

Policy & Procedures for the End User

The "how to" component, this step determines the governing standard for managing your program. It also defines how to maintain the classification system and functionality of your program.

A detailed policies and procedures manual is perhaps the most important aspect of a records management program.

Implementation

This is the physical application of functional classification and retention schedules to the appropriate records throughout your organization.

In this step, the classification system and retention schedules are applied throughout your organization.

Download a PDF version of this article. To find out how TAB can help you implement the Roadmap to Compliance, contact us!

3. ARMA 2008 is Almost Here, Come and See Us There!

We are proud to be participating in the ARMA Expo 2008, so if you are going to be there, come by and visit us at booth #303.

Free flash drive loaded with our complete resource library!

Fill out our questionnaire, print out the coupon, and bring it by our booth to get your free flash drive!

Free Expo Pass!

Download an expo pass from us for free admission to the ARMA Expo, October 20-22.

Presentations

TAB will also be featuring in-booth presentations on various RM topics including:

• Managing Records in the Hybrid RM Environment

  TAB can help your organization thrive in both the paper and electronic RM worlds. Learn how you can meet the challenges of the hybrid environment!

  Space Planning in Records Management

  Do more with less! Find out how effective retention strategies and a professional file room design can save you money and improve RM efficiencies, adding value to your overall operation.

  Environmentally Friendly Records Management

  Learn how you can apply sound environmental stewardship to the proactive management of physical and electronic records across all stages of their life cycle, helping to conserve natural resources and mitigate risks to the environment.

4. News: Reduce the Cost of E-discovery with RM

Weighing the costs of records management? Consider the alternative of ad hoc solutions—a Gartner study projects that in 2008 and 2009, companies without an active policy and strategy for content archiving solutions will spend a third more on e-discovery than those with such solutions in place.

5. News: RM Software - The Morning After

Choosing and implementing records management software is only the first step, the real challenge comes after implementation and users start to employ the system. Only then can you assess the effectiveness of the policies, procedures, and technologies that you've put in place. More importantly, adoption and compliance must be won, over time. Here is how you can get buy-in for your new RM software.

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