Impact Areas of ERM

These are the impact areas of electronic records management: We need to develop of the Records Management Program which would encompass:       The creation, or updating, of the records ... read more

Executing on an Information Governance Strategy

ECM technologies offer several capabilities designed specifically to meet the obligations to organize, preserve, discover and dispose of content.  These capabilities are needed to act in accordance... read more

Interview with an ECM Master Student

Interview with an ECM Master Student Carl: Hello, I want to thank you for allowing me to interview you and for the record, can you provide my readers with some insight as to who you work for an... read more

Interview with an ERM Master Student

Carl: Hello, I want to thank you for allowing me to interview you and for the record, can you provide my readers with some insight as to who you work for and with a description of your role? St... read more

SharePoint’s Impact on Records Management

2 Comments

Many of us who have had long careers in Records Management have the experience of trying to get management support for our records management efforts.  Many years ago, we recognized that management... read more

Project Team Required for an Email Management Implementation

For a successful project, you need a solid project team.  These will be the staff that will do the work on the project, including: - Estimating, scheduling, and planning timelines, - Planni... read more

Information Governance and Electronic Records Management

According to ISO/TR 15489-2:2001; Information and documentation -- Records management -- Part 2: Guidelines, a very important step in the process of designing and implementing a records management ... read more

A Business Case for a Taxonomy

2 Comments

People often think that the business case for a taxonomy is the same as a Return on Investment (ROI) analysis.  In fact, ROI is only one form of business case. The most important features of a ... read more

Three Traps In Taxonomy Design

3 Comments

Taxonomies are very vulnerable to influence from many conflicting opinions.  This is why an evidence-based approach is very important, restricting the flow of opinions until the taxonomy has been d... read more

SharePoint capability of managing content and the Content Organizer

A SharePoint capability to look at is managing ‘content’.  ‘Content’ is used here as a shortened form of “enterprise content and records management” which is often referred to by the acronym “ECRM”... read more

Strategy and Planning for Migrations

2 Comments

The following definition of migration is taken from ISO 15489, the international standard for records management.   It defines migration as the:  “act of moving records from one system to anoth... read more

Linked Data

The concept of Linked Data underpins the development of standards in support of the Semantic Web. It expresses the idea that web pages should be machine readable as well as human readable, so t... read more

Interview with an AIIM ECM Master Student

Carl: Hello, I want to thank you for allowing me to interview you and for the record, can you provide my readers with some insight as to who you work for and with a description of your role? St... read more

How to Take Advantage of Metadata

1 Comment

Four Functions of Metadata Metadata can be defined as “structured information about a document, data, or other information content”.  Examples of metadata are author, title, subject keywords, d... read more

Interview with another AIIM ERM Master Student

Carl: Hello, I want to thank you for allowing me to interview you and for the record, can you provide my readers with some insight as to who you work for and with a description of your role? St... read more

What Taxonomy Strategies are available to you?

There are five kinds of taxonomy strategies available to you depending on the different situations your business finds itself in. Structure & Organize The Structure & Organize taxonomy proj... read more

Interview with an AIIM ERM Master Student

Carl: Hello, I want to thank you for allowing me to interview you and for the record, can you provide my readers with some insight as to who you work for and with a description of your role? St... read more

How to Determine the Best Form for your Taxonomy

The first function of a taxonomy is to help you understand the structure of your knowledge domain at one easy glance.  You should be able to look at the structure and be able to predict where you c... read more

Interview with an AIIM ERM Course Student

Carl: Hello, I want to thank you for allowing me to interview you and for the record, can you provide my readers with some insight as to who you work for and with a description of your role? St... read more

How to Ensure Information Governance

The records management program is a management function within the organization that manages the information assets of the organization.  An important perspective is that this is not a new area of ... read more

1-day ERM Practitioner class for the AIIM/ARMA Los Angeles, CA Chapters on Tuesday, May 15th.

I will be teaching the 1-day ERM Practitioner class for the AIIM/ARMA Los Angeles, CA Chapters on Tuesday, May 15th.  It is definitely a cost-effective way to get your AIIM ERM Practitioner designa... read more

Organizational Readiness for Change with an ERM Program/System

A big part of the success of your information management program is the readiness of your organization to adapt to the new policies and procedures that will be required.  An assessment of this read... read more

Information Survey Benefits

A Premier General Management Principle: “You can’t manage what you don’t know about” An information survey determines the current content and records holdings and management practices - acr... read more

ERM Master Class in Silver Spring, MD

I will be teaching the ERM Master class in Silver Spring, MD May 8th through the 11th.  Come join us for some excellent course material and wonderful discussions among the participants on electroni... read more

Big Data Analytics and Records Retention

2 Comments

At AIIM, we recognize the current business trend towards Big Data, addressing the benefits and issues.   A major theme with all of this content and records is deriving value from it through analyti... read more

An ERM initiative is Not a One-Time Project

Impact areas of an ERM Program include: Development of Records Management Develop and maintain ERM instruments (classification scheme, metadata model, security classification) Mon... read more

New Ways of Working after an ERM Implementation

Before Implementing the ERM system, a Pilot (and perhaps a Model Office) should have been used to check and refine basic ERM-related business procedures, as well as testing the user training necess... read more

Achieving Records Management Compliance

The Gimmal Group developed the SharePoint Certificate Training Program for AIIM.  The modules are full of very valuable information.  They presented many interesting thoughts on managing the inform... read more

Information Governance

Implementing ERM functionality in SharePoint and other solutions is not simply installing the computer platform or system.  Records management instruments and discipline, and Information Governance... read more

Empowering Your Staff

Empowering people within the workforce is a very important means for managing change. Actually, empowerment is talked about more often than it is done.  However, when people do not feel empowered, ... read more

Carrying out a Records Inventory

1 Comment

One of the most important elements in gaining control of your records is the records and information inventory.   Simply put, you need to know what records and information you have before you can m... read more

ISO 23081-1: 2006, Metadata for records, Part 1: Principles

I have had the opportunity to go back and review ISO 23081-1:2006 Information and documentation – Records management processes – Metadata for records – Part 1: Principles.  I appreciation, again, t... read more

New Environment for Records Management

AIIM conducts surveys of actual practices and issues surrounding a number of topics, including records management, under the program of AIIM Market Intelligence.  The latest findings, under the tit... read more

Carrying out a Change Management Assessment for ERM

Making changes to manage the electronic records in your organization is going to impact your users.  We no longer want them to simply dumb files on their local drives and network share drives. ... read more

Information Management

The functions of records management are changing drastically, yet its core duty - the management of the information assets of the organization, remains the same. I often ask if the change in te... read more

Quick Wins in ERM Implementations

An important theme within change management is the idea of creating ‘quick wins’.  This is something that is very important for our ERM implementations.  A lot of time and effort is put into the de... read more

Carrying out an Information Survey

Below are some suggestions for running your information survey.  The steps are just guidelines and need to be adjusted for each case. Step 1 – Define the Scope Establish the scope of the su... read more

E-Discovery

Discovery is the term used for the initial phase of litigation.  The parties in a dispute are required to provide each other relevant information and records, along with all other evidence, on the ... read more

Ease of Use - A Critical Requirement for ERM Systems

1 Comment

The ERM system functions with users in ways determined by the system requirements specified for it. There are basically two kinds of system features, and therefore system requirements: Func... read more

Big Bucket Approach to Records Retention Schedules

2 Comments

There have been discussions in the records management profession about limiting the number of record categories (records series) in an organization’s retention schedules.  The argument is that ther... read more

Considering ISO/TR 26122:2008, Information and documentation – Work process analysis for records

In 2008, ISO published ISO/TR 26122:2008.  This technical report describes a framework for conducting a work process analysis for those processes that are used to create and/or manage records. ... read more

After you have your Records Management Policy

After the records and information policy is developed and approved, it needs to be communicated to your employees.  There should be more than one announcement, or communication, to the employees an... read more

Training Needs for an ERM Implementation

As we implement an ERM environment within our organizations, training is critical. It starts with the development of a training plan.  This plan describes what content is to be delivered, to wh... read more

Users saving their files in an ERM System

A central theme in managing electronic records is having users capture, and store, their records in an ERM repository.  This is an important consideration and one that can be successful. We oft... read more

Need for a Metadata Model – A Form of Controlled Vocabulary

3 Comments

In records management, we put considerable effort into handling records retention and disposition.  I find it interesting that we can so easily talk about long term retention of content – certainly... read more

Access Controls in an ERM System

Access Controls are the rules and mechanisms by which an ERM system will restrict access to records by users.  The term ‘Access Control Policy’ or ‘Access Policy’ are often used to refer to access ... read more

Designing Training for an ERM Implementation

As we implement an ERM environment within our organizations, training is critical. It starts with the development of a training plan.  This plan describes what content is to be delivered, to wh... read more

Using a systematic approach to implementing your ERM project or program

Electronic Records Management (ERM) is more than technology, and implementing an ERM project or program requires more than purchasing software and hoping for the best.  It requires development of r... read more

Impact Areas of an ERM Program

These are the impact areas of an ERM program. We need to develop the Records Management Program which would encompass:          The creation, or updating, of the records management poli... read more

Why ERM System Developments Have a High Impact on your IT infrastructure.

The introduction of an ERM system into your organization often has a high impact on its IT infrastructure, with major changes required for key infrastructure components.  The impact is high for sev... read more

Change Management – Get Rid of the Alternatives

When I discuss change management in regards to new ways of working with an ERM system, I emphasize the importance of removing alternatives for us and the users.  In the future, with a tightly integ... read more

Empowering Our Staff

1 Comment

Empowering people within the workforce is a very popular means for managing change. Actually, empowerment is talked about more often than enacted.  However, when people do not feel empowered, it’s ... read more

Broadening the Information Management Perspective of our Users

For us to be successful in managing the content within our organizations, we need to have the users’ involvement. Contrary to what we are reading, we are not trying to make them records managem... read more

Putting a Project Team Together for a Successful Electronic Records Management Project

For a successful ERM project, you need a solid project team.  These will be the people who will do the work on the project, including: - Estimating, scheduling, and planning timelines, - Pl... read more

Including Non-Financial Benefits in a Business Case for an ERM System, Part 2

Non-financial benefits can be categorized as: 1) those quantified in non-financial terms and 2) those that are non-quantifiable, or intangible.  Whether benefits can be quantified, or not, will par... read more

Including Non-financial Benefits in a Business Case for an ERM System (Part 1)

Non-financial benefits can be categorized as: 1) those quantified in non-financial terms and 2) those that are non-quantifiable, or intangible.  Whether benefits can be quantified, or not, will par... read more

The Use of Permanent as a Retention Designation

4 Comments

I would like to see the term Permanent removed from our vocabulary. The problem with the term Permanent is that it is very nebulous – it’s hard to know what it really means. I have received... read more

Need for a Metadata Model

3 Comments

In teaching AIIM’s ERM course, considerable time is spent on records retention and disposition.  I find it interesting that members of management in organizations can so easily talk about long term... read more

Email Management System Requirements

1 Comment

Before looking for technology solutions for your Email Management program, it is critical to identify your platform and functional requirements. The first consideration is for platform-related ... read more

Technology Assessment before the Implementation of your ERM System

ISO/TR 15489-2:2001; Information and documentation -- Records management -- Part 2: Guidelines describes the purpose of its fourth step in its implementation methodology, Step D, as to examine an o... read more

ISO/TR 26122:2008, Information and documentation – Work process analysis for records

In 2008, ISO published ISO/TR 26122:2008.  This technical report describes a framework for conducting a work process analysis for those processes that are used to create and/or manage records. ... read more

Records Destruction: Notification Required?

Having taught the AIIM courses around the world, the topic of whether department managers and users should be notified before records are destroyed, within an ERM environment, has only come up a fe... read more

What is a business record?

With the growth of electronic records and lead by the ISO Records Management standard, ISO 15489, there has been a lot of discussion over what is a business record within an organization. What ... read more

Need for Change Management Assessment

For your user community, defining and scoping the user community of an ERM system is a significant task. It is the key to understanding how best to address Findability, the building of one or more ... read more

Information Governance – Paperwork Still Counts!

“In a ruling that may affect foreclosures nationwide, Massachusetts’ highest court voided the seizures of two homes ... after the banks failed to show they held the mortgages at the time they forec... read more

Data Leakage Prevention

WikiLeaks is certainly getting the attention of politicians and company executives.  How safe is our information? Preventing data leaks and protecting proprietary and confidential information i... read more

Link tactical problems, consequences and strategic benefits in your ERM Business Case

In developing a business case for ERM implementation, it should show clearly how the ERM Program will help to achieve one or more of the organization’s strategic aims and objectives.  It is, in fac... read more

Achieving Records Management Compliance in the Digital World

The Gimmal Group developed the SharePoint Certificate Training Program for AIIM.  The modules are full of very valuable information.  They presented many interesting thoughts on managing the inform... read more

Records Retention Scheduling Program

Over many years of developing records retention schedules, I have had many discussions with executives in regards to their reluctance to approve them, dealing with arguments that they were preoccup... read more

Manually Capturing Records in an ERM System

A central theme in managing electronic records is having users capture, and store, their records in an ERM repository.  This is an important consideration and one that can be successful. We oft... read more

The Project Team for a Successful Email Management Implementation

For a successful project, you need a solid project team.  These will be the staff that will do the work on the project, including: - Estimating, scheduling, and planning timelines, - Planni... read more

Indexing - Applying Metadata to Records and Information

‘Indexing’ is the process of capturing relevant metadata associated with your records.  Some of the metadata is used to index the records to make retrieval easier; some of the metadata is used for ... read more

Building a User Group for the Implementation of an ERM System

First, a senior staff person who is appropriate to serve as lead user needs be identified and their commitment to the ERM and the project needs to be gained. Such a person should be: re... read more

Information Governance in SharePoint

1 Comment

SharePoint Governance is the collection of roles and responsibilities, policies and procedures that are used to direct, guide and control the behavior of SharePoint so as to achieve your business g... read more

Including Non-Financial Benefits in a Business Case for an ERM System

Non-financial benefits can be categorized as: 1) those quantified in non-financial terms and 2) those that are non-quantifiable or intangible.  Whether benefits can be quantified, or not, will part... read more

SharePoint as a Content Management System

SharePoint has capabilities as a Content Management System.   It is a collection of technologies and services that are based on the capabilities provided by the SharePoint Foundation or Windows Sha... read more

Information Survey Recommendations

Below are some recommendations for running your information survey. The steps are just guidelines and need to be adjusted for each case. Step 1 – Define the Scope Establish the scope of the... read more

Information Survey Values

A Premier General Management Principle: “You can’t manage what you don’t know about”   An information survey determines the current content and records holdings and management practices... read more

It is Critical to Identify your Functional Requirements before looking for Technology Solutions for your Email Management Program

What are your functional requirements? First, consider your archiving requirements.  Archiving-specific requirements might include:  Whether the system supports single-instance storage ... read more

Before looking for technology solutions for your Email Management program, it is critical to identify your organization’s computer system, and email, platform.

What are your Email Management platform-related requirements?  These appear in a number of areas:  Messaging application and version.  Most organizations are standardized on a single ty... read more

An ERM initiative is the start of a long-term commitment

Impact areas of an ERM Program include: Development of Records Management Develop and maintain ERM instruments (classification scheme, metadata model, security classification) Mon... read more

New Ways of Working – WOWs – with ERM Solutions

The agricultural age has come and gone.  The industrial age has done the same.  There is little disputing that we are now in the information age.  It is said that there will be more information cre... read more

Legal Preservation of Information and Records

1 Comment

In litigation and government investigations, there is the requirement on the part of those involved to retain all relevant information and records, and all other evidence.  Failure to carry out thi... read more

With Change Management, There’s more to it than Just Providing Communication and Training

In implementing an ERM system and new ways of working, we hear that there is the need for communication and training.  But, there is much more to it than that. In AIIM’s Certificate ERM course,... read more

What’s wrong with using the Big Bucket approach to Records Retention Schedules?

8 Comments

There have been discusses in the records management professional about limiting the number of different record categories (records series) in an organization’s retention schedules.  The arguments a... read more

Ease of Use – A Non-Functional Requirement for ERM Systems

The ERM system interacts with users in ways determined by the system requirements specified for it. There are basically two kinds of system features, and therefore system requirements: Func... read more

An ERM initiative - a long-term Commitment

Impact areas of an ERM Program Include: Development of Records Management Develop and maintain ERM instruments Monitor adherence to ERM procedures (for example, audits) Disp... read more

The Use of a ‘Model Office’ for ERM Implementation

The Model Office approach to implementing an ERM system provides an opportunity to refine the ERM system before it is made widely available to large numbers of users. It takes place in a specia... read more

Is SharePoint the Greatest Thing to Happen to Records Management?

Many of us who have had long careers in Records Management have the experience of trying to get our organization’s management to support records management efforts.  Many years ago, we recognized t... read more

Users Capturing Records into an ERM System

A central them in managing electronic records is having users capture, and store, their records in an ERM repository. This is an important consideration and one that can be successful. We often rea... read more

What is a record?

With the growth of electronic records management (ERM) and lead by the ISO Records Management standard, ISO 15489, there has been a lot of discussion over what is a business record within an organi... read more

The Importance of Controlled Vocabularies

2 Comments

I regularly get agreement from other records management professionals when I say that starting a new management position in records management is quite different from starting a similar role in oth... read more

Principles for Email Management

I thought it would be valuable to review a number of principles for email management.  Not all of these principles will be applicable to all organizations or in all environments. First, email i... read more