Standards have been one of the great unsung heroes of AIIM dating back to the microfilm days. There was a dramatic shift as we moved into the digital world, however, because the transition to new technologies was happening at such a rapid pace that it was impossible to produce a standard that would not become obsolete with the next technological advancement, whether it be a particular file format or the latest scanner to hit the street.

By definition in our bylaws, “AIIM's Standards Program is the internationally recognized authority for developing and promoting information management best practices, standards and guidelines that guide the industry and enable organizations to effectively use information.” Most would be surprised to learn just how much time, energy, and high-level, strategic effort is expended by the AIIM Standards Group, which is under the direction of Betsy Fanning, Director of Standards, and Stephen Levenson, Chair of the Standards Board.

As Chair, Steve also represents the Standards Board on the AIIM Board of Directors. His work in the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts in Washington, D.C., is highly influenced by standards developed and executed by AIIM. Steve is passionate in his work and is frequently asked to speak on the value of standards in our industry and how companies and organizations can benefit from a better understanding of the available standards and the critical guidance they provide in complex situations that dictate an independent organization and service vehicle to equal the playing field when implementing solutions to today’s business challenges.

Betsy is the “quiet” referenced in the title of this article. Although quiet, she carries a big stick in the national and international standards world. She is responsible for all of AIIM's activities in this realm, including the standards and technical reports produced by AIIM as ANSI (American National Standards) and industry specifications.

Betsy is also the secretary for ISO TC 171, Document Imaging Applications Subcommittee 2, Application issues. In addition, Betsy is the administrator for the U. S. Technical Advisory Group to TC 171 that represents the U.S. at international meetings. She also represents AIIM on numerous standards committees at ANSI, as well as in other standardsdeveloping organizations.

Betsy and Steve are assisted by 1,308 volunteers that work on 14 different committees. Some of the current projects include:

• PDF Activity
  – PDF ISO 32000
  – Version 2 in initial stages
  – PDF/A ISO 19005-2 and 19005-3
  – PRC – PDF/Universal Access
  – PDF Healthcare
• StratML
  – Part 1
  – Core Schema
  – Part 2
  – Performance Plans and Reports
• iECM
  – Demonstration of CMIS at Info360
  – Use Cases to complement OASIS CMIS work and compliance
  – CMIS Toolkits
• ARP-1 Implementation Guidelines
  – New Version in 2009
• Digital Imaging MS23 Equivalent
  – This standard will deal with Image Quality of Electronic Images on Micrographic Media.
• Glossary (TR 2) is being developed as a Wiki
• ISO Projects
  – PDF Working Groups
  – Creating Metadata Crosswalks
  – Document imaging, Process baselining
• Best Practices and Tools
  – Email Management
  – Implementation Checklist
• Legacy Standards Maintenance

There is quite of bit of excitement in the standards world today, which is getting long-overdue recognition for the outstanding and vital work it does on behalf of vendor and end-user communities that rely on factual, verifiable, and extremely important information to guide their work. If you have not looked at standards lately, please check out the best reference you’ll find: http://www.aiim.org/Standards/ Information-Management-Industry- Standards.aspx

You’ll be glad you did, and don’t forget to spread the word: AIIM Standards are quiet, effective, and always there when you need them!

Bob Zagami is the immediate Past Chair of the AIIM International Board of Directors and General Manager, New England Region for DataBank. He has been an active member of AIIM for over 35 years, serving the New England Chapter and AIIM International at all levels of the organization. He is a member of AIIM’s Company of Fellows and the recipient of the AIIM Award of Merit, the industry’s highest honor. You can reach Bob at 781-830-2500, Ext 3552 or bobzagami@databankimx.com.