Using a document management system to store information may assure the accurate storage of a company’s essential papers for subsequent retrieval and inspection. Records management is critical to compliance, risk management, and governance planning. Understanding how to use a records management system may aid in the preservation of critical records of legal, financial, and historical significance for archival or disposal in accordance with established rules.
In this article, we’ll go over what records management is, why it’s necessary, the benefits of it, the system’s life cycle, a few companies that offer training that you might find useful, and the distinctions between record and data management.
What is Records Management?
Records management refers to the process of controlling the development, maintenance, reception, and disposal of information in any format. In other terms, it relates to the management of a company’s valuable information from creation to disposal.
A record can be any information that is kept as evidence or used in business dealings. Final reports, budget documents, company balance sheets, communications referring to an action, maps of field missions, and so on are examples of records.
What Does Records Management Serve?
The primary purpose of records management is to keep valuable information available for business requirements and compliance audits. It is impossible for large enterprises to track every item of essential information using a basic spreadsheet. To keep things organized and accessible, they require a strategy and adequate recordkeeping.
A records management policy allows you to construct a taxonomy of your records and ensure preservation at any time that is convenient for you. You can organize your essential information using software tools such as IT documentation software.
Why Is Records Management Necessary?
Without records management, it is impossible to handle the huge numbers of records generated every day. To put this in context, we have created around 44 zettabytes of data in the global data sphere as of 2020, which is predicted to grow fourfold to 175 zettabytes by 2025 (a zettabyte is one billion terabytes).
Records management is required to control the expansion of records and extract meaningful information from them. Even if everything is managed electronically, the sheer magnitude of the costs and productivity involved could overwhelm any firm.
Aside from significant business losses, inadequate records management could result in costly compliance penalties, lost productivity, wasteful audits, data overload, and other consequences.
Records management is the greatest answer for addressing all of these difficulties while remaining in line with data protection standards.
Benefits of Records Management
There are numerous benefits to developing a good records management program, including:
#1. Keeping essential information secure
Using a competent management system to protect crucial records can lessen the chance of losing documents while also preserving the file’s integrity and confidentiality. It can also generate record redundancy by storing the same data in two or more locations, and it can help a company reopen faster after a tragedy or emergency. Among the methods for creating record redundancy are:
- Making records and an inventory of intelligence
- Labeling critical documents and indicating redundancy
- Figuring out who has access to the records
#2. Spending less money
An efficient records management system can help a business save money on storage space, equipment materials, and staff costs. A physical or digital management system can help a company save money. Instead of manually safeguarding or preserving papers without a system, a proper records system may give employees more time to tackle other work tasks.
#3. Increasing efficiency
An organization may occasionally lose files, and the time employees spend looking for missing or misplaced records may reduce production and efficiency. A well-structured records management system can assist in removing these obstacles and allowing businesses to access prior records as needed. A system can also assist train new staff more easily because the organization can provide straightforward directions on where to access the necessary documentation.
#4. Controlling the expansion of records
Across industries, the overall amount of electronic files and firm documentation is increasing. Records management can help to maintain the expansion and office storage space required to keep papers. Controlling retention requirements and schedules can help with this by making it easier to track, retrieve, and manage records.
#5. Facilitating effective decision-making
Managers and executives have access to information when they need it thanks to a management system with correct categorization features and simple retrieval capacity. It can also assist them in making educated selections by utilizing previous relevant documentation. A manager or senior leadership role, for example, may analyze previous documents concerning a comparable scenario they’re currently dealing with to help them make an informed judgment regarding the current challenge.
#6. Promoting professionalism
An organized business fosters a supportive environment among its personnel. With the simplicity of an organized workplace and easy access to files, establishing an effective records management system can increase morale and performance. This is possible because employees understand where they may go to get the documentation they require with certainty and confidence.
#7. Observing regulations and legislation
Correctly storing records can help a corporation comply with government requirements or legislation. A useful records management system can help a corporation’s leaders avoid financial fines by ensuring that there are no errors in record keeping. Furthermore, the organization can provide training programs for staff who work with records to guarantee they comply with government requirements and laws, including updated training if the process is updated or significantly changed.
#8. Keeping a company’s heritage alive
A records management system aids in the preservation of an institution’s previous decisions and history. Business records are important tools that employees can use to make future decisions. If a corporation is successful, the records can become historical artifacts for the general public.
What are the Different Types of Records?
Records can be divided into many categories based on the functions they perform. The following are some examples of frequent types:
#1. Physical records
These are tangible copies of information that have been preserved on various media such as notes and papers. Physical space is taken up by these records.
#2. Electronic data records
An electronic record is a record that is made and kept electronically. They can be kept digitally and take up little physical space.
#3. Business records
These are documents relevant to the running of a business. Enterprise records include agreements, contracts, payroll records, and so on.
#4. Industry records
These are records pertaining to the operation of a specific industry. For example, medical industry records contain documentation and research materials about the business as a whole.
#5. Legal records
These are legally mandatory records that must be kept. Legal hold records are rules pertaining to compliance regulations.
What is the Records Lifecycle?
All records go through a lifetime, from creation to destruction. Knowing these stages allows you to appropriately preserve and manage your data. Each stage is important in the lifecycle, and the objectives of each stage must be met in order for the lifecycle to continue.
What are the five stages of a records lifecycle?
The following are the five stages:
- Create/Receive: This refers to whether a record is created internally or received from an external source. The record can be in any format, such as paper documents, digital forms, emails, reports, and so on.
- Use/Modify: Reports that are often used are saved internally for rapid retrieval. Other reports are stored off-site and used as needed.
- Maintain/Protect: This stage specifies the time frame for which a record must be kept and safeguarded. You must ensure that it complies with data retention rules.
- Dispose/Destroy: When a record has accomplished its purpose, it has two choices: dispose or archive. When you are certain that you no longer require a record, securely erase it.
Following the disposal of non-essential records, you must identify and archive records with long-term retention value.
What are the Components of Records Management?
Although records management has numerous components, there are four essential factors that comprise the core of a records management program. The primary components are as follows:
- Policies and Procedures: A records management program begins with identifying the program’s parameters. Policies are required to define power levels and responsibilities at different phases. There should also be detailed instructions on how to implement the policies.
- Retention Schedule: Some records have extended retention periods, while others have limited periods. This schedule specifies the shortest time a record should be kept in an organization.
- Records Filing System: A strategy for filing and storing records should be in place. Depending on how they are stored—digital or physical—records can be categorized. This also emphasizes the significance of a record.
- Training and auditing: Keeping records is not a one-man job. To do the assignment, you will require a team of qualified individuals. To ensure their efficacy, you must train them on a regular basis and conduct regular audits.
What is an Electronic Records Management System (ERM)?
The management of files and documents kept electronically is referred to as electronic records management (ERM). It guarantees that an organization has access to the appropriate records when they are required. When records are saved electronically, efficiency is increased through automation. ERM software can help you automate the process, remove duplication, and make maintenance easier.
What Benefits Do Electronic Records Management Systems Provide?
The following are some of the most noteworthy advantages of ERM systems:
- ERM enables you to automatically identify, classify, store, and retrieve records with minimal effort. You can also capture document metadata automatically and automate the entire process.
- You can access the correct information at the right moment using electronic records. When everything is saved electronically, the time spent searching for physical records is removed.
- When records are preserved electronically, it is simple to refer to previous data. You can quickly understand previous decisions and base future ones on them.
- When adopting ERM systems, you may quickly achieve compliance. With automated records storage and disposition, you can effortlessly demonstrate compliance while continuing with your business operations.
Records Management Training
Many colleges and universities offer degrees in records and information management or archive studies to teach students about the history, philosophies, methods, organization, and best practices that apply to a variety of businesses. Other professional organizations or certification programs related to the vast and complicated nature of records management include:
- Institute of Certified Records Managers (ICRM): After passing six tests, those with a combination of work experience and further education can acquire an advanced certification from ICRM.
- National Archives and Records Administration (NARA): NARA provides a six-week training program for federal government employees that results in a Certificate of Federal Records Management.
- American Records Management Association (ARMA): Members of ARMA International can acquire an Information Governance Professional (IGP) credential, which focuses on high-level strategic approaches. It is valid for three years and is applicable to many director-level or above positions.
Records Management vs. Document Management
There is a distinction between records management and document management, however, some people use the phrases interchangeably. Document management is an important aspect of records management. It includes standard office tasks and file storage, such as capturing, storing, modifying, or sharing files. When assisting in the oversight of document management for a corporation, a document management specialist’s responsibilities include:
- Keeping present and future documents organized
- Increasing workflow efficiency
- Providing efficient search algorithms for file retrieval
- Reducing the quantity of misfiled and misplaced papers
- Reducing physical document storage
Records are not always documents, and records management often necessitates more rigorous work and a dedicated manager to lead a department, design and maintain systems, supervise team members, and report on the security and safety of a system. The tasks of a record manager are centered on securely safeguarding records and may include:
- Establishing standards and norms for records and the team in charge of storing them
- Determining who has access to which records and when
- Creating timeframes for when materials will be moved to the archives
- Giving management permission to utilize records
- Embedding records management in corporate systems and software platforms
Frequently Asked Questions
What are some records examples?
Every company establishes records management policies. Records are safeguarded by rules established by each company. Protected against competitors, government agencies, and anybody else who has no business having access to confidential documents. This clarification is known as “business confidential” in the e-business sector.
What’s the distinction between a form and a record?
A form is a document that requests specific information and includes answer options or blank areas that can be filled in. Forms do not have to be carefully enforced. A completed form, on the other hand, is regarded as a record and should be kept safe from alteration.
When does a document become a record?
A record is a document that an organization creates or receives in conjunction with business transactions. It can also be utilized to satisfy legal requirements. The medium or type of record has no bearing on its classification. It could be on paper or digitally.
Where do records management obligations come from?
Obligations for records management are frequently imposed by government or industry standards and practices that reflect public safety, data sovereignty, or other issues. As a result, records management is an essential component of your information governance plan. Monitoring the authenticity and availability of records inside the IT infrastructure can aid in the security of your firm.
In business terms, what does records management imply?
Records management encompasses all of the events that occur between the time data is available in the system and the time it is destroyed. Essentially, the records management system follows the data life cycle. Replication of written materials, forms, filing records, microfilms, retention, and related services are also included.
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