CURE THE RECORDS MANAGEMENT BLUES - RECOGNIZE THE SYMPTOMS OF A RECORDS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM IN NEED OF REPAIR

Working with an unhealthy records and information management (RIM) program can be as damaging as not having a program at all. It can often be a silent enemy, reeking havoc on many aspects of an organizational effectiveness including worker productivity, liability and control, and even corporate intelligence. Whether you have a formal or informal records program, it is important to take a sound look at it to see if it is functioning well.

Today, more than ever, investments in improvements can be easily justified. If you can identify warning signs, find the causes and then determine how you can fix the problems, you will be well on your way to improving one of the most important assets in your organization.

How do you identify the symptoms of an unhealthy program and work to find a cure?

Start by simply looking around you and assessing the current filing system. Do you observe physical overcrowding with overstuffed filing cabinets or cabinets lining the walls in your office? Does disorganization run rampant, with stacks of papers on desks, floors or tops of cabinets? Are employees spending too much time feverishly searching for documents? If so, your records management system could be suffering. A comprehensive RIM program will allow you to manage your current, as well as your growing number of documents.

Next, interview all personnel involved with the handling of information. Are employees finding the system too complex? Not knowing where or how to file a document can result in misplaced files. Or an employee may find it more comforting to copy a document and retain it in multiple locations, rather than have it lost in a bad filing system. A few employees may claim to know the "filing system," but where does that leave others when knowledgeable employees are unavailable? All this may be systematic of a workforce that is uneducated in document management procedures.

Look at your corporate goals. Does your current RIM program support your company's objectives? If your company is committed to keeping information confidential, are records kept as secure as they need to be in accordance with your privacy policies? There are many storage options that allow varied degrees of access. Also, employee flexibility may be important to your company and by having your vital records organized and easily accessible to those who use them, employees can work from remote locations such as home. Another important factor in managing your records could be compliance. Several recent events leading to the signing of new legislation, such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, have made compliance a top priority of many organizations. A fundamental RIM program can reduce your risks for non-compliance if called on to produce records.