The Era of Electronic Records Management Part 2

First off:  apologies for so much time passing since the last blog entry.  I would list all of my excuses but you either know them all or have heard them all a hundred times... I'll try to keep up better. :)

In my work several initiatives have taken off where I'm doing actual, honest-to-goodness, dyed-in-the-wool electronic records management.  How long have I been waiting for that?  Pretty much since I started in this industry 18 years ago.  I remember seeing Bruce Miller, the great pioneer in records management software and consulting, stating in 2003 or so that automatic electronic records classification would be commonplace within 2 years.*  Ever since then the golden gleam of RIM for electronic records has taunted me from afar.  Through those years I've a) tackled paper processes while watching electronic processes ignored, b) tried to address overrun email inboxes, while other electronic processes ran unmanaged, and c) created policies and procedures that addressed electronic records, but which never impacted actual practice.

But now I'm doing it!  We are working with stakeholders across the organization to apply records classification and closure to the records in our ECM system.  We are proposing and working through several models to increase automated processes to help tackle email inboxes (that are still overflowing, even after all these years...).  I am meeting with stakeholders to address master data management (MDM) and how our Records Management requirements impact the way we store and use structured data at the organization.

It's busy - really busy - but so excited as well.  It is literally what I have hoped to be doing ever since the beginning.  I feel privileged to be here.

Any others making headway in electronic records management?  Any questions or stories to share?  I'd love to see what else is happening out there.

We don't have another CRM preparation workshop booked in the near future, but let me know if you are interested in the CRA or CRM designation, and I can help you get started or provide some books from our lending library for studying.  In the meantime, all the best in your endeavours.

Wayne Hoff, CRM, IGP
ICRM Liaison, Calgary ARMA
icrmrep.armacalgary@gmail.com      <<<  Please note the new email address.

*(I've spoken about that moment with him since, and he chuckled heartily, saying, "I predicted 'just another two years' for many, many years in a row!").

The Era of Electronic Records Management

I've always been impressed that the ICRM dedicates one entire exam, Part 5, to information management technology.  If you've been working in the industry at all, you will understand the necessity of that exam.

I delivered a presentation to a group of records management professionals recently on the topic of electronic records management.  My introduction sounded a bit like this:

"We have our paper processes nailed down.  When it comes to paper records, we're in pretty good shape.  When it comes to official electronic records, however, such as email, electronic content, and systems data, we don't do so well.  Question:  what percentage of your organization's official information is represented electronically, and what percentage is represented in paper?  It's likely in the 90/10 range, or if you still use a lot of paper, 80/20.  That means that we are poorly managing at least eighty percent of our official records.  That should cause us some concern."

Does this strike a chord with you?  Does it make you feel really nervous?  First, let's not be too hard on ourselves.  Paper is just much easier to manage.  It comes to us in relatively small volume and paper is a single format to manage.  Electronic information comes to us in large volume and in a vast array of formats and configurations.  So don't feel bad.  But second, it's not enough to lament about it and hope for the best.  As records managers we need to address the IM issues.

In my presentation I was more excited about the feedback it generated than anything I had to say.  Because people are doing things out there.  Let's share our secrets, our strategies, and our successes!  And press on!

In the meantime:  Part 5 of the exam is not an IT quiz.  It's more about IM in the current technological environment.  When you study for it, be happy knowing that the knowledge you gain will be critical in your IM career.

Wayne Hoff, CRM, IGP
ICRM Liaison
icrmrep@armacalgary.org

CRM Workshop January 23rd - Space is Available!

Due to both the confines and the freedoms of the holiday season, this post comes a bit late, but there's still lots of time to register for the CRM Preparation Workshop scheduled for January 23rd at the Glenbow Museum.  Was does it entail?

8:00am to noon - In the morning we cover parts 1 to 5.  It includes:

• Subject areas covered in each exam
• Study resources
• Strategies for writing multiple choice tests
• Sample questions and answer review

12:45pm to 4:00pm - In the afternoon we cover part 6.  This includes:

• Study resources
• Sample prompts and expectations
• Strategies for creating a meaningful response
• The writing of a sample prompt, which will be marked by an ICRM grader, with comments returned after the workshop

The workshop is facilitated by..... yours truly!!  Yes, that's me.  And yes, in the afternoon, for the last 2 hours you WILL write a response to an exam prompt, and I WILL take them home and grade them for you.  (I grade part 6 exams for the ICRM most quarters.)  This is a highly valuable form of feedback.

To register, click here.  Hope to see you there!

Wayne Hoff, CRM, IGP

ARMA Calgary ICRM Liaison

icrmrep@armacalgary.org