An integrated approach to managing electronic records

Published date01 December 2002
Pages94-97
Date01 December 2002
DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1108/09565690210454789
AuthorPeter Benfell
Subject MatterInformation & knowledge management
An integrated approach
to managing electronic
records
Peter Benfell
The problem with computers
As records managers we are all aware of the
problems computers can pose. The
developments in computing over the last two
decades and the appearance on virtually every
desktop of a personal computer (PC) has
greatly increased the amount of information
processing taking place. It has also increased
the power of the individual user who not only
creates ``information objects''[1], but also
manages and can easily alter or destroy them
without their ever seeing their way in to the
corporate record of the organisation.
The ability to create and manage
``information objects'' independently of
corporate pro grammes can r esult in
information becoming inaccessible. It is stored
by individuals in personal repositories rather
than open files and often there is no equation of
electronically created and stored ``information
objects'' with corporate records. Where
information is shared, the habit of e-mailing
attachments to colleagues has led to copies
being saved in to others' personal repositories,
either on hard drives or in e-mail systems.
The challenge is to take control of the
situation, raising awareness of records
keeping most particularly in an electronic
environment, and make the most of our
electronic information assets.
An integrated approach
The UK Debt Management Office (UKDMO)
has been in existence as an agency for four and
a half years. Records management within the
organisation during this time has increased in
importance in line with growth in numbers of
staff and expansion of functions carried out. As
with most organisations, there is a range of
issues to be addressed, including a degree of
duplication and splitting across private
repositories (physical and electronic). To help
address these issues, a decision was taken to
implement a new records management
programme that would help bring records
under greater control. On 1 July 2002 the
agency merged with thePublicWorksLoans
Board and the Commissioners for the
Reduction of the National Debt, and the need
to integrate records keeping systems further
supported the need to develop a new
programme.
The UKDMO is a small organisation
(post-merger c. 80 full-time staff) with, until
recently, one full-time staff member working on
the information management function (records
management, library services, data protection et
The author
Peter Benfell is Information Manager,
UK Debt Management Office, London, UK.
Keywords
Records management, Implementation, United Kingdom,
Information technology
Abstract
This paper presents an approach to managing electronic
records by integrating the development and
implementation of a corporate records management
programme based on ISO 15489, the International
Standard in Records Management, with the
implementation of an electronic records management
(ERM) software package. The approach involves
developing file plans based on functional analyses and
establishing electronic folder structures on existing
network drives which mirror this enabling ``e-tidying'' ±
the process of sorting and evaluating existing electronic
information. It also proposes establishing ERM before
electronic document management (EDM) based on the
need to remove split and/or personal repositories of
electronic holdings to improve access and management
before evaluating the need for version control,
amendment tracking etc. provided by EDM systems.
Electronic access
The research register for this journal is available at
http://www.emeraldinsight.com/researchregisters
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is
available at
http://www.emeraldinsight.com/0956-5698.htm
94
Records Management Journal
Volume 12 .Number 3 .2002 .pp. 94±97
#MCB UP Limited .ISSN 0956-5698
DOI 10.1108/09565690210454789

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