Brampton - Someone once asked how I managed to stay in business during the massive power outage of 2003.  The answer was simple, I didn't.  As a consultant this was not a critical hit.  After all, my clients were busy trying to recover so they did not want to see me.  However, the thought came to mind.  How did my clients recover?

If there is one thing that is consistent with all organizations it is the accumulation of records of one type or another.  For years the concern was how to store the massive amounts of paper records that build up over time.  Usually we could see the piles growing and found it easier to focus on some sort of storage and retrieval system.  However, in today's environment our records are predominantly in electronic format.  This change in format reduces the amount of physical space required for storage.  However, it also tends to lead to the concept of "out of sight, out of mind" which leads us to neglect records management.

Just what do we mean by records management?  According to a David Mielke, of FileBank Professional Services, records management is:  "the planning, promoting, organizing and controlling involved with respect to your business records from creation right through to their destruction".  Given this definition, the task definitely takes on the significance it deserves.  In fact, according to Mielke, "Regardless of your business type or size, maintaining control of all documents within the organization is crucial as it will allow you to quickly and cost-effectively access and exchange information with the internal and external clients of your organization."

But what is a record anyway.  ARMA International (previously known as the Association of Records Managers and Administrators), defines a record as:

"… recorded information that supports the activity of the business or organization that created it…"

Left unmanaged, these records may cause service delays, cost overruns, or compliance issues.  It is critical that you first define whether a document should be retained or not.

For each of your records consider these four questions:

1. Does the record document a business process?
2. Does the record define a mission-critical business decision?
3. Does the record provide evidence as to why a business decision was made?
4. Does the record support a legal, fiscal, audit or tax purpose?

If the answer to any of these questions is YES, then there is a need to include the document in your record management process.  Should the answer to all questions be NO, there is a good chance that the record can be destroyed after use.  This simple analysis in itself may significantly reduce your storage requirements, saving your both space and money.  Another example of how effective business planning can improve your bottom line.


© 2007 The Newman Learning Group Inc.