Home



Here are the latest news articles on records management.

According to Wikipedia:

Records management, or RM, is the practice of identifying, classifying, archiving, preserving, and destroying records. The ISO 15489: 2001 standard defines it as "The field of management responsible for the efficient and systematic control of the creation, receipt, maintenance, use and disposition of records, including the processes for capturing and maintaining evidence of and information about business activities and transactions in the form of records". The ISO defines records as "information created, received, and maintained as evidence and information by an organization or person, in pursuance of legal obligations or in the transaction of business".

The International Council on Archives (ICA) Committee on Electronic Records defines a record as, "a recorded information produced or received in the initiation, conduct or completion of an institutional or individual activity and that comprises content, context and structure sufficient to provide evidence of the activity. While the definition of a record is often identified strongly with a document, a record can be either a tangible object or digital information which has value to an organization. For example, birth certificates, medical x-rays, office documents, databases, application data, and e-mail are all examples of records.

What is records management?

Every business and organization generates records. Files, reports, presentations, memos and letters can be found everywhere you look around the office. It’s already understood that records are a fact of life in the business world, so managing them becomes of great importance. They can be stored in and organized in filing cabinets for easy retrieval, or packed in sturdy boxes and stored in a closet. However, safe and secure records management practices takes this a few steps further. Simply put, records management is the practice of ensuring that your documents – both hard copy and digital – are kept safe, secure, and accessible. This can be done by trusting your records to licensed professionals in an off-site storage facility. These facilities are secured by keypad locked doors, 24-hour surveillance, and trained records management professionals. Instead of taking a chance with your boxes in that cluttered storeroom or leaky basement, ensure that your records are managed effectively and safely.

Your confidential and private documents cannot be left unsecured. It is good business practice to develop a records retention policy for your business, not to mention the government rules and policies regulating the world of records management. Another major aspect of records management is accessibility. If your records are 100% secure, but not available to you and your business, it is of no use. Your documents and records can be easily requested and delivered from your off-site storage facility. In addition, files and boxes can be ordered online through your records management vendor’s ordering software.