Rohan McCalla, Contributor
McCalla
EACH YEAR records management practitioners in Jamaica and across the world take time out to celebrate 'Records Management Week'. Records management as defined by the International Records Management Standard, ISO 15489 means the "field of management responsible for the efficient and systematic control of the creation, receipt, maintenance, use and disposition of records, including process for capturing and maintaining evidence of and information about business activities and transactions in the form of records."
It would be remiss of me not to point out that records are not restricted to paper, but includes any medium that captures recorded information. Records today, therefore, take the form of paper, electronic mail, microform, to include microfilm and microfiche, computer tapes, magnetic disks, videotapes, optical disks, digital video disks (DVD) etc.
If we stop to think about it, records and records management is all around us. The management of all phases of the records life is essential to the life of an organisation. There are some benefits, which are to be derived from practising efficient records management. Records serve as corporate memory, aid in faster and sounder decision making, provides litigation support, fosters great levels of efficiency, meets legislative and regulatory requirements and preserves organisational/institutional history.
DECISION MAKING PROCESS
Records are really the corporate memory of the organisation. It is virtually impossible for staff to accurately remember every thing that takes place and therefore accurate records will provide the background for reference and future planning. Records do assist greatly in the decision making process both from a personal and organisational stand point. Without adequate records, we stand the chance of making decisions, which might either be inaccurate or incomplete. The absence of property managed records bearing authenticity, reliability, usability and integrity could lend itself to an individual or organisation paying out 'big bucks' on legal matters.
Too often we hear of instances where organisations or individuals fail to produce documentation of certain transactions and as such had little or no evidence to stand on in court. The reverse is also true where some individuals or organisations do not put in place effective and efficient records management systems and therefore keep certain records for longer periods than required.
The efficient and systematic management of records also fosters a greater level of efficiency in an organisation, which has the pay back of increasing customer satisfaction, production and productivity and therefore profits.
REGULATORY AND LEGISLATIVE REQUIREMENTS
Organisations also stand to benefit from practising good records management if they are to ensure compliance to regulatory and legislative requirements. In most recent time, the need for sound records management policies, practices and procedures in 'Public Authorities' of the government was part of the requirement for the successful implementation and administration of the Access to Information Act, 2002 and Regulation, 2003. The newly developed and distributed International Records Management Standard, ISO 15489, also requires that organisations set in order the records which they create and maintain.
Finally, organisations and individuals need to understand that records document the past as well as provide information for future events. It is through records that we preserve history for future generations.
If is therefore critical that as we embark on our daily organisational and business affairs that we also take time out to assess and increase our skill so as to make us better managers of records.
Taken from the Financial Gleaner, Friday April 8, 2005
