Well done, Jesse!  In fact, after 14 years of reporting directly to the
CLO, I now report to the CFO, as does the head of IT. I think as RM,
sometimes we place too much emphasis on our reporting lines.  While RM
continues to have the importance as a legal dicipline, having gone thru'
the recent change, I see that what is most important is to have a clear
vision and be able to sell the vision to others.  No matter to whom you
report, if you don't have the vision (and if you are unable to sell it)
and show the value you bring as RM to your organization, then it matters
little your reporting line...My .2 cents....Have a great 4th eveyone!!


-----Original Message-----
From: Records Management Program [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of Jesse Wilkins
Sent: 02 July 2007 15:23
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [RM] Records Management under IT - Yes or No?

Not to jump on Simon here, as he is certainly not the only one to do it,
but
I dislike intensely these responses that indicate that IT cannot
possibly
understand "the complexity of RM". If I had posted the exact same
response
but flipped "IT" and "RM", e.g. 

-----------------
Should Not!

RM does not understand the complexity of IT requirements and systems and
wants to
simplify them. For example, you would never convince a RM Manager of
server-based
E-mail Management solution that would take user choice out of the
decision
to declare 
an email as a record or simply delete it. 
-----------------

Most of the folks on this list would howl; in fact, I suspect at least a
small handful of you WILL howl even though this is a purely hypothetical
response and not necessarily one I believe. 

I don't have a particular opinion on this one, though I suspect that RM
and
IT will either be in the same department or reporting to the same person
in
most organizations soon enough...information management is information
management and the same principles for retention, compliance, discovery,
and
efficiency of access apply whether the information is a "record",
"document", "data", or some other thing. 

Now, I know I'm not going to change any of your minds who are inclined
to
dismiss IT as a bunch of maladroit geeks bent on dominating the world
with
shiny flashy spinny new systems that can't possibly understand the
nuances
and subtleties of a RRS - but if you're determined to a) have all
records
and information treated the same, that is, according to value of content
rather than in whose systems they reside and b) have IT, business, etc.
learn basic RM principles and apply them, then you BETTER be prepared to
do
the same yourself. 

Those that don't will find themselves in the same situation as did the
buggy
whip manufacturers of a century ago, who said that Henry Ford et al
couldn't
possibly understand the complexity of training a horse to pull a wagon,
keep
it fed and strong, and wanted to simplify the driving process. And you'd
never convince Ford of a horse-drawn solution because nine times out of
ten
he'd go with the mechanical solution. 

My .02 on a warm Colorado afternoon,

Jesse Wilkins
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