Bill asks some compelling questions about the nature of ECM.  I cover some of the same issues in the classes I teach.  And our local chapter, Greater Kansas City, recently had a session on ECM and is scheduled to hold our second panel on the subject in April (www.gkcarma.org).

So many of us think in terms of the strict delineation of "records" versus "non-records".  There is certainly value in this in many applications.  But the electronic world has blurred the lines, sometimes beyond recognition.  There is also the question about Records as compared to IG.

I will enter the realm of opinion on this.  My conclusion is that in most cases it is advisable to treat content as information with much the same value until we know otherwise.  "Content" in this definition consists of much of that "stuff" out there that is in various electronic locations: shared drives, document management systems, email, and other storage areas.  There are areas that would not typically be included.  An example might be the Payroll application or a financial system.  But most of our electronic content resides in these collections, especially a lot of the stuff that can hurt us!

With the propagation of electronic content and the corresponding risk of discovery, is there any reason for us to continue to separate the wheat from the chaff?  Can we even do it in an age where the users have most of the control?  I stipulate, and this is a generalization, that most of us need to apply governance to as much as possible and institute good records management principles on the entirety of the content.  So much of that content can move from non-records to records with a single lawsuit or audit.  Does it make sense to put our hands around it in a responsive manner or to do so proactively and manage it all as we would records?

So to answer Bill's question "Is there a difference?", sure, there is a difference.  Typically, in our physical file rooms, we had the luxury of identifying "records" and discriminating against those lesser documents that did not rise to the level of "records-worthy".  In today's environment of ECM, we must embrace that all content is potential records and has to managed as such.  In such a manner we can control the governance that is applied and move electronic documents through the lifecycle that is of such importance to the health of any information environment.  Call it "manage in place" if you will.  Our customers are not going to bring it to us anymore.  They don't need us to store the enormous volume of materials.  We have to build systems that allow us to identify, control, and manage the content as much as is possible.  Our employers and stakeholders need for us to do this even more.


David B. Steward
Director of Records
 
HUSCH BLACKWELL LLP
4801 Main Street, Suite 1000
Kansas City, MO 64112-2551
Direct:  816.983.8860
Fax:  816.983.8080
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