The new world of digital records is compelling us as RIM professionals
to think anew and operate in new ways. I call your attention an
excellent example of the need for all of us to think outside the
traditional RIM "box".
The following URL is an extraordinary story that aired on the CBS
Evening News earlier last week. It will take about 6 min to view it in
it's entirely.
<http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/04/19/eveningnews/main6412439.shtml
?tag=cbsnewsTwoColUpperPromoArea>
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/04/19/eveningnews/main6412439.shtml?
tag=cbsnewsTwoColUpperPromoArea
This CBS News story addresses the extraordinary records risks associated
with discarded digital office copiers.
I believe this CBS News story both introduces a new dimension to the
need for RM professionals to think outside the traditional box and also
raises many important questions that records management professionals
need to consider. Three that immediately come to my mind are:
* How many members of the RIM professionals work for organizations
that have not addressed this issue?
* Is the cleansing the hard drives in digital copiers (being
disposed of) a logical RIM policy, along with cleansing other media and
equipment prior to disposal?
* Do you believe there is an active intersection between an
organization's records management, information security, and privacy
programs - and that RIM professionals need to be more sensitive to
digital security issues?
Although this CBS news story addresses only one of the growing elements
that comprise electronic records management, it vivid illustrates the
ever-changing and ever-expanding challenge facing RIM professional -
that mandate the need to think outside the traditional RIM "box" in
order to meet our responsibilities and achieve the performance levels
expected of us.
As I organized the program for this year's National Conference on
Managing Electronic Records (MER'10) (www.merconference.com
<http://www.merconference.com/> ), I sought to ensure there would be
many sessions that would underscore the need for RIM professionals to
"think outside the box" and also "think anew" - about matters that we
have taken for granted for too long. There are three examples:
1. From an operational perspective, Jim Coulson of Huron Consulting will
speak on the topic, "The Imminent Demise of Records and Information
Management as We Know It". Specifically, Jim will focus of how cloud
computing and social networking soon will radically change the
conventional management of electronic records and information because
the current management process is predicated on controlling information
within organizational borders.
2. From a technical perspective, Craig Rhinehart of IBM will speak on
the topic, "Content Assessment: The New Way for the 'New Day' in
Managing Electronic Records". Specifically, Craig will focus on the
problem of organizations over-retaining irrelevant and duplicative
information and how a new generation of technologies, called Content
Assessment, can: a) analyze dynamically an organization's information,
b) decommission what is unnecessary, and c) preserve and exploit content
that matters.
3. From a legal perspective, United States Magistrate Judge Nan Nolan
will lead a Keynote Address on "The New Legal Realities for Electronic
Records - which focus on a) what RIM professional should do to meet the
forthcoming significant changes in the legal word, b) how these changes
will impact the processes by which electronically stored information
(ESI) is managed, and c) how will these legal changes impact the
processes by which ESI is managed.
The bottom line is that RIM professionals must more fully accept their
important role in the radically changing digital records world.
Management is, to a large degree, dependent upon us to be aware of the
dimensions of change at hand, to chart an effective course that that
meets the challenges of change, and to exercise both leadership and
stewardship in our RIM professional responsibilities.
I invite you to look at the referenced CBS news report and assess its
relevance to your organization.
And I also invite you to conduct your own professional self-assessment
regarding the degree to which you are ready to think anew and think
outside the traditional RIM "box".
No single person, conference, organization, or solution provider has all
the answers. I believe that the RM Listserv has an important role to
play (in this process of needing to think outside the traditional RIM
"box) because it is an established vehicle to share valuable information
- from identifying great sources of information such as, the CBS News
report, relevant conferences, and seminars, as well as the valuable
opinions of its members.
I submit these thoughts for your consideration and welcome the thoughts
of other Listserv members on our individual and collective need to think
outside the traditional RIM "box".
Bob
Robert F. Williams
President
Cohasset Associates, Inc.
3806 Lake Point Tower
505 North Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, IL 60611
T: (312) 527-1551
F: (312) 527-1552
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