Introduction to Records Management
What is Records Management?
The Records Management Society of Great Britain defines the management of records as “the process by which a company manages all the elements of records, whether externally or internally generated and in any format or media type, from their inception/receipt, all the way through to their disposal.”
Information is a vital asset
Businesses revolve around documents – contracts, correspondence, orders, reports, and much more – that record all types of activities. Even the smallest companies are required to keep records (for accounts, audit, tax, pensions, Health & Safety purposes etc). Records Management can be a vital asset, but only if documents can be easily found or accessed. Did you know you could be committing an o ence by failing to keep accurate records for the required period of time or being unable to locate them? This could potentially lead to the loss of license to operate, fines,
A good records management program can help you improve your business results:
•The systematic disposal of records will prevent costly paper accumulation and free up valuable space.
•Your company will be protected from accidental or premature destruction of records.
•Reference retrieval will be faster – less time will be spent waiting for information.
•Purchases of excessive o ce ling equipment will be avoided.
•Potentially crippling breaches of corporate security will be safeguarded against.
imprisonment and ultimately, business failure.
The myth of the paperless office
The speed at which we gather and generate information has been greatly increased by technological advances. But even with email and the Internet, the paper usage in the o ce is still increasing by around 20% each year. 2 That extra 20% must either later be wasted, or led away, where it takes up 20% more space. For ine ective ling systems, this could lead to duplication of records, retrieval e ort, and increased storage costs.
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