Records Management Details

Records and Information Management Programs, Policies and Procedures

Situation

Storing, finding and protecting the tsunami of information being generated today is becoming increasingly difficult, and can involve considerable risk. Reliable information is essential for daily operations. Good records offer a wealth of potential benefits and may be a key competitive differentiator.

Organizations today face unprecedented information management challenges:

  • Retention and privacy regulations are multiplying faster than companies can keep up.
  • Ubiquitous use of email has dramatically increased the potential evidence that can be used against an organization.
  • Costs of responding to increasingly common discovery requests are mounting.
  • The exponential growth of both paper and electronic records is putting a heavy strain on operational budgets.

Solution

Ignition’s records management consultants have extensive experience in both the business and government arenas. We understand the day-to-day difficulties that you face in managing your information. We will help you develop a professional and comprehensive records and information management program:

  • Retention – a records retention schedule is the first step toward building a records management program that allows you to effectively address compliance issues. This schedule should specify which documents need to be retained for business and regulatory reasons, as well as how long they must be archived and when they must be destroyed.
  • Policies and Procedures – require the definition, establishment and enforcement of records management policies that facilitate compliance; including roles, responsibilities and procedures.
  • Index and Access – the value of your investment in a compliant records management program hinges on your ability to quickly retrieve information for business, litigation and compliance purposes. Ignition records management tools allow you to retrieve the information you need quickly and accurately; thereby reducing risks and costs for fines, litigation and discovery.
  • Disposal – records disposal is a vital element of your compliant records management program. Timely, consistent disposal closes the loop of compliance while also reducing storage costs and legal exposure.
  • Audit and Accountability – accountability for records management, as well as the integration of records management into your internal audit process, is essential. Ignition can help you to establish mechanisms­ that automatically create audit trails and accountability.

Benefits

Records management programs improve control over your information assets, which has benefits in freeing up staff time and other resources, and help to protect individuals and the organization from various risks. Records management (RM):

  • significantly reduces the time spent looking for information
  • facilitates the sharing of information, and therefore improves decision-making
  • reduces the unnecessary duplication of information
  • reduces the costs associated with retaining unnecessary information
  • optimizes the legal admissibility of your records
  • identifies those records that need to be protected for future use and implements appropriate protection methods
  • identifies which records are vital to the running of the business and supplies critical information to your business continuity plan.