Did you know that April 1st is not just April Fool’s Day but National Sourdough Day, National Love Our Children Day, AND National One Cent Day? If you are curious, google “National Blank Day,” and you’ll reach the online National Day calendar. To quote my niece, “Now, every day is a thing.”
And, so, dear niece, is every month. It just so happens that April is Records and Information Management Month (RIMM). The concept is to encourage better information management and record-keeping. It also highlights the importance of organizing records. A record is any document, paper, book, e-mail, picture, recording, video, or other material that can serve as evidence of the transaction of business. Records and Information management is the process that tracks a record from its creation until it is eventually safely destroyed or permanently saved, or what we call “final disposition.” It also gives us ECM Systems Integrators something to write about ;).
Conceived by ARMA (the Association of Records Managers and Administrators), RIMM was first recognized in 1995 as National Records and Information Management Day. The goal was to draw attention to the importance of renewing the US Paperwork Reduction Act. ARMA International organized a luncheon in Washington, D.C., as part of the celebrations, with members of Congress and the executive branch in attendance. The observance grew over time, spanning a week in 1997 and a month in 2003, and is now recognized internationally. Records and Information Management Month is essentially a cue to mitigate risks to your organization by formalizing your record keeping. Considering records are so vital, keeping them organized and safety should always be a top concern, and this month is the ideal time to get going!
If you are new to records management, check out ARMA and AIIM’s websites, and here are some things to think about:
How will you create a system that allows you to locate the business records you need? Overall how do you develop and maintain a system for dealing with records throughout the lifecycle of an organization?
You need to determine what is a record and what is not. Think of records as documentation of a company’s inception, growth, activities, and successes. They are divided into two types of records: operational records and policy records.
How to determine how long you need to keep a record?
What is the process for disposing of records you no longer need?
Why do I need to know about this? Because the principles of records management are standards of conduct for handling information and guidelines by which to execute the work.
And for your reading pleasure, here are two fun facts:
The majority of documents are copied 19 times on average.
Every year, the average employee uses 10,000 sheets of paper.
If you’ve got records management questions or concerns, don't hesitate to get in touch with us!
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