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Perhaps the problem is that we are in an "arms race" with the developers. Someone invents drawing, we fill up the walls of our cave, "I've just learnt write where can I write ? I know, clay tiles", so the clay tiles build up. "I've filled up the floor of the hut where now?" I know, I've been down to ye old B & Q and bought some shelves, perfect for clay tables" so you can store lots more. Time goes on some one invents parchment then paper, " I haven't got a clue where ye accounts are I know I'll store everything in order, put the account over her, executions over there", so we've invented some sort of indexing. Move forward and we build large libraries, fill up great museums and need to know where things are so do bigger and better indexing. Some things go missing but generally we know where things are. We create ever more and more information, we run large organisations and still keep some sort of control of what we have. IT is very much the same, we invent new and better ways of creating data. doing things we need to do and there is a lag between these inventions and RM in general catching up. With RM we now have a lot of the tools available to help us sort some the problem its just that we need to find ways to apply them. Change isn't particularly new, our reaction to it is always slow, because it is the nature of the RM job to be cautious. Chris Tinsley MSc Wiltshire County Council Information is the key ________________________________ From: The UK Records Management mailing list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Clare Cowling Sent: 31 July 2008 09:30 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: FW: How successful has RM been? (was RE: Comparative definitions of Classification and Taxonomy) Steve says - "techniques which were appropriate for managing a room full of paper are fundamentally unsuitable for managing gigabytes and terabytes of digital information. Once we've cracked this - then I guarantee that 'records management' will be back in vogue with our employers" The trend now seems to be towards keeping everything as you like it in a sort of electronic bucket because * it's easier than making a decision about it * server space is cheap (yes, I know, I know) * doing Google type searches is easy (ditto) While we records managers (or most of us) are saying, in direct contradiction, that information must be properly managed (i.e. classified in such a way so that it is a) comprehensible to persons other than the creators and b) to enable the appropriate security permissions and disposal rules to be allocated) for compliance, risk management, business continuity, efficiency, reputation, governance blah blah. And no-one is listening - or, even if they are and agree in principle (e.g. by employing a records manager), they are saying, as David succinctly put it, that they are nevertheless "too busy and too important to file things" and they look to IT - and, sometimes, us - to produce a neat and tidy "solution" to save them having to do this work. We of course say that rules have to be thought about, agreed and in place before any IT solution will work (that's where the "too busy" argument crops up again).....I also agree wholeheartedly with Nicola's statement "Unless I better understand the nature of electronic records that are now created on multiple platforms or in multiple formats, I can not really recommend strategies and processes to manage these records". I have managed to raise my profile to get occasionally involved in IT planning and, as Claire says, now have to "take the consequences (everyone will despise you when you can't deliver what they want or what they said they wanted in the business case)". A training course in IT speak would be highly beneficial! Have we not had/are we not getting the right training? Where are the neat and tidy records management solutions which we can throw at our organisations as giving ROI (ECM/EDRM - too expensive. Sharepoint or equivalent? Maybe - but the rules argument still applies). I go on course after course (at least there's money in our training budget...) desperately trying to learn about techniques to demonstrate that I am giving ROI to my organisation ( I know that I am but the benefits are hidden and unquantifiable because they all fit into the category of preventative medicine unless they relate to getting rid of paper where it's easy to show the benefits). A debate at the next conference would be brilliant. And Steve - how about those techniques you mention? Got a nice tidy summary of possibilities for discussion? You just might convert me yet! Clare Clare Cowling Records Manager Solicitors Regulation Authority Ipsley Court Berrington Close Redditch B98 0TD Ph: direct line 01527 512926 Internal extension: 3996 Mobile 07816 929734 Fax: 0152 7883285 email [log in to unmask] ______________________________________________________________________ This email, and any attachment, is intended for the attention of the addressee only. Its unauthorised use, disclosure, storage or copying is not permitted. If you are not the intended recipient, please destroy all copies and inform the sender by return email and send a copy to [log in to unmask] Thank you for your co-operation. 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