Is Anybody Listening To Records Managers?

More Electronic Records Require More Records ManagementWith so many businesses in the Okanagan and around the world attempting to adopt electronic document and record management systems (EDRMS), the challenges to overcome are not only technical.  According to a recent survey of organizations big and small, the major perceived challenges seem to come from end users resistant to change.

IDM, Image & Data Manager, sums up the results of the survey for us here.  While electronic email management is on the rise, as are efforts to track copies of controlled documents, the standard operating procedure for other document types remains: print it and file it. 

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GARP - The Principle of Transparency

Clearly Understood Recordkeeping Creates Clearly Understood RecordsThe eighth and final Generally Accepted Recordkeeping Principle deals with Transparency.  ARMA’s guidelines, found in the download section of our website, state:  “The processes and activities of an organization’s recordkeeping program shall be documented in an understandable manner and be available to all personnel and appropriate interested parties.”

All organizations must keep records, and the processes used to create and maintain those records should be clearly outlined and understandable, as well as available to legitimately interested parties. 

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Identity Theft: Canadian Passports Are A Target

Canadian Passports Are Being Stolen More And More OftenNew US passport requirements for Canadian and other western travelers apear to have led to a surge in the number of Canadian passports reported to heve been stolen annually, according to numbers released by Passport Canada.

Before 2006, about 25,000 passports were reportedly lost or stolen annually. That number jumped to almost 43,000 in 2006-07, coinciding with a surge in demand because of new U.S. passport requirements for Canadian and other western travellers. By 2008-09, it was 53,000. Now, it's hit 60,781.

But only in the latest annual report has Passport Canada broken down the combined "lost and stolen" total and publicly revealed the extent of the theft problem.

While Passport Canada tried to downplay the problem, the RCMP believe the matter is a national security concern because of the number of stolen passports that end up in the hands of criminals or terrorists.

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GARP - The Principle of Disposition

Destruction of Records Must Maintain ConfidentialityThe seventh Generally Accepted Recordkeeping Principle covers Disposition.  ARMA’s guidelines, found in the download section of the CanDox website, state:  “An organization shall provide secure and appropriate disposition for records that are no longer required to be maintained by applicable laws and the organization’s policies.”

At the end of a record’s useful life cycle, it must be designated for disposition.  In many cases, this means destruction, but could also mean that files are returned to clients, transferred to another organization, or transferred for ongoing preservation to an archive or records management firm. 

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GARP - The Principle of Retention

Proper Records Retention Minimizes Risk & CostThe sixth Generally Accepted Recordkeeping Principle deals with Retention.  ARMA’s guidelines, found in the download section of this website, state:  “An organization shall maintain its records and information for an appropriate time, taking into account legal, regulatory, fiscal, operational, and historical requirements.”

It is vitally important to know what records you have, how long to keep them, and when to get rid of them. 

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