The Organisation As A System The Performance Organiser Document Storage and Directory Management

Documents, normally form the bulk of an organisations data. However, the way that documents are stored, often takes no account of the organisations purpose, it reporting requirements or the need to retain documents for historical purposes. Additionally, documents and document storage not treated with the same degree of design discipline as other forms of database design. Document Storage and Directory Management

Documents, normally form the bulk of an organisations data. However, the way that documents are stored, often takes no account of the organisations purpose, it reporting requirements or the need to retain documents for historical purposes. Additionally, documents and document storage not treated with the same degree of design discipline as other forms of database design. Document Storage and Directory Management

The lack of a structured design approach coupled with a lack of the application of the kind of management and control discipline required to maintain referential integrity means that the information management decision support function often fails. Document Storage and Directory Management

The overarching principle of file and document management is:- For each document or file, there is one authoritative master, in one known retrievable location, with one owner responsible for the quality of content. Document Storage and Directory Management

The document life cycle has four phases: Creation and Research Refinement of quality of content to the point that fitness for purpose is reached Publication Archive Document Storage and Directory Management

Each stage of the document life cycle will have an impact of the authority and accuracy of the content. Because of the variation in authority and accuracy, each overall stage should have its own storage area Document Storage and Directory Management Creation And Research RefinementPublicationArchive

Each document store should mirror each other in their folder and directory structures. Document Storage and Directory Management Creation And Research RefinementPublicationArchive

Responsibility for the maintenance of referential integrity changes through the life cycle from the creator, through the content owner to the information management team. Document Storage and Directory Management Creation And Research RefinementPublicationArchive AuthorOwnerIM Librarian IM Archivist

Formal distribution of authoritative or master documents should only be carried out using documents held in the publication store. Document Storage and Directory Management Creation And Research Refinement Publication Archive AuthorOwnerIM Librarian IM Archivist

The principles of information dimensioning provide a framework that can be used to locate on a cartesian basis, data elements stored in databases.. Structure Concepts Lines of Development Document Storage and Directory Management

The same principle of dimensions can be applied to documents and if it is, any document location is simply the cartesian product of a reference to the dimensions. Structure Concepts Lines of Development Document Storage and Directory Management

Use dimensions to structure information management document folders Organisation Structure (Ownership) DesignAccountsProductionGoods InStoresEtc Concepts (Subject Area) PolicyGovernanceAssuranceQualityHREtc Lines of Development (Topic) TrainingFinanceAdminR&D For each Document Storage and Directory Management

The application to general document control of information management dimensions coupled with a coherent use of a standard file naming convention will provide a unique file location reference or url for each document held in each of the stores Document Storage and Directory Management

Files need to be named to a common a common convention. For example: Expenses for FY2009 Finance Mgr 1.00 C Date of publication Descriptive name Owner role or appointment Document version Protective or security marking Document Storage and Directory Management

As each document store uses the same file naming convention and directory structure, transfer between each as a document matures, becomes less onerous. Similar search and retrieval tools and techniques can be used on each data store. The responsibility for the maintenance of referential integrity moves from the general to the specialist Document Storage and Directory Management

The risks associated with unauthorised publication of documents can be reduced as control mechanisms can be introduced to limit the rights of individuals to move or transfer files from one location to another. Document Storage and Directory Management Providing the design and procedural disciplines are maintained then the likelihood of multiple copies of files being held in various locations will be reduced.