Records & Information Management E-Mail How Are You Gonna Manage it? Helping others Manage the E-Mail Explosion Presented by: Richard E Smith, CRM April 2, 2007

Records & Information Management It can be defined as the precise and judicious application of accepted practices and standards to control the: creation dissemination utilization organization retrieval retention disposition Of all records, regardless of Media - which includes e-mail

What is a Record? Records are evidence of a business transaction or an administrative activity Must be retained to satisfy legal and operational requirements such as: Contractual Administrative Financial Research Historical Tax Quality Management System

Record Retention Employees create, receive, maintain, and dispose of business records and information Records provide essential proof that the company has met its legal, contractual and operational requirements Federal, state and local statutes and regulations require certain records be retained

Records & Information Management and Electronic Records E-mail volume will only increase, so our reading (and writing) habits must improve, researchers suggest.

Some tips and e-mail tools: Set up folders to organize mail. “Urgent" folder for top priority tasks; “Aging" folder for mail older than 30 days; "cc" messages into a folder that doesn't require action. Create folders for tasks, and one for messages tied to upcoming events that don't require immediate answers. Beyond that, sort messages automatically by sender and date. Set your e-mail so it lets you view the first few lines in a message as well as the subject line; it might be enough to handle the message. Write boilerplate text to answer common e-mail inquiries, and consider automatic replies as well. Subscribe to mail lists sparingly. Maintain separate personal and business e-mail accounts.

Break Backlog Behavior Changing your habits also eases e-mail pressure. Simple Time management Techniques Setting a time in both the morning and afternoon to handle e-mail, and dealing with each message only once. Etiquette applies to e-mail, Don't overwhelm a colleague's mailbox with large attachments. Write clear, succinct subject headers, which help to sort mail. Write clear, succinct messages. Don't label a message "high priority" unduly, Use cc: sparingly. Avoid chain letters and jokes. Remember, not every e-mail requires an answer.

Records & Information Management and Electronic Records Records & Information Management principles apply to electronic mail and voice mail Most e-mails are non-records and can be disposed of – once their business purpose has been met

Electronic Mail E-mail is divided into two record areas E-mail content and attachments Transmission and receipt data

Electronic Mail Records May include the following: Policies & Directives Correspondence & Memos Work schedules & assignments Document drafts circulated for review or approval Messages that initiate, authorize, or complete a business transaction Final reports

Electronic Mail Non Records Personal messages or announcements not related to official business

Electronic Mail Management Identify and separate official company records from non-records Save official records in designated file units Index, retain and document the deletion of official records in accordance with the Master Records Retention Schedule (MRRS)

Master Records Retention Schedule (MRRS) The MRRS consists of a comprehensive list of records series that defines the retention period based on: Legal Requirements Contractual Requirements Operational Requirements Documents retention requirements for business records and information

Electronic Mail Retention Preserve all address, distribution, transmission, and receipt information with the message content Protect the official company records from alteration, loss, corruption, or premature destruction Be aware of and apply RM policies and procedures for e-mail management

Electronic Mail is Discoverable Electronic records can be used as evidence in litigation proceedings Official records must be identified, managed, protected, and disposed in accordance with the MRRS

Electronic Mail Tips Separate unrelated, personal information from e-mail business records Download e-mail messages and attachments that require retention Protect messages, files, records, and passwords from unauthorized third parties Understand company e-mail policies and procedures

Electronic Mail Policy Describes the requirements for the disposition of records or information in the form of electronic messages E-mail user responsibility…. Authority reference should be back to your records management policy

Need to Remember E-mails at work are business communication Don’t assume that e-mails will be deleted E-mail can be forwarded and end up anywhere, including the press Make sure e-mails are accurate and complete Consider whether there is a better way to handle an issue than e-mail

Effective Writing Use one topic per message. Make actions clear. Write short, concise messages. Proofread your messages before sending. Important points should be “up front” and not buried in the middle or at the end. Don’t send all messages out “urgent” because it’s like calling “wolf.” No one will believe you when you do have an urgent message. Important messages should be followed up by a phone call. Be careful to use the “To” and “CC” distribution as intended. Do not put “a cast of thousands” on all your messages because it could cause reader to ignore important messages. We send too many e-mails. Talk to people who sit close by.

E-mail is or can be a an Official Company Document E-mail is a company record and belongs to the company. E-mail should be handled as any other letter on letterhead. (Don’t put anything in writing you wouldn’t want discovered.) E-mail empowers us.

Security Issues Keep access code secure. Do not send confidential e-mail to people who should not receive it. Is there a “need to know?” Keep in mind that if we want to “forward” an encrypted e-mail, we must also “encrypt” before sending.

Conflicts & E-mail Don’t Mix Don’t try to settle conflicts over e-mail. Don’t write something that you wouldn’t say to someone directly. If angry, wait until you “cool off” to send it. Note: No one ever regretted the e-mail they didn’t send E-mail can become a rumor mill.

Recommended must haves for any Records Management Team for e-mail training E-Mail Rules: A Business Guide to Managing Policies, Security, and Legal Issues for E-Mail and Digital Communication by Nancy Flynn, Randolph Kahn "Whether you employ one part-time worker or 100,000 full-time professionals, any time you allow employees access to your e-mail system, you put your organization's assets, future and reputation at risk." 

Must Haves continued … Commonwealth Films The Plugged-In Mailbox Email Uses and Misuses Training Topics: E-mail derailed Nothing Personal “Virtual" Food Fights “X"-mail: Sensitive email Digital discovery

E-Mail Responsibility Individuals Supervisors & Managers Records & Information Management Messaging Infrastructure Group Law Department Internal Audit People or HR

Questions? Thank You!