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

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

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

6. 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 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 inquiries, and consider automatic replies as well.
Subscribe to mail lists sparingly.
Maintain separate personal and business accounts.

7. Break Backlog Behavior
Changing your habits also eases pressure.
Simple Time management Techniques
Setting a time in both the morning and afternoon to handle , and dealing with each message only once.
Etiquette applies to ,
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 requires an answer.

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

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

10. 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

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

12. 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)

13. 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

14. 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 management

15. 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

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

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

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

19. 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 s.
Talk to people who sit close by.

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

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

22. Conflicts & E-mail Don’t Mix
Don’t try to settle conflicts over .
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 they didn’t send
can become a rumor mill.

23. Recommended must haves for any Records Management Team for e-mail training
Rules: A Business Guide to Managing Policies, Security, and Legal Issues for 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 system, you put
your organization's assets, future and reputation at
risk." 

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

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

26. Questions?
Thank You!