The new digital ecosystem presents a wide range of complex security and privacy challenges. For a document and records management strategy to work, it needs to provide flexible, user-friendly ways to store and access records and data.
A US report into The Challenges in Managing Records in the 21st Century[1] back in 2004 concluded that, “although computers were once thought to be ushering in the age of the “paperless office,” we are experiencing exponential growth and replication of records.
Moreover, the management of records no longer falls strictly to a record management unit or an administrative support staffer. Therefore, it is essential for businesses and government agencies to develop sound records management programs that are grounded in thoughtful and effective policies and procedures that inform agency personnel: as to nature of what is a record; which records are open to the public and which are confidential; how to classify, organize, and maintain records; and how to dispose of records properly.
It is imperative that the design and implementation of records and information management systems include project teams that are multidisciplinary, with a spot reserved for records management personnel.
By taking these recommendations into consideration, businesses and agencies should be prepared for the challenges of managing records in the 21st century.
