Digital Records Management

The first article, “Records Management in a Digital World,” gives an overview of the objectives, benefits, and weaknesses of electronic records management. There are numerous benefits to practicing good electronic records management, among them improving access for either employees or customers, preserving a record of your institution, and maintaining evidence of business activity. Additionally, it is important to know which records should be retained for future use and which records to be disposed of. Setting up clear guidelines delineating the disposition of records can save a business or institution precious time and money. There is one weakness to records management systems that the authors note. As the author states, “The primary data and information systems employed by most institutions do not routinely and systematically fulfill the five major requirements of a record keeping system,” (Bantin 2002). While many systems are effective and work quite well, no one is a panacea.

Where Bantin gives an overview of various aspects of digital records management, Sherry Owen’s article “Electronic Document Management Systems: A Case Study”, takes us into a step-by-step process of what it is like to actually attempt to implement an electronic document management system (EDMS). Owens article perfectly illustrates some of the benefits and pitfalls enumerated previously by Bantin. I found it particularly helpful to be guided through the process by someone who has clearly been through it and done it successfully. While Bantin provided the groundwork, Owens actually took us through the process and made it seem real.

The third reading, “The Benefits of Electronic Records Management Systems: A General Review of Published and some Unpublished Cases” (Johnston and Bowen 2005), reiterated many of the points listed above, but expands upon them by relating specific statistics highlighting the benefits of an EDMS. While it appears the benefits in cost are difficult to quantify, the article clearly gives the impression that each business that implemented one is happy with its performance, and at least internally believes they have made many cost savings. The three articles together outlined an entirely new application for me, digital records management. I now feel well versed in the theory and practical benefits of instituting such a system.

Question: The three articles have predominantly positive views of electronic records management systems. Taking a more critical view, what are some more potential pitfalls to digitizing records? Anything the authors may have glossed over?

References

1. Bantin, Philip C (2002). “Records Management in a Digital World”. EDUCAUSE, Research Bulletin, 2002(16). http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ERB0216.pdf

2. Owen, Sherry (2006). “Electronic Document Management Systems: A Case Study”. Arkansas Libraries, 63(1). 22-25.

3. Johnston, Gary P. and Bowen, David V, (2005). “The Benefits of Electronic Records Management Systems: A General Review of Published and some Unpublished Cases”, Records Management Journal, Vol. 15 Iss 3, pp. 131-140.