AIIM Asks, When Will Electronic Records Management Arrive?
AIIM Asks, When Will Electronic Records Management Arrive?
December 20, 2006: Based on the results of a recent study, the International Enterprise Content Management Association (AIIM) says for most organisations, electronic records management is like ‘Waiting for Godot.’
Based on the results of a recent study, the International Enterprise Content Management Association (AIIM) says for most organisations, electronic records management is like ‘Waiting for Godot.’
Referring to the play written by Samuel Backett in the late 1940s about two characters who wait at a roadside location for the arrival of an unknown person named ‘Godot,’ AIIM says just like Vladimir and Estragon in the play, organisations are waiting for the ‘Godot’ of records management. Of course, no one knows who Godot is and if he/she is ever going to actually arrive.
Sponsored by Xerox Global Services, the study delved in to the records and information habits of over 800 end users across the globe. AIIM has used the results to suggest that end users still do not place enough emphasis on managing electronic information, yet many are on top of paper-based management structures.
“Many records management programs just cover the tip of the iceberg,” says AIIM President, John F. Mancini referring to the results of the study. “It became apparent that many end users have yet to address important elements in a truly comprehensive program.”
It seems organisations can still not escape the world of e-discovery. 25 percent of those surveyed said they had to respond at least once in the last twelve months to an e-discovery request. With new e-discovery rules for the US announced on December 1 2006, AIIM says some organisations, especially smaller ones, may well be vulnerable to the ambiguous legal environment that surrounds electronic information. “The expectation that the new rules create that organisations have control over their electronically stored information is problematic at best for most organisations,” says Mancini.
The study found there are three primary drivers pushing organisations to adopt an electronic records solution. These include the need to ‘improve efficiency and productivity,’ ‘compliance’ and ‘risk management/business continuity.’ AIIM expressed surprise at the fact that productivity and efficiency benefits were still highly valued by the ‘document specialists’ of an organisation.
AIIM ran the survey online during the 4th quarter of 2006 across a brad spectrum of organisations. Over half of those that responded labelled themselves as ‘document management specialists’ and there was a heavy take-up of the survey by those that AIIM considers are close to the ECM ‘action.’ While users from 49 countries participated, the results an American focus with 60 percent of the sample residing in the US.