Survey Says: Not Enough Records Management Training

May 11, 2007: According to a new survey of information managers in the US, the lack of information management training puts organisations at risk of both litigation and alienating customers.

Conducted by ARMA International, the survey canvassed 502 records and information management professionals and 59 human resources information management professionals and found that almost half of organisations do not provide training on proper management of corporate records and information.

45 percent were found to have not provided formal training, and a further 46 percent of this figure have no plans to implement such training in the near future.

Good information management is critical to ensure business continuity and regulatory compliance, while simultaneously reducing the risk of litigation. Every week another case of information mismanagement, loss or theft springs up in the media, all of which can have far reaching and costly consequences.

“The fact that so many organisations do not formally train all their employees on managing records and information - including the handling of sensitive data - indicates that too many top executives don't fully comprehend the risk,” says ARMA International Executive Director Marilyn Bier. “Information is a critical corporate asset. It's also a major risk area. That realisation must start at the top.”

ARMA says that 49 percent of respondents stated information management training programs that have been completed were influenced mostly by recent news stories, while Sarbanes-Oxley Act and other regulations were cited by 48 percent as a driving force. Recent court decisions were also nominated by 46 percent as an incentive for better training.

The company says what is particularly disturbing is the finding that 31 percent of organisations do not train their employees specifically about data security or the protection of sensitive data.

“The failure to institutionalize information management training - to take it to every desktop - leaves an organization vulnerable,” says Bier. “Policies alone are not enough. Each employee needs to understand why information management is important to the organization's continued operation, what their role is, and the risks if it's not done well.”

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