Abstract
The fourth industrial revolution has created many challenges for records and information management. This chapter provides an overview of the field of records management and describes the fourth industrial revolution and its impact. Further, it identifies several challenges to the profession of records manager, such as the effect of cloud computing, big data, mobile devices, and financial and ethical concerns. The author investigates how records managers can keep up to date with the changes in their profession by training and continuing education opportunities. Finally, the author discusses some possible solutions to the many challenges records managers face so that they can do their jobs effectively.
TopBackground
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) (2016) defines record management as
the field of management responsible for the efficient and systematic control of the creation, receipt, maintenance, use, and disposition of records, including processes for capturing and maintaining evidence of and information about business activities and transactions in the form of records. (p. 3).
The Association of Records Managers and Administrators (ARMA) (ARMA International, 2016) expanded the definition to emphasize the role of policy by stating that RIM is “responsible for establishing and implementing policies, systems, and procedures to capture, create, access, distribute, use, store, secure, retrieve, and ensure disposition of an organization’s records and information” (p. 43). ARMA added that records and information are subject to being managed regardless of the format, medium or the location. Why is managing records so vital to an organization? Franks (2018) stated that records provide evidence of and value to the organization and that the value can fit into four distinct categories, namely administrative, fiscal, legal, and historical (research/archival), although there is some overlap within them. Understanding the types of records created will help in understanding the functions of RIM.
Administrative records document the activities of the organization and its policies and procedures. They help provide a historical record and context for decisions made within the organization. They include correspondence, ballots and election results, by-laws, committee files, email, policies, and organizational charts. These are common records that organizations create and use in their everyday activities (Franks, 2018).
Fiscal records are needed to satisfy fiscal requirements and provide evidence of financial transactions. They include invoices, budgets, accounts payable and receivable, budget files, financial reports, and travel records. They also provide a historical account of financial business within an organization and provide transparency to the public, which is important for accountability (Franks, 2018).
Legal records exist to satisfy legal requirements. They protect the rights of individuals or the organization and can help defend against litigation, although all records can become legal records if they are needed as such. They include contracts, compliance records, complaint files, and property and real estate files (Franks, 2018).
Historical records help document the history of the organization and they provide evidence of its decisions and policies. Records flagged as historical are determined to have significant value and are not discarded. These types of records may be housed in an archive or another location and transferred to another format, such as digital or microfilm, to preserve them indefinitely (Franks, 2018).
Key Terms in this Chapter
Big Data: This expression describes the large volume of both structured and unstructured data that is created in an organization or business. Data grow exponentially, making it difficult to manage them. Traditional data management tools are unable to store or process data efficiently, thus new systems and tools are necessary.
Retention Schedule: A list of records series which defines the types of records maintained by all or part of an organization, along with the length of time the records are to be kept and their disposition.
Records and Information Management: The discipline that manages records, regardless of format, throughout their life cycle, from the time of creation to their disposition. Records management identifies, classifies, organizes, stores, and disposes of records in an organization. Records may also be archived, if they have historical value.
Records Disposition: The final action that is taken with regards to a record. Examples include destruction or deletion and transfer to an archive or other location.
Records Retention: The length of time a record (in any format) should be kept within an organization.
Cloud Computing: The delivery of on-demand computing services and applications (i.e., word processing, document sharing, and storage) to users. Data are stored on servers provided and maintained by service providers.
Blockchain Technology: It is a distributed ledger technology (DLT) that allows data to be stored on thousands of servers, while letting anyone on the network see everyone else's entries (anonymously) in near real-time. This is the core technology for cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin.
Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR): An era that began in the 21 st century and resulted out of the third industrial revolution. It is distinct for its integration of existing technologies and development of new ones and the speed with which it is occurring. The massive amounts of information (data) that are being generated are difficult to manage.