What is RIM*?
*Records and Information Management
RIM Manages Your Organization's Second Most Important Asset
Once upon a time there was a file clerk who kept all the company's important papers organized in folders. He was very busy making sure all the folders were neatly alphabetized in the rows and rows of file cabinets which lined the walls of the office. Of course this was back when secretaries typed papers and made copies with carbon paper!
These days Records Managers do much more than just filing paper. A company's records exist in many formats and in many places. In addition to traditional paper documents, there are electronic documents, eforms, email, and web pages. It's word processing documents, voicemail, spreadsheets, and databases. Data is stored in file cabinets, storage boxes, on hard drives, servers, mainframes, microfilm, CD's, and optical platters. Customers, vendors and clients send information by postal mail, email and over the internet. Every employee has a desktop computer; some use instant messaging; some have company information on their PDA's or laptops. Virtually every document is created using some form of electronic software and saved to a hard drive. Much of it is emailed to multiple recipients in and outside the company. Personal information about your employees, customers and clients must be kept private and safe. Laws and regulations relating to what must be kept and for how long change frequently.
"IT owns the Tools, RIM owns the Rules"
Companies are awash in a flood of information. Most of it useful, even vital, but much of it is useless. Efficient and successful companies are able identify the important information, and discard the useless. They are able to quickly find and use their information. Being able to find information when it's needed keeps companies from continually "recreating the wheel," allowing workers to share information making their jobs more efficient, with less drudgery.
After Enron, Worldcom, and Arthur Anderson, fines, sanctions and even criminal charges are possible for those who do not follow the laws regarding the retention and privacy of their records.
IT departments know the hardware and software, but it's the professional records managers who have the knowledge and expertise to navigate this minefield. ARMA gives them the educational and networking opportunities that allow them to keep up to date with the latest information in their industries and the laws and regulations that affect their companies.
To find out more about ARMA and what a professional records and information manager can do for your company, contact us at info@ocarma.org or come to one of our meetings.