Your Document Management Knowledge Center

Too much information, a phrase that has a number of meanings.  For some it means that a friend is sharing way more than you ever wanted to know about some aspect of their personal life.  For others it’s the constant barrage of news, e-mails, Internet search results, tweets, text messages, phone calls and so on.

Sorting through all this information to find useful or relevant information is what separates out the productive people from the overwhelmed.  It separates out the successful from the frustrated and it sometimes it even separates the happy people from the sad people.

Think about your day. 
•    How many e-mails did you receive today?  How many of those were worthwhile?
•    How many calls did you get today?  Were any of them productive?
•    How many meetings were you in?  Did you want to be in any of them?
•    How many web pages did you read?  Did you learn anything useful?
Now look at your office.
•    How many piles of paper do you have?  Do you know what’s in them?
•    How many documents are you supposed to read today?  Are they right in front of you?
•    How many deadlines do you have?  Are you prepared to meet them?

This is a problem in society.  This is the same problem at work.  Too much!  Too much information and most of it is not relevant. 

So how do you solve this problem in both your personal life and your work life?

Turn off the autopilot and take charge of your life.  Don’t let the information drive you.  Instead use the relevant information to get to your destination.  Choose where you want to go; choose what you want to accomplish.  Then delegate, automate and ignore the rest!
 
First let’s discuss your day.

E-mail
How often do you check your e-mail?  It does not matter what the answer is; both you and I know it’s way too often.  Will the world end if you only checked it once or twice a day?  Do you feel the need to respond to all e-mails?  How much time does that take?  If you feel that you must respond to all e-mails, craft some canned responses that you can copy and paste into a response.  Over time you can answer a majority of your e-mails this way.

Phone calls
You do not have to answer the phone.  Use caller id to your advantage.  If you know you need to take the call, then do so.  But when you answer, thank the other person for calling.  Then let them know you were busy, but saw it was them so you picked up the phone.  This makes them feel special.  It also allows you to get right to the point on the call and not waste time.
For the calls that go into voice mail, call them back after hours.  You can leave a detailed message in under two minutes that would answer any question.  This eliminates long conversations and at the same time lets you be responsive.

Meetings
Just say no.  If you have to go to a meeting, make sure there is an agenda.  Keep everyone on track in the meeting.  And here’s the hard part, leave if it’s not productive.  You do not have to be the boss to do this.  If questioned by your boss about your new practice, explain that it’s all about getting things done and being productive.

The Internet
What a time sink this has become.  We think of the Internet as a place to get information.  Instead think of it as a dangerous destination similar to the island in Greek Mythology where the Sirens sang their songs.  For those not familiar with the Sirens, they were a group of creatures who looked like beautiful women, but were really man-eating beasts. They sat on the shore and sang with voices so beautiful and compelling that anyone who heard their song became absolutely mesmerized. So mesmerized, in fact, that they became obsessed with reaching the shore to get closer to the sound. 

And then the Sirens would eat them.
This describes the Internet perfectly.  We get so mesmerized by pages upon pages of information that we don’t notice that our time was eaten by the Internet beast.  If you use the Internet, schedule time to use it and please, please set an alarm or alert to remind you to stop!!!

Now let’s look at your office.

Paper
The sheer volume of documents that people touch or read in a day is unbelievable.  Worse yet, what do most people do with these documents?  They put them in piles for later use or they file them never to be found again.  Think about how much time you waste looking at the same documents over and over again, or looking for a specific document.  Stop using paper!  With the right online document management systems you can capture, store and retrieve documents instantaneously.  This eliminates the time spend sorting through piles and file cabinets.  If you don’t think you spend a lot of time dealing with paper; for one day, just jot down each piece of paper you touch.  You will be horrified!

Deadlines
The problem with deadlines is not that work has to be completed by a certain time; it’s that you have way too much competing for your time and attention.  If you streamline your life and your work, you will find that you can meet your deadlines much, much easier.

In the end, it’s all about time.  The less time you waste, the more time you have to do what really matters.  Don’t waste time listening to “too much information” and don’t waste time sorting through irrelevant information.

What matters to you might be spending more time with your loved ones or getting more done at work.  No matter what is important to you, using your time wisely will turn you into one of the productive, successful and happy people that we all aspire to be.

Interested in improving your organizations efficiency?  Learn more about Online Document Management.

Electronic Document Management September 2010 News

Recent News, Events and Articles related to Electronic Document and Content Management Solutions

When Do Documents Become Records?

We often have conversations with companies who tell us that they want to implement electronic records management software.  While that is certainly a good idea for a number of reasons, when we get deeper into the conversation we find out that what they were describing was electronic document management.  In fairness though, most companies need both.

So what is the difference between document management and records management?  Let’s start by describing the difference between documents and records.  All of your paper, electronic forms, files, e-mails and faxes are documents.  It does not matter whether they are contracts, leases, vendor communications, or even a thank you letter from a customer.  These are all documents.  Your business documents are what document your daily business activities.

When we think about records, they are the final, unalterable and legal recording of an event or a transaction.  Many documents do become records.  For example, a final, signed contract becomes a legal business record.  However when you think about contracts, they don’t spring into existence without creation, revisions, collaboration and reviews.  Iterations of a contract until it is finalized are not individual records.  They don’t reflect the transaction.

Here is where the confusion typically comes in.  You are required by law to keep certain records for specific amounts of time.  This record retention period varies by the type of record and you should confirm what the record retention requirements are in your state.   However, in addition to legal requirements, your organization should have a document record retention policy for all your business records.  Failure to have one, and the failure to safely store and then destroy documents, leaves you in the position where all your business documents can be required in a legal action or an audit.

One of the items typically mentioned in a subpoena is your records retention policy.  If you do not follow your own policy, then all of your records and documents are potentially “discoverable” and can be used in a legal action or audit.  While documents can become records in the normal course of business, keeping documents past their retention schedule can enable them to become records when you least want them to.

With the documents and records more clearly defined, the difference between document management and records management also becomes easy to define.  At the most basic level, document management is the storage and retrieval of documents.  However, records management is not the storage and retrieval of records, at its base level, it is the administration of the record retention schedule.
What we find with most companies is that they are concerned about either efficiency or compliance when ideally is should be both.  

When the discussion revolves around efficiency, typically they are looking to eliminate the storage of paper documents.  They want their staff to be able to access any of their documents from any location via a web-based document management system.  The issues they face arise from lost documents, time wasted, duplication of effort and the need to foster collaboration within their organization.  Online document management addresses these issues and more.

When the discussion revolves around compliance they are worried about audit trails and the ability to track and keep records.  We see this in government agencies, nonprofits and all regulated industries.  However, compliance is an issue that affects all organizations.  Government record requirements are not just for the organizations listed previously, all organizations must comply with governmental record requirements.  Failure to do so can be costly in fines and, even worse, in legal actions.

One way that we’ve helped organizations overcome both the efficiency and compliance issues was to create a software platform with integrated document management and records management.  By combining the two into one system, certain documents can be set to become records automatically.  This means that only the documents that should become records do become records.  Further, once a document becomes a record, it automatically gets assigned its appropriate record retention schedule.  No one can modify or destroy your business records which ensure your compliance with government regulations.  To take this one step more, once your records hit the end of their retention period, a combined system can enable the destruction or purging of expired records.  

So when do documents become records?  If you have a combined document management and records management system, they become records when they meet the legal definition of a record.  Without a combined system, your documents may become records just because you kept them, which can lead to all sorts of unnecessary complications.

To learn more about how a combined online document management and records management solution can help your organization, please visit www.docuvantage.com. 

Usually you hear about visibility and transparency as they relate to government.  Politicians are always describing how government needs to be transparent.  They talk about providing visibility into their processes.  Given that many people are suspicious of government; these two key words evoke a feeling that you can watch what government does.  But who watches government?

Ever have someone at work tell you they are busy putting out fires?  Ever worked in organization that has a new crisis every day?  Putting out fires or constantly dealing with a new crisis is unproductive.  So how does an organization get out of fire fighting and crisis mode?

Years ago I took a management class that stressed focusing on the important issues in an organization.  The class divided issues into 2 segments: Important and Urgent.  Important items were ones that would make an impact on the organization.  Urgent items were ones that needed immediate attention.  When you put the two together, you have items that fall into these
categories:   

•    Important and urgent
•    Important, but not urgent
•    Not important, but urgent
•    Not important and not urgent

The concept they taught, and that I fully endorse, is that focusing on the important issues creates a climate where fewer fires start in the first place.  Further, while it might be tempting to focus on the items that are both important and urgent, the only way to truly make this work is to focus on the items based on how important they are.
 
What people who fight fires do is to focus on the urgent items based on who is screaming the loudest.  Organizations that have this type of culture stagnate and do not get things done.  They don’t move forward and over time can completely fail.

Even when the concept is fully explained and completely accepted, people revert back to working on the urgent items.  It’s human nature to want to look like the hero and put out the fire.

However, it takes true leadership to ignore the fires and focus on the long term strategic goals.  Working towards your goals generates much more value for an organization.

So how does this apply to document management?  Many of our customers come to us because they are fighting a fire and document management will help put it out.  The more progressive organizations see the long term benefit and start thinking strategically about how to use document management to improve efficiency or to gain a competitive edge.  Moving the thought process from urgent to important is what we do almost every day.

Unfortunately, until we help put out the fire for the customer, they usually won’t plan for the future.  The key is to look at how putting out the fire can be used to produce long term benefits.  Once organizations look beyond the crisis of the moment, they can succeed.

In the meantime, we will continue to help customers put out fires.  But we will always stress fire prevention as a better plan. Read more about how we can help you with our special offers.

You’re working electronically; yet somehow you’re still accumulating paper. You’re keeping the paper, “just in case”. Just in case there’s a computer virus, or an audit, or a business need for the records. 

Far from being a safeguard, uncontrolled duplication of records is expensive and risky.

Benefits of Electronic Records

Digitized or electronic documents require less physical storage, they’re easily searchable, and backup for business continuity can be automated. Although many organizations scan paper records as they arrive, most haven’t implemented a disposition policy to destroy the paper. Today, most documents begin life in electronic format, yet many people continue to print hard copies and add them to paper files.

It’s estimated that the volume of information generated by businesses is growing by 60 per cent each year. At that rate, it’s no longer feasible to keep every document forever, and it’s important to minimize duplication and adhere to legal retention requirements.

Multiple copies lead to unnecessary costs and risks associated with:

•    Storage – multiple copies fill premium office space, off-site warehouses, removable media, and network hard drives.

•    Mismanagement – multiple copies are more difficult to control, file and retrieve. They increase the likelihood of security breaches or inappropriate disposal. This can result in fines and other sanctions for non-compliance with regulatory requirements; and in the loss of competitive advantage if intellectual property or commercially valuable business intelligence is compromised.

•    Litigation – multiple copies mean more places to search during the discovery phase (increasing time and costs). It may also raise questions about the evidential weight of records.

•    Business Continuity – multiple copies make it more difficult to identify the subset of ‘vital records’ which must be protected at all costs. This can result in a higher risk of accidental loss, deletion or inaccessibility. Liability insurers are increasingly considering retention policies and discovery-preparedness in their underwriting decisions. Poorly managed records can affect the cost or availability of insurance coverage.

Why then are companies investing time and money to maintain parallel filing systems?
 
Some companies aren’t sure whether electronic records are legally admissible; or whether paper records carry greater evidential weight. Others are doubtful of the quality and reliability of scanned documents. Many are uncertain about the required retention periods for paper records, email and digital documents.

A records management program can clarify these questions and alleviate concerns – allowing an organization to maximize the value of its business information and minimize the associated cost and risks.

The Solution – a Records Management Program

Gaining control over corporate information can seem daunting. Yet it’s absolutely essential for regulatory compliance. A records management program is a key component to reduce the complexity and cost of any GRC (governance, risk management and compliance) initiative.
 
Reducing the volume of paper records that must be stored and managed is the first step to moving fully into an electronic working environment. If you don’t take the plunge today, it’ll be twice as challenging next year.

A records management program should include:

•    An information management policy which sets out the overarching framework of rules and responsibilities for controlling corporate information. It demonstrates to a court of law that information management is part of normal business operations.

•    A classification scheme that identifies the different types of records created or received by the organization. It groups similar records together into categories that are easier to find, use and manage. The classification scheme can be used to indicate which categories of records are suitable for scanning (and which are not), based on the regulatory requirements that apply to particular types of documents.

•    A retention policy that’s developed through an analysis of the company’s specific legal obligations, business needs for information to support daily operations, and the interests of any additional stakeholders.

•    The secure disposal of records should be carried out on a regular schedule, in accordance with an approved procedure. Local and international case law indicates that courts will approve routine destruction of records in accordance with established procedures. Developing a security policy helps to protect the integrity of corporate information and reduce the risk of a challenge to its authenticity.

Legal Admissibility

Legal recognition and requirements for electronic records are contained in the Electronic Transactions Law and the Evidence Law. Your records management program should provide a framework of policies and procedures to maximize the evidential weight of scanned images, and reduce the risks associated with destruction of paper files.
 
Where records are required for legal or regulatory purposes, an electronic record is acceptable if it is maintained in an accessible, perceivable form. It must also be accompanied by contextual information (metadata) which substantiates the provenance of the record – confirming the time, place and the person(s) responsible for creating or receiving the record.
 
Companies should also examine their specific legal or statutory provisions to identify any requirements to keep records in their “original form”. Such requirements can be met by a record that was first generated as an electronic record. If a document was originally a paper record, some industries require that the paper record is safeguarded and retained for a certain number of years.
 
Organizations should seek legal advice with regard to the types of documents most likely to be disputed in court, and assess the risks associated with maintaining or destroying the original paper records that have been scanned.
 
Questions about the quality and reliability of scanned images can be addressed by implementing procedures and technical standards for the conversion process, for quality control and IT system administration. It’s necessary to demonstrate that the image is an accurate representation of the source document via:

a)    clearly defining the conversion procedure, which explains any changes applied to the image (e.g. conversion from color to black-and-white, de-skewing, cropping, etc.),

b)    capturing and managing the image in a system that can control and track its use and prevent any subsequent modification (establishing an audit trail), and

c)    maintaining and operating the system properly.

An audit trail of activity for records, users and systems administrators is important for proving authenticity and demonstrating the record’s ongoing integrity.

As a critical corporate asset, information should also be addressed in plans for business continuity and disaster recovery. The classification scheme can be used to identify categories of records that are vital for ongoing operations. Appropriate strategies can then be devised to ensure the backup and long-term accessibility of those records.
 
Conclusions

Electronic records offer many benefits for business efficiency. However, they may also expose companies to significant risks, if they’re not pro-actively managed.

A robust records management program combined with an electronic document and records management application, with defined policies and implemented procedures, reduces the costs and risks associated with managing corporate information. It can be used to determine whether paper records are suitable for scanning into digital formats, and to enable the disposal of original hard copies – generating a range of potential savings for the organization, and mitigating the risks associated with retaining multiple, uncontrolled copies.

Bob Leonard, our guest blogger, is the managing director of acSellerant specializing in online, inbound, content and social media marketing for SMB IT providers.

Frustration rings out and tension is mounting for those affected by the Oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.  Industries have halted and hands are reaching out, ready to recoup their losses.  Do you blame them?  BP has already guaranteed the Federal Government $20 billion dollars to compensate businesses affected and to fund the environmental cleanup.

But how accessible is that money to the local fisherman who is trying to find a way to feed his family?  What do governments and business owners need to provide to receive their claim?

The state of Florida has received $17 million dollars in property claims so far and volunteers are emerging to assist business owners with this process.  However, this is only the beginning.  Many small business owners along the coast of Florida currently may not have oil in direct sight, nor do they have tourists in sight, slowly bringing some businesses to a close. 

The oil spill is having a "multiplier effect" on vacation property owners, charter boats, and restaurant owners among others, with customers canceling contracts, says Carmen Sunda, the director of the Louisiana Small Business Development Center in the Greater New Orleans area.  Also, local and state government agencies are experiencing an increasing overflow of documents in relation to the BP oil spill.  This unfortunate disaster could be worsened if businesses and local and state officials do not implement the proper document storage and record keeping strategies.

The Challenge

Depending on your industry, in order to file a claim to BP, you must provide accurate documentation.  In some cases, there may be years that go by until processed claims are complete, and the reimbursement distributed.  It is quite possible this process could require years of tracking invoices, financial documents, and stringent record keeping, depending on how long it takes BP to process your claim.  With all of these important documents to hang on to, you must find an effective method to manage these documents and keep them immediately accessible for when you need them.

Where can businesses begin?   

Take advantage of online document management systems.  You have already encountered the worst environmental disaster in history, be sure to avoid what could potentially become the worst claim and reimbursement process in history.

Due to poor record keeping and the loss of supporting documents, BP may not approve your claim. So far, BP is doing their part in setting up claim offices and contact centers for those directly affected.  BP will most likely pay most of the claims, but clear, visible, well organized documentation must be provided. 

Don’t let time and memory interfere with your claim. Use an easy and affordable tool that will provide a single, secure online location to store and manage documents providing fast access and easy retrieval when you need it.

Contact DocuVantage for assistance on how you can begin tracking your claim documentation.  Call (866) 367-3467 ext. 1.

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