Saturday, January 29, 2011

The Uniqueness of Managing Federal Government Records

Records are the backbone of any entity, be it the Government or the private world. Without good records it is impossible to achieve the purposes, objectives, or mission for which it exists. And because it is true that better records make better Government we would do well to give attention to the essential business function of Records Management.
The definition of a Federal record is basically any information regardless of the format that is created, used or received during the course of Government business. The management of records is the process by which records are managed from creation until they are destroyed or retired and sent to a storage facility. Records are like people in the since that they are born, which in the case of a record we call creation. From birth they are used and we call this managed or maintained, and lastly records are finalized or they reach their ultimate disposition either destruction or retirement where they are sent to facility that is meets all the codes and regulations to store Government records.
Government records are the second most important asset it possesses, preceded only by its people! The Government is as dependent upon its records as people are on the essential records it needs to function each and every day. Can you imagine living in a world that did not require such vital information as Birth Certificates, Drivers Licenses, Marriage Licenses, Passports, Estate Will, Property Deeds, etc? How would our world function if these items did not exist or how would you function if these items were missing or lost? Without these records it would be very difficult to justify our existence. We could not determine where we have been, what we do, where we are going, or how we are going to get where we plan to go. Likewise if a Government does not properly manage its records it can effectively fulfill its responsibilities to it citizens. Accurate, reliable, and efficient records make it possible for the Government to fulfill its obligations to people.
In closing there are three unique features about Government records that are worth mentioning:
• Government records are owned by its citizens
• Government records must be managed deliberately. Records management does not occur in a vacuum, and it will not occur without planning and exercising of proper procedures on a consistent basis.
• It is the irreplaceable nature of records that give them their supreme value. Records destroyed cannot be recovered. It may be a very tragic situation to destroy record too soon; it may also be tragic to keep records too long. And certainly there are some records that should never be destroyed. In any event records are very valuable and one of the main reasons for their value is because once they are destroyed it is impossible to gain access to them again.
Please feel free to visit my blog concerningelectronicrecordsmanagement@com. On this site you find many articles and helpful resources about records management. While on the site please feel free to comment on any article of interest to you.


Thursday, January 27, 2011

Scanned PDF Documents- How to do Editing in Such Documents?

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

Scanning 101

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

How to Convert PDF Files

More good information as we prepare scanning station.



Scan to PDF

I found this to be good information as we prepare to launch scanning station.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

100 Google Search Tricks for the Savviest of Students | Online College Courses

An excellent resource!!!

100 Google Search Tricks for the Savviest of Students | Online College Courses

Sunday, January 23, 2011

"Your Brain On Google"

"Your Brain On Google": "

Amazing video called 'Digital Nation.'

Some great points from the interviewees at MIT, Stanford, and more:

- 'We are immersed in technology all the time.'

- 'Technology is like oxygen.'

- 'Well over half our lives exist in the digital world now.'

- 'We are constantly multi-tasking and distracted.'

- 'The world has sped up.'

- 'We just want to push the pause button.'

- 'The Internet has changed from things one does to how one lives.'

- 'We are changing what it means to be human.'

- 'We are rewriting the rules of interaction for human beings.'

- 'Can we solve the alienation that technology has created with more technology?

- 'Does increasing use of technology have diminishing returns at some points?'

These questions and thoughts really resonate with me.

Looking back in my own life, things seemed so much simpler 10, 20, and 30 years ago.

Then we were less connected online and maybe a lot stupider intellectually, but more connected in real ways--doing real things with family, friends, and community.

Life is certainly faster now, but are we happier as human beings?

Are we losing ourselves and becoming part of the vast interconnected cyberspace almost as half-humans and half-machines ourselves?
"

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Very good Records Management Presentation!

Local Government Records Management Workshop from Seeking Michigan on Vimeo.



Document Capture, Why it Matters? | Internet Marketing For Newbies Blog

Document Capture, Why it Matters? | Internet Marketing For Newbies Blog

Securing Information Systems ppt.

ppt-08

Organization of Filing

Organization of Filing

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Document and Records Management in the Cloud

A very interesting article that simplifies some major issues involved in managing electronic records within the cloud.


We have all heard the term "Cloud Computing" but what is it and what benefits does it offer in the Document & Records Management Industry?

Cloud Computing is in essence the rental of software and hardware solutions that are accessed via the internet. Also known as Software as a Service (SaaS) there are a number of benefits to Cloud Computing.

Number one is usually cost. Depending on the price model used, there is often very little in the way of capital outlay when using SaaS. For example, our hosted records management system is simply charged by the amount of space used. The unit cost per GB also falls the more you use. With unlimited user access included, along with support and maintenance there are no hidden charges.

The second major benefit is that SaaS solutions are usually off the shelf products that put no additional burden on your IT department. All of the security, storage, backup, management and training is taken care of by the service provider, leaving you to reap the benefits without the headaches.

Coming in close at number three is the ability to access SaaS solutions from any computer connected to the internet. No specialist dial in or VPN systems are required allowing the flexibility of your staff to work remotely 24x7.

When it comes to Document & Records Management all of the above benefits can be realised very quickly indeed. With the recent bouts of bad weather affecting the UK, more and more people struggled to get into the office. With a hosted solution, these employees could simply work from home with access to all documentation required.

Furthermore, on a day to day basis, being able to locate the information required within seconds can cut wasted time searching for information out. Also very beneficial is the ability for more than one person to access the same file at the same time.

Additional benefits are the ability to add additional modules as and when required. For example in the document and records management sector, the ability to add workflow can increase organisational efficiencies no end. Take, for example, the Accounts Payable department. By scanning all incoming invoices (either internally or with a bureau) a workflow solution can then route the invoices to the correct person or persons for authorisation. Once authorised (electronically of course) the invoice (or just the required data) arrives with the AP department ready and approved for payment. There is no longer the need to be chasing colleagues up when suppliers are chasing you, the system will notify them automatically and remind them at pre determined intervals until they required action has been taken.

When it comes to security and compliance, Document & Records Management is one of the most sensitive business areas. By placing all sensitive information in the Cloud, there is of course the concern that it will be accessed by unauthorised people. This can only be addressed by your service provider who should have taken security very seriously and will be able to demonstrate how security is achieved.

Compliance is instantly improved by placing information in a suitable solution. All actions taken are recorded and a full audit trail is created. Retention periods can be managed with ease, with automatic purging of records as required, or for the more feint hearted, automatic notification when records are ready for deletion!

If you feel that your company could benefit from our expertise in Electronic Records Management, Bureau Scanning, Microfilm Services, Document Archive or Data Backup Services please click the link to visit our corporate site. http://www.thesterlingdatagroup.com/document-scanning-capture/hosted-document-management/
By Freddie Alston

Document and Records Management in the Cloud

Using LinkedIn Effectively - Communication Skills Training from MindTools.com

Very good article!

Using LinkedIn Effectively - Communication Skills Training from MindTools.com

New Vision Online : Organisational records can be protected from hackers

Very good records management article coming from Uganda!

New Vision Online : Organisational records can be protected from hackers

Build Your Own Social Network

Build Your Own Social Network: "

There is such a wide array of social networks, but there is one company that pops into everyone’s head when we say Social… well done! You guessed it: Facebook.



I think we all know the benefits of Facebook on a personal level and business level. But why enjoy all of these benefits just on Facebook? Wouldn’t it be great if you could create your own social network?



For me the personal benefits for being on a social network are; it feeds my curiosity, it lets me connect with family and friends, I can post anything I like on my wall, it helps me remember birthdays and it keeps me posted on parties. But also it connects me to my favourite brands and groups providing me with the news I require.


For my business it has benefits too; research shows that a facebook fan spends + $ 71 more on a brand than a not fan, it is a great tool for branding, it enables me to engage with my customers, helps to manage my reputation and of course: it helps me to listen and learn from my customers. Ultimately: creating a better customer experience and increasing sales and commitment.


There are several solutions for creating your own Social Network. Such as NingSocialGo and Rsitez. They help you service your community the way that you want; you can make personalised profiles, you can easily send messages, and create subgroups and blend together those people with similar interests. It will enable you to promote your events, to have a real time conversation with your target audience with text and video chat, you can blog, share photos and videos and of course you can white-label so it has your own look and feel.  Almost all the suppliers of do-it-yourself Social Network offer a full Social Media Integration with Facebook and Twitter.


Lets sum up the benefits



  • Promote and build a following

  • Third party integration to create a hub, and empower the community to build a fan base.

  • Inspire connections between activities

  • Create a social space for passionate or new fans to talk, share and build excitement.

  • Distribute content online to build exclusivity

  • Branded Media Players push content out however they do not sacrifice control or look and feel.

  • Build long-term relationships with fans

  • Collect email addresses and create profiles to learn and connect with fans

  • Turn customers into a marketing team

  • Empower customers to spread the word and benefit from authentic promotion.

  • Build a owned database

  • Collect member emails and demographic information to fine-tune target and reach.

  • Recognize the best customer

  • Online collaboration helps cultivate and enhance other relationship building activities with the most important customers.


Being connected to the established Social Networks will full-fill the basic needs and creates a great opportunity to have a connection with the market place.


But if you want to offer something extra to your target audience and if you have a large fanbase; setting up your own social network might be a good customer-loyalty tool. Just ask your social media agency for advice.


"

OpenText Obtains DoD 5015.02-STD Certification for ECM Suite and Microsoft SharePoint 2010

Continues Leadership in Delivering Solutions that Help Customers Meet Information Governance and Compliance Requirements

OpenText (NASDAQ: OTEX, TSX: OTC) announced that components of the OpenText ECM Suite 2010 together with Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 have met U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) 5015.02-STD certification requirements for records management, encompassing unstructured content including physical, electronic and email records.

Many government agencies and private enterprises around the world look to DoD certification as a benchmark requirement for records management software deployments. Microsoft SharePoint 2010 satisfies these requirements when used in conjunction with certified partner solutions such as OpenText Application Governance and Archiving for SharePoint 2010, a component of OpenText ECM Suite 2010. OpenText is the first major ECM provider to obtain DoD 5015.02-STD certification for SharePoint 2010.

This certification builds on OpenText’s leadership in helping customers use SharePoint 2010 for mission-critical applications. It also continues the company’s success in delivering DoD-certified records management solutions: OpenText has certified against all versions of the DoD standard since its inception more than a decade ago and has successfully completed the testing process over 20 times on various platforms and versions.

“For those customers who require a DoD-certified records management solution within SharePoint 2010, OpenText is clearly a strong choice,” said Jared Spataro, Director of Product Management at Microsoft. “Moreover, OpenText’s latest offering extends and complements the rich ECM capabilities offered by SharePoint 2010 to specific industry or regulatory solutions.”

Managed by the Joint Interoperability Test Command (JITC), DoD 5015.02-STD certification involves a rigorous testing process. In this case, OpenText had OpenText Records Management and its Application Governance and Archiving for SharePoint offerings tested in an environment that included SharePoint 2010 and a full set of Microsoft operating systems, office applications and database servers. Through the test, OpenText met requirements for applying records management policies and securely managing the entire lifecycle of the information.

To view the full press release, click here.

For any questions, please contact us at jplemmon@opentext.com or 202-244-2764.

The Challenges (And Rewards) of Records Management in an International Setting | ERM Blogs

I found this article to be helpful and encouraging reading. There needs to be more said about managing records in a global context.

The Challenges (And Rewards) of Records Management in an International Setting | ERM Blogs

Monday, January 17, 2011

New York State Archives - Preliminary Guidance on Social Media

Guidance is available if we would put it to use.

New York State Archives - Preliminary Guidance on Social Media

ICAIL 2011 DESI IV Workshop

ICAIL 2011 Workshop on
Setting Standards for
Searching Electronically Stored Information
in Discovery Proceedings
(DESI IV Workshop)

June 6, 2011

ICAIL 2011 DESI IV Workshop

FAQs About Changes to Previously Approved Schedule Items

Important NARA update. A little late posting, however I want to begin posting these kinds of updates as a resource for those interested in e-records events particularly as they affect Fed Electronic Records Management.

FAQs About Changes to Previously Approved Schedule Items

Sunday, January 16, 2011

DEFCON 17: The security risks of Web 2.0

I like this presentation. Speaker talks fast but he provides a lot of good information.



Saturday, January 15, 2011

Business English Technology Vocabulary for IT - Web 2.0

I wish everyone would view this video. It is very very basic and informative!



The National Archives Ability To Safeguard The Nations Electronic Records



Introduction to Successful Records Management Implementation in Alfresco 3 | Packt Publishing Technical & IT Book Store

This is a well written and informative introduction to records management!

Introduction to Successful Records Management Implementation in Alfresco 3 | Packt Publishing Technical & IT Book Store

The National Archives Ability To Safeguard The Nations Electronic Records



Friday, January 14, 2011

Government 2.0: Federal Agency use of Web 2.0 Technology Part 4



The McGowan Forum - Web 2.0 Technologies and Participatory Democracy



Government 2.0: Federal Agency use of Web 2.0 Technology Part 3



Government 2.0: Federal Agency use of Web 2.0 Technology Part 2



Government 2.0: Federal Agency use of Web 2.0 Technology Part 1



Ranking McHenry Calls for Subpoena of White House Witness, Chairman Clay...



National Archives and Records Administration Organizational Issues

Saturday, January 8, 2011

How to Optimize Your Records Management Program



Document Management Solutions

Records Management Solutions - RMA iQ - Feith Systems

Interesting records management solution provider

Records Management Solutions - RMA iQ - Feith Systems

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

How Federal Agencies Can Effectively Manage Records Created Using New Social Media Tools | IBM Center for the Business of Government

These are excellent resources produced by IBM.

How Federal Agencies Can Effectively Manage Records Created Using New Social Media Tools | IBM Center for the Business of Government