A Review of EDRMS Resources in the UK and Europe

Citation

Bell, H. (2005), "A Review of EDRMS Resources in the UK and Europe", Records Management Journal, Vol. 15 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/rmj.2005.28115cae.002

A Review of EDRMS Resources in the UK and Europe

Online resources

A Review of EDRMS Resources in the UK and Europe

Keywords: Records management, United Kingdom, Europe

In order to keep abreast of what is happening in the arena of EDRM, online resources are the most appropriate facility for up-to-date information. The temptation when seeking EDRM relevant news is to avoid the vendor sites and concentrate on professional websites that deal with the records management perspective on electronic records and the systems required to manage them. Sites for professionals have much to recommend them, if one considers, for example, the guidance provided on The National Archives’ website and that of its counterparts across the world, or the camaraderie in the sharing of a mutual challenge that comes across with the Records Management Society’s online publications and interest groups. However, it is beneficial to maintain a check on the vendor websites every now and then to maintain an awareness of the industry. It is also needful for those who have not yet procured an EDRM system to learn about the different products offered by these companies and to get to know which companies are the strongest players in the field and most likely to offer long-term support after sale. Vendor websites and others, such as AIIM International’s, tend to focus on the technological advancements of the products, without fully engaging in the more theoretical discourse specifically on electronic records. For such theory-based input, sites such as that of ARMA International or the DLM Forum are more appropriate and it would be worth monitoring the latter for papers that follow the October 2005 DLM Forum Conference in Budapest.

Various UK government websites are useful resources, advising on the latest developments and initiatives in e-government which are relevant to those implementing EDRM in central or local government and public bodies. With the archiving of the Office of the E-Envoy’s website (now redirecting users to the Cabinet Office e-government web pages), other avenues must be relied upon for pertinent information. For example, www.localegov.gov.uk, www.idea-knowledge.gov.uk, www.publicsectorforums.co.uk, www.publictechnology.net and www.kablenet.com can be sources of news about EDRM and the government’s Electronic Service Delivery targets enabled by it. The www.s-cat.gov.uk site gives details of different consultancies that have advised and supported government departments implementing EDRM, EDM and other information solutions. Most, if not all, of these websites offer e-mail updates, which can be helpful in providing a weekly roundup of news, but often contain material not directly relevant to EDRM itself.

One of the most comprehensive sources available on the topic of EDRMS is Cimtech’s Managing Information and Documents: The Definitive Guide (Cimtech, 2005a), available online and in hard copy. The guide has two core audiences – the Records Manager tasked with procuring and implementing an EDRMS without the aid of a project team, and the Project Manager tasked with introducing the same system without the input of a Records Manager. Chapters 2, 3 and 5 feed into the overall project plan laid out in Chapter 4, “Designing and implementing a records management system”. This chapter draws reference from the JISC EDRM implementation toolkit (JISCInfonet, 2005), developed by Cimtech. The knowledge that the project methodology espoused in this guide has had real world testing, provides reassurance as to its effectiveness, and gives the reader the option of contacting JISC, or those organisations that may have utilised its toolkit, for a real life assessment of its functionality.

Chapter 2 provides useful definitions of the different types of systems currently available on the market. Various systems designed for the management electronic information are detailed, from document image processing (DIP), electronic document management (EDM) and content management (CM) to web content management (WCM), electronic records management (ERM) and knowledge management (KM), providing clarity for those confused by the ever-changing terminology and remit of such products. Chapter 3 then covers the information and records management aspects required to understand and implement full records management functionality from the chosen system. While providing knowledge that would help progress a project team that does not have a Records Manager, this chapter does emphasise the need for records management input into such an undertaking. In the PRINCE2 modelled project plan that is elaborated on in Chapter 4, the authors put forward the ideal that records management tasks, such as the corporate records audit, should be completed prior to the procurement of a system, in theory influencing the choices made at the procurement stage. These sentiments might be hoped to persuade a Project Manager to hire a Records Manager, and in the three categories or scenarios laid out, the Records Management presence is deemed essential. “What such organisations should not do is plan to procure an ECM or EDRM system without having undergone any form of RM programme and with no professional RM input to the project” (Cimtech, 2005b). The importance of records management is further emphasised by the inclusion of recognised records management methodology in the project, through the use of the DIRKS methodology in the information gathering and analysis stage.

Chapter 4 goes on to discuss the need for change management and the need to inform and sell the EDRM to potential users. The guide refers to changes to “working practices” that would be brought about by the introduction of a new EDRM system, but does not fully acknowledge the level of change to organisational culture that would also be an outcome. For example, it seems likely that although UK freedom of information legislation has been in force since January 2005, some areas or departments in an organisation may not yet have received any requests, and it will be through the implementation of an EDRMS promoting openness, transparency and accountability that the Freedom of Information Act will really be felt on the ground. All those involved in the implementation project must understand the efforts that may be required to persuade staff to allow “their” documents and records to be managed corporately.

The guide contains a helpful section on the more business-orientated aspects involved in procuring a system and a service from the vendor. An entire chapter is then devoted to the business case required to sell the preferred option or system to senior management, maximising the chances of securing an agreement to proceed with the most suitable system rather than the cheapest.

In all, this guide is valuable to anyone tasked with introducing EDRM to their organisation. Having said that, it cannot be adhered to in a vacuum and, as the guide itself asserts, requires further records management input to make any such project successful. For example, the assurance of user uptake requires the development of a classification scheme and file plan that fit the organisation’s functions and are intuitive to use, something only covered briefly in the guide. In its favour, the system listings and details provided at the end of the guide are the most complete I have found and make this a resource that should certainly be consulted at the outset and continuously throughout any implementation project of this nature.

An element of concern has been left in the wake of The National Archives’ announcement of their withdrawal from benchmarking suitable ERM systems. This has been compounded by worries brought about by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister’s comments on Priority G19, where local authorities “wouldn’t need to implement a full EDRM system to meet the Priority [G19] which covers adoption of ISO 15498 [sp.] methodology to fulfil the requirements of FoI and DP legislation” (Public Sector Forums, 2005), all of which leaves Records Managers with an air of uncertainty as to what they are required to do and how to go about it. Therefore, Records Managers should be aware of the merits of Cimtech’s advice, as it appears increasingly likely that the records management community, in the UK at least, will have to come to rely on guides such as this for support.

Helen BellStirling Council, Stirling, UK