Tying it all together: a CIO perspective; technology is making it imperative that information technology and records and information management come together for the full benefit of the organization.

• Author: Smith, Thomas E.
• Position: ManagementWise - Chief information officer

At the Core

This article:

* Explains how technology is changing the CIO's job

* Discusses how RIM and IT staff can work together

* Discusses the benefits of a company-wide retention plan

The rapid evolution and increasing affordability of information technology have changed how both public-and private-sector organizations manage their information assets. As the use of technologies for creating, transmitting, and storing documents electronically--such as optical character recognition, electronic data interchange, e-mail, the Internet, intranets, image storage/retrieval, online databases, and automated rule-based workflow--has become more widespread, the volume of information has increased and become more difficult to manage. This makes it more critical than ever that chief information officers (CIOs), who are responsible for all of their organization's information assets and associated technologies, to bring records and information management (RIM) and information technology (IT) professionals together to ensure the proper management of those assets.

Several recent high-profile cases of illegal records destruction have raised the awareness of executive managers about the need for effective and efficient information management and alerted them to their accountability in this area. Organizational leaders are asking, "Are we okay? What are our organization's policies and procedures?" This has created a tremendous opportunity for CIOs to prove the value that RIM and IT professionals bring to their organizations.

A Changing Focus

In the past, the CIO's primary focus was on information technology and on implementing cost-effective technologies. Perhaps because CIOs often came from technological backgrounds and had no traditional records management experience or interest, little attention was given to the content of electronic records or the record lifecycle. However, with a heightened awareness about the dangers of not having an established records retention program and ensuring compliance with it, CIOs without that records management expertise must delegate these tasks. This need for CIOs to have access to RIM staff has led many organizations to move this function under the supervision of the CIO. This gives RIM professionals the opportunity to play a vital role in helping their organizations develop a comprehensive information management strategy. If done well, these efforts will not only mitigate risks, they will also contribute directly and indirectly to their organizations' bottom line.

RIM and the Bottom Line

Just as CIOs are expected to show a quick return on investment on any deployed technology investment, records managers must show their value by addressing records issues that come with that technology. To do so, they must become educated about computer systems and technology, organization workflow, and procedures. As more and more manual processes are replaced by automated workflow, records management professionals must take an active role in redefining a "record" in all appropriate...