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The MoReq guidelines can serve to bridge the gap between best practice for electronic records management and an electronic document and business strategy.
Many organizations large and small do not have in place the controls and infrastructure to effectively manage electronic records that are being received via email and accessed from the Web, as well as those generated internally. The result is that documents are printed and managed as records using existing paper-based systems with resulting inefficiencies and delays in access.
There is an unfortunate history of management not being sure of the business imperative for investing in records management [read Bob Williams's article, starting on page S2, for more on this subject], which is generally perceived as a downstream administration system for archiving. There is a chasm that has to be crossed to convince management of the key role of electronic records management systems (ERMS) in implementing their e-government/e-business plans, and its vital role in an organization's information management strategy.
Companies realize they have to exploit their existing repositories of information, such as a customer relationship management program. With 90% of business information residing in documents, records management, previously perceived as a tool for meeting statutory legal/audit demands, has now been more widely recognized as generic to an organization developing an information/knowledge management strategy in support of ebusiness programs.
Two Initiatives
Two significant initiatives in the last two years are providing both public and private organizations with a lifeline to support them in embracing a more cohesive and business-focused approach to records management as they move towards electronic delivery of their services and products. The two programs have been widely acclaimed to provide vital help in developing an information and records management strategy to support e-business programs. They are:
* The European Commission's Model Requirements for the Management of Electronic Records: MoReq which was published in May 2001
* The International Organization for Standardization standard: ISO 15489...