Modern Records Management
Peggy Winton

By: Peggy Winton on August 15th, 2017

Print/Save as PDF

Modern Records Management

Electronic Records Management (ERM)

In a digitally transforming business environment, neither Records Management nor Information Governance is at the top of your executives' list of priorities. Instead, business leaders are making time -- and making way -- for tools and techniques that execute processes nimbly and on-demand for improved customer experience and competitive edge.

The file cabinet metaphor doesn’t work in the digital world, and the traditional approaches to identifying, appraising, and scheduling records and information, including electronic records, don’t work on big data. Extracting insight from this exploding volume of information requires individuals who can prepare it for machine learning and deep learning.

By converting everything to digital form, organizations can apply auto-classification technologies to dispose of information without business value, allowing people to focus on mission, not on managing their information and records for retention. And, managing data at this massive scale increases the need for metadata management. It’s the key to moving from a “store everything” mindset to a “put it to work” mindset.

Where does all this leave the records management professional? Where are the proof points for records management as a business enabler?

You may not think so, but Records Managers can play a vital role in this business transformation -- if they change their approach and mindsets to connect to the bigger world of data and content. While the value is in content in motion, the granularity of the content and the elements of control are still important to the process. Records professionals certainly lend perspective to that!

I’ve spoken with a few forward-thinking records pros who contend that the industry would have been better served by striving to modernize records management than by trying to convince people they need information governance.

 

Free Guide: How to Achieve Records Management Best Practices

About Peggy Winton

With years of program, product, and business development experience, Peggy Winton is responsible for the strategic, technical, and business direction of AIIM. Peggy believes that every organization is on – or should be on – a digital transformation journey. And, at the heart of this journey is the drive toward understanding, anticipating, and redefining internal and external customer experiences. Winton joined AIIM in January, 2002 directly from Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC), where she served as Business Developer and strategist for the Consulting Group. Prior to CSC, Winton was Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for TTM, Inc., an international firm specializing in digital and cooperative marketing programs for tourism development. She earned a Bachelor's degree fromRandolph-Macon Woman's College (now Randolph College) and a Master's degree from the University of Maryland. Winton enjoys a reputation as a persuasive and engaging communicator, cross-functional team leader, and public speaker/author.