AIIM recently collaborated with Cohasset Associates and ARMA in the eighth biennial survey on the evolution of Information Governance (over 1,300 participants). Over a series of blog posts, I'll cover the major highlights -- and the implications for organizations as they continue to address the tension between Information Opportunity and Information Chaos.
Overall, the survey finds that Information Governance programs are more prevalent, better designed, and inclusive of digital information (usually referred to in legal circles as Electronically Stored Information, or ESI). However, many essential implementation elements are not being addressed.
Defensible records and information management practices are founded on clear and consistent policies, retention rules, and training that result in systematic, repeatable, and measurable implementation outcomes. Modern Information Governance (IG) programs have adjusted their approach to address the realities of managing large volumes of electronically stored information (ESI).
Some key data points:
The majority of organizations (87% overall; 95% of large organizations) have a records and information management program.
Policies, standards, and procedures are being improved to address electronically stored information (63% categorize themselves as "Mature" or "Improvement Underway."
Retention schedules are becoming media-neutral (86%), are trending to fewer categories that are up-to-date (83%), and apply to all operations (88%) in all locations (85%).
Within this gradual improvement, though, there are still areas that can be improved. Cohasset recommends that organizations follow these four steps:
- Compare the maturity of foundational IG program components to modern practices and create a plan to address program gaps.
- Define an overarching IG implementation strategy that aligns implementation outcomes to business priorities.
- Commit to ongoing communication, training, and change management for all executives and employees.
- Use meaningful metrics to monitor, report, and improve implementation results.
