Electronic Records Management (ERM) | eDiscovery
My role as the Director of Litigation Support and Records Management at the A&E Television Network is to get the word on records management out into the actual company so that everyone can start using those actual principles. At A&E, we have a tremendous amount of data that we are trying to go through. We are trying to reduce the scope of actual discovery and not expose ourselves to litigation risk.
Part of the challenge is trying to control the volume of data that we have, that we can reduce the scope, and reduce our discovery costs in the process. We are new to the records management game, and we are trying to get everyone on board so that they understand that records management is the responsibility of every single individual in the company. It's a daily function that should be practiced every single day. We are really trying to teach individuals how to use records management principles to conduct everyday business.
As a media company, we are at the forefront of all of this new technology in regards to digital media, social media, and things of that nature. Everything is moving so fast. Technology is constantly changing. The amount of data that is out there is constantly growing. We are struggling to try to keep up with all this stuff.
The E3 Method for Collaboration
We worked with Gretchen Nadasky from Optimity Advisors on adopting the "E3 Method of Collaboration." Together, we were charged with developing a brand-new records management program at the company. It was something that was new to both executives and employees.
Since it was going to be an enterprise-wide program, we had to get collaboration from all twenty-eight departments, as well as buy-in from all of the executives, all the way up to the CEO and the Board. We developed this way of building out a network explaining what records management is; through specific methods by developing messages so people would understand why records management was important to them. Through that experience, the E3 Method was born -- Engagement, Expectation, Enthusiasm.
Really anyone who has an idea can benefit from the E3 Method. You can use the E3 Method, whether you are trying to plan a vacation with your family, trying to do an enterprise-wide project that needs the support of employees and executives, or trying to start a new process within a division of your company. It really can be used for anything as a way of getting things done.
The key point is that people have ideas, but they don't know how to initiate them and get support for those ideas. Especially in the world of collaboration and networking, where everyone is expected to work together, the E3 methods can be used to make a road map.
Conclusion
Companies like A&E are struggling with the incredible explosion in content that is being developed. It's great that we have all these new technologies, and that a lot of things are being transformed in a digital way. However, I don't think we are at the point yet, where people have their arms around how to manage all of that content, preserve it, and curate it, and audit it, and make sure they are not paying to store things that aren't useful, or helpful.
