Reason for A Concrete Records Management System

Lack of efficient records management is likened to having a disorganized but brilliant brain in a dead body; it is no good at all.  Record management is a key management function that can make or break an organisation. It improves efficiency, increases traceability and ensures regulatory compliance. It is paramount to ensuring that staff has easy access to information in the most cost effective way.

So, why have a concrete records management system?

A good records management system allows you to control the creation of new records for storage. It eliminates duplicate files and merges those in the same context for easy accessibility. It also sifts through the documents and only retains the important records and therefore reduces the need for huge storage space.

Imagine a situation where it takes 30 min on average to trace and retrieve information from the records department, this translates into the loss of 30 min of billable time and a frustrated yet valuable customer. A properly designed records management system saves on the cost of operating and therefore increase your bottom line.

As an organisation, it is important to invest in a records management system that is able to assimilate the new information with the old. It should be programmed to find records through a simple key word search or date search. Assimilation of information in an organisation provides for faster retrieval and a stronger system.

In many countries, governments are introducing and enforcing strict measures on compliance. It is necessary for companies to have a good system to ensure compliance and save the company a good amount of money in fines. Having a high tech records management system in place will save you the need to keep buying systems to catch up with technology and remain at the top in efficiency.

Ensure there is a strong records management policy that is founded on the prevailing legal framework to avoid litigation. Your policy should clearly outline at what point records can be disposed and in what form. Shredding is the most common but incinerating is the best because no pieces can fall into the ‘wrong hands’. This will prevent or at the very least minimize the risk of litigation.

You can never find anything in a disorganised room. In the same way, you cannot know if anything is missing if you didn’t know it existed in the first place. A good records management system not only organises your records, it allows you to trace every user of that information as well as restrict private documents to the top management only. It also protects sensitive information form damage, theft or access by your organisations competition.

When relevant data is made available to decision makers in a timely and efficient manner, they can make critical decisions faster and remain ahead of the game. This could change the way your organisation takes advantage of opportunities that are critical to both its short and long term objectives.

Proper records management keeps employees motivated. Employees work best in a good and enabling working environment, one that has an organised filing system that is efficient and has less frequent loss of documents. This makes them more driven to accomplish tasks because it takes less time and improves the quality of work output.

All in all, it makes no sense to have information that is not organised and that no one can access. It only makes sense to invest in a good records management software/program that increases efficiency and motivates your work force to increase your bottom line.

(Article by Josephine Wanja)