With NARA placing more emphasis than ever on electronic records management – and already beginning to eye the next set of target goals – many agencies are looking to make sure their existing or proposed Electronic Records Management (ERM) platforms can meet the needs and challenges that lie ahead.
Unfortunately, far too many organizations default to evaluating ERM platforms according to what’s easiest (cheapest, fastest, least work) rather than what’s best for their needs and for the future. It’s worth taking some time to consider what makes a genuinely great ERM solution that can start benefiting your organization right away and continue meeting needs into the future. Here are some of the key criteria you should consider in any records management system you consider.
The ERM should meet ALL your records management needs.
- Comprehensive. The ERM needs to be able to work with all your records, including both analog and electronic type records, and records stored both on-site and off-site. Otherwise, you’ll require more than one solution to handle different record types, which will lead to duplicative expenses and labor.
- Searchable. All records should be easily discoverable. Search should offer both simple and advanced operations, e.g., find any file, anywhere within a stored record that contains the word or phrase, entered from a combination of the search fields.
- Information-oriented. Far too many ERMs are just glorified file managers. Today’s ERMs need to support information governance, not just file management. That means it needs to offer features and workflows that facilitate the effective use of the records and information they contain.
- Vetted. For government agencies in particular, any technology solutions and vendors should meet pre-set requirements like those established by GSA Schedule 36, which helps to minimize the need for agencies to do their own due diligence on contractors.
The ERM should be convenient and easy to use.
- Cloud-based. We now live in a world of remote and hybrid working where people need secure access to records from all over the place and from many types of devices. Users should be able to perform searches, add records, submit and fill requests, create custom reports, and more from any location. Only cloud functionality can offer this critical flexibility. Without it, the ERM will just trap and silo information, making records less accessible and less useful.
- Interoperable. The ERM should also be able to integrate or communicate with other relevant systems; otherwise, it will just create more work for records managers and users. For government agencies, the system should be able to interface with the National Archives and Records Administration’s Archives and Records Centers Information System (ARCIS) with circulation (check-in/out) and inventory functions. By integrating with multiple systems, information can be aggregated, managed, and communicated seamlessly across an entire organization.
- Automated. Automation, AI, and machine learning are crucial to making effective use of information, especially as the sheer quantity of records proliferates. Smart systems can handle repetitive, time-consuming jobs automatically, minimizing human labor on low-value tasks and freeing people to focus on high-value work. For instance, the system should be able to apply retention and disposition rules immediately upon the classification of a record, in compliance with NARA for updated retention policies for critical records.
The ERM should be secure and compliant.
- Secure. The system and any associated data must be stored in an environment that meets all appropriate security and privacy protocols (e.g., on Amazon GovCloud, which is a FedRAMP certified entity). Further, the system needs to offer role-based authentication and a strong identity/access management system to ensure only authorized agency users can access records, and only the records appropriate to their roles.
- Auditable. The ERM should be equipped with tools that can be used to satisfy auditing and reporting requirements, like making automatic audit trails and audit reports available on users and document access, usage, and changes.
The ERM should be positioned for tomorrow, not just designed for today.
- Adaptable. The ERM should conform to you, not the other way around. In other words, you should be able to configure the ERM to work with your existing workflows and technology. For example, many government websites use pre-existing and proprietary web portals. The system should be able to integrate and work flawlessly (and invisibly) with any web portal. Similarly, your records management rules should be able to be programmatically incorporated so all records will be subject to the same processes moving forward.
- Forward-looking. Today’s ERMs need to already be thinking about tomorrow. This can admittedly be difficult to assess when looking at vendors, but the platform should be under current and active development, the developer should have a roadmap for future updates, and the platform should be flexible enough to meet changing needs.
- One last point: any ERM needs to help everyone. Too many tech systems are great for users, for example, but a nightmare for IT to deploy and maintain. Or the reverse can be true: it can be easy to maintain but confusing and too technical for regular end-users. The right ERM should benefit all parties.
Bottom-line: the ERM should make records management easier and faster.
Ultimately, the goal of an electronic records system is to make the management and request process easier. All these elements of a strong ERM serve the same goal: a records management platform that not only facilitates the creation and storage of organizational records but also helps users to make more effective use of those records to produce better business outcomes.
About PSL
PSL is a global outsource provider whose mission is to provide solutions that facilitate the movement of business-critical information between and among government agencies, business enterprises, and their partners. For more information, please visit or email info@penielsolutions.com.