Getting the records straight developments in recordsmanagement

The growth in the volume of records and developments in technology and business practice are changing the role of records managers. Technology has given users greater power in records creation with a consequent risk of falling standards and possible disastrous failures of systems. The inevitable obsolescence of technologies, their complexity and potential vulnerability require significant effort in the management of the records they create. The necessary analysis of existing processes before implementing systems based on new technologies can in itself show how improvements can be achieved even without changing the technology. Such analysis is essential in the growing area of business process reengineering. Changes in business practice include emphasis on quality and service provision. Outsourcing, with its associated requirements for performance measurement, costing and charging out, now embraces records services. These developments affect the records managers role in establishing and implementing standards and procedures and require him to be at the forefront of introducing and using new technologies and business practices.