Records Management Node

From Working EDRM

Records Management

The Records Management Program The Objectives of a Comprehensive Records Management Program Record Definition Incorporation of Electronic Records into a RM Program The Complexity of Metadata Managing Information Copies/Duplicates Records Storage and Maintenance Storage/Access/Security/Disposition of Records - Legal Requirements Records Disposition Program Assessment/Audit Training Suspension of Records Destruction During Litigation Holds When the Duty to Preserve Relevant Materials Arises What Happens to Records Once Hold Terminated Emerging Technologies Records Management - RM Technology Solutions E-Mail Content Filtering and Monitoring Software E-Mail Archiving Encryption and Security EDMS/ECMS/RMS Web-Based Compliance Training Records Home Page Other Solutions Additional Materials Participants

Document retention policies are fundamental business tools that appropriately address the creation, retention and disposition of corporate actions. The United States Supreme Court recently noted: "Document retention policies, which are created in part to keep certain information from getting into the hands of others, including the Government, are common in business . . . It is, of course, not wrongful for a manager to instruct his employees to comply with a valid document retention policy under ordinary circumstances." Arthur Andersen v. U.S., 125 S.Ct. 2129, 2135 (U.S. May 31, 2005). The failure to properly maintain and monitor a corporate records retention policy can create substantial risk for both the corporation and its employees, particularly in light of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and expanded interest in corporate conduct.

In today's corporate world, more than 90% of communications and business activities take place in an electronic environment. Current trends in pre-trial discovery also have focused on electronic communications, substantially increasing costs and risks. However, many corporate records retention programs do not adequately address the creation, management and disposition of electronic records. Therefore, it is increasingly important for companies to evaluate and consider how their records management programs impact electronic records.