Electronic Records Management
Instructions: The Beneficial Invention: We live in an age of great technological change. Imagine that you could choose what the next great invention would be. What invention would be the most beneficial for society, and why? Write a well-organized persuasive essay in which you explain your choice.
Solution.
Electronic Records Management
Records are documents, irrespective of the medium or form received or created, maintained and used by an individual or organization in transacting business or pursuing legal obligations (Barata, 2008). Physical objects such as photographs, paper-based documents and maps form traditional records, which the users do not require technology to use the information. Unlike the traditional forms of records, electronic records can be processed, manipulated or transmitted by a computer. They are thus referred to as records that can be generated, stored, communicated or received by means of an electronic devise. In order to access an electronic record, one requires some form of computer technology (McLeod & Hare, 2005). There are some attributes in regard to digital records and issues surrounding the management of people’s digital records.
Content, context and structure are the three important attributes of records. Content is the information that a given record conveys, whereas structure is both the arrangement and the appearance of the information, such as layouts, pages, fonts, charts and tables. The physical or logical relationship to other records in the system also defines the structure of a given record. Regarding context, the background information helps the user explain the meaning of a given document (Barata, 2008). The title, author and date of creation form one piece of information that identifies a given document, whereas the purpose of creation is identified by functions of the organization. Electronic records are written on optical or magnetic mediums such as DVDs, CD-ROMs, magnetic tapes, USBs and hard disks. Binary code is the main form of recording and access to the information is only possible by use of computer software and hardware. Information stored in an electronic device can be updated, manipulated, altered or deleted (McLeod & Hare, 2005).
There exist both benefits and challenges in the emerging technologies when it comes to creation and management of electronic records. Therefore, it is important to understand surrounding issues to protect the quality of information in a given digital environment. The benefits include widespread access, flexibility, efficiency and effectiveness, economic benefits, opportunities in businesses and capability to audit the regulatory compliance (McLeod & Hare, 2005).Electronic records allow a wider sharing and easy access to information by many people from different places. Information sharing, service improvement and enhanced operations are possible irrespective of limitations in boundaries of time or space.
In terms of flexibility, electronic records allow easy dynamic sharing of information since they are stored on remote or on compact disks. It is easy to retrieve information through electronic search facilities, thus improved handling of records. This increases the effectiveness of an organization as it offers policymakers an opportunity to make efficient and quick decisions.
Computer systems have the ability to store large volumes of records and data, thus making it easy for an organization to economize storage space. Computers reduce the loss of information, speed up completion of projects, improve communication, and increase the awareness of the public about the organization (Cox, 2013). High exposure to outside communities both locally and internationally opens up business opportunities.
Electronic record management poses a number of challenges to organizations irrespective of their numerous benefits. Some of these include obsolescence and dependence in technology, high rate of loss in records and data, decentralization of information, high costs, and need for more specialists in information technology (McLeod & Hare, 2005).
The emergence of new technologies on everyday basis renders the existing systems out of date, thus the need for organizations to move with the technological trends. To overcome the obsolescence in technology, organizations have to invest highly in human, financial and technological resources, thus posing the challenge of increased costs.
In conclusion, the challenges and opportunities that come with electronic records cannot change, but the record professionals need to utilize the opportunities and minimize the risks (Cox, 2013). This can be achieved through implementation of effective record management programs and creation of clear and reasonable policies for creation and management of records.
References
Barata, K. (2008). The Impact of Information Technology Standards on Recordkeeping Systems Development: Implications for Records Professionals. Computer Standards & Interfaces, 51-64.
Cox, J. (2013). The Record: Is It Evolving? Records & Retrieval Report, 10: 1-16.
McLeod, J., & Hare, C. (2005). Managing Electronic Records. New York: Facet publishers
