"Managing All Information Assets"
By Tony McKinley

When we view information as a corporate asset, documents are the vessels that contain these assets. Document management systems and records management procedures often treat all documents within their purview in the same general way. Like all corporate assets, documents have varying value and legal significance. But documents of vastly varied values are often managed in the same system, and all documents are given the same maintenance investment. This "One Size Fits All" approach leads to several inefficiencies and unnecessary expenses.

Some observations on the practical aspects of document and records management:

• 85% of documents filed are never retrieved;
• 50% or more documents are duplicated in file systems;
• 60% of files moved to document retention facilities should be destroyed instead;
• 20% of administrative time may he spent filing and retrieving important documents.

The first factoid was poignantly illustrated recently when the Philadelphia Public Library the first in the States, founded by Ben Franklin, came under fire for throwing "weed" books out in the dumpsters. They were getting rid of outdated, never retrieved books that were taking up space that more timely and relevant books could inhabit. There was a public furor that the Free Library of Philadelphia was trashing books

This illustrates a pervasive notion that it's somehow important to store and maintain ALL documents, as if all documents have equal value and ongoing relevance. This notion of an inviolate Library of ongoing, eternal collections of information is obviously apparent in other styles of information organization. Every technique from basic file cabinets to sophisticated document management systems have this leaning to treat all documents as treasured stores.

But just like the Free Library, outdated and useless documents have to be jettisoned to provide for the best overall performance of the library, If 85% of stored documents are never retrieved, there are tremendous space savings to be gained. More importantly, information that we do need to retrieve will be more accessible with the detritus removed.

The second factoid, that 50% or more documents are needlessly duplicated in file systems sounds like common sense to anyone who has instinctively made a copy of an important document and filed it away. Now, in the new age of electronic documents, this same urge to capture and preserve information is reflected in the common tendency to print out Web pages for familiar access. And every corporate or organizational worker is instantly familiar with impenetrably thick Pendaflex file folders stuffed into cabinets. The third point is that 60% of documents stored in rarely indexed or accessed archival storage, should actually be disposed of. This point has more to do with legal and fiscal policy than it does with the office automation issues discussed in the first two instances. There are many liabilities and dangers in outdated documents, but one example will suffice. If an employee or functionary of an organization depended upon a certain document, whether it be a specification, an agreement, a financial statement or any other vital information, it is a critical requirement that only the accurate information be accessible. If a critical version of a contract came under attack in a lawsuit, this common practice of keeping many copies and/or versions, would soon be recognized as the liability it is. Finally, the amount of time spent searching for information is really the key to this whole discussion. If 20% of staff and executive time is spent searching for corporate information assets, the situation is ripe for dramatic improvement in key business processes. If my Legal, Human Relations, Marketing, Support and other Staff can more efficiently take advantage of our in-house corporate information assets, direct time and cost savings will immediately accrue.

Infologics' (Pasadena, CA) Electronic Records System is one of the companies that addresses this set of problems with a pragmatic solution to information asset management, whether those assets reside on paper, magnetic, optical or other media, and whether they be stored locally or remotely in dispersed offices or warehouses. By providing a means to track and retrieve all vital business documents, these systems give every legitimate user of information the most efficient possible access.

This approach takes the above observations on the usage of documents into account by assigning all assets specific values in a core organizational structure. In other words, all documents are not created equal, but rather each is controlled by business requirements for retention and destruction based on the information contained in the documents.

Unlike the Document Management Alliance standard technique of assigning security at the document level, ERS assigns security by the natural restriction level, which correlates to each user's business function. Users are assigned privileges commensurate and appropriate to their levels of responsibility within the organization. Rather than each document being assigned particular security features, ERS takes a systematic approach to tying security features to user and organizational requirements. The challenges involved in this approach include the necessity to create and maintain a single classification system that can manage all forms of information, including paper; digital, microform and other media. Infologics has developed and patented a Uniform Subject Classification System to address this requirement. By applying the USC to all documents, a unified system is possible for all information assets rather then allowing each departmental filing system to use its own rules and conventions to the detriment of the overall system. Departmental hegemony of asset control creates a challenge to manage and retrieve all forms of information throughout the enterprise.

By creating an official set of terms for the enterprise, all of the assets can be reliably managed and precisely retrieved. Rather than simply instituting yet another set of rigidly defined classifications, the USC has the ability to "learn" new synonyms for the same subjects in the core hierarchical system by giving users the ability to say "This term is equivalent to this established classification. "This capability adapts to the natural need to handle the various jargon, acronyms, abbreviations and even foreign language references to the same items which are used in various offices, departments and divisions of large organizations.

Business and industry have embraced this new source of competitive advantage in their in-house information assets. There is growing need to efficiently manage this new asset, and many separate disciplines have developed in records management, document management, document imaging and workflow to transport and process information in all its multifarious formats. The technology trend now is the blending of all of these traditionally separate functions under single systems that can keep track of these precious assets in all of their manifestations and locations.

Most critical and valuabIe business documents pass through several containers and management systems in their lifetimes. Many of today's practices of document management and distribution are fraught with possible failure points, where critical documents routinely pass through multiple control environments, physical storage and varying filing criteria. A typical contract might be written and edited in the Legal Department, entered into a Document Management system, and then printed out on paper for the actual signed and stored contracts. At the point where the controlled electronic version of the agreement is printed out, signed, perhaps notarized, and otherwise defined as the actual, legal document it has departed the realm of the Document Management system and entered the physical realm of legal, conventional documents and filing systems.

The reasons for integration of these functions are very compelling. From a legal and financial standpoint, many documents such as contracts, deeds and tax filings are absolutely critical for the fiscal and business well-being of the organization. From a pure cost view, many corporations spend very substantial revenues in managing and retrieving information. And from the big picture view of using information as a competitive weapon, it is vital to provide the widest, quickest possible access to all available corporate data while maintaining complete security and control over critical documents.

Tony McKinley is a principal of Intelligent Imaging, and the author of "From Paper to Web" by Adobe Press, 2/97.
Email: tonymck@imagebiz.com Voice: 610.647.5570.