A research project by Anne Hvidsten (MLIS '16)

1. Corporate Information Management Core Concepts & Best Practices
Anne Karete Hvidsten, MLIS
What is information management (IM)?
Although various definitions of IM exist, IM is essentially about capturing, organizing,
disseminating, preserving/archiving, and discarding the information in an organization.
An effective IM strategy
- Ensures that the right information is provided at the right time and to the right person
- Enhances organizational performance and productivity
- Drives innovation
- Supports decision making
- Ensures adherence to legal requirements and protects the information assets
IM skills and competencies
Corporate information
Corporate information can, at the broadest, be divided
into structured and unstructured information, of which
unstructured information is most prevalent and diverse.
Although “paperless” has become an ideal for many
organizations, paper-based information is still prevalent
and forms an important part of corporate information.
Information systems
Structured and unstructured information is
traditionally processed and managed in two different
systems (ECM and ERP). However, most business
processes involve both types of information. Large
corporations would therefore benefit from
integrated information systems where ECM and ERP
are connected.
Records management
• Follow ARMA’s Generally Accepted
Recordkeeping Principles
• Conduct a records inventory
• Conduct a records appraisal to determine
the records’ value (historical,
administrative, legal, or fiscal)
• Develop a records classification scheme
• Create a legally defensible enterprise-
wide records retention schedule
• Determine a defensible disposition
method for each record series
Information risk
management
• Identify the organization’s high-risk and
high-value information
• Identify information risks and threats,
and develop risk mitigation strategies
• Train staff to handle high-risk and high-
value information securely
• Implement various software that
protects the information regardless of its
location and access device
Data governance
• Good data governance ensures
enterprise-wide availability of reliable
data, forming the basis for quality
analysis and informed decision making.
• Assess the current state of the
organization’s data. Are there data silos?
• Ensure consistency by developing
standards for the collection, input,
storage, and use of data.
• Make the individual business units
responsible for the data they generate
and use, not the IT department
Legal compliance
• Legal requirements are one of the key
drivers in corporate IM.
• Conduct legal research to find out
which laws and regulations apply to the
organization. Legal assistance might be
needed
• Make sure the organization is prepared
for e-discovery by having an up-to-date
and legally defensible retention and
disposition schedule and a policy for
email management
4. Discard
Information is disposed of
in a secure manner when
it no longer holds any
value to the organization
3. Preserve &
archive
The information remains
current and secure;
inactive information is
archived
1. Capture
Information is collected,
created, or captured by
different sources and in
different formats
2. Organize &
disseminate
Information is organized
and disseminated in
accordance with the
organization’s structure
and security measures
References
ARMA International. (2007). Records and Information Management: Core competencies [PDF]. Downloaded from
http://www.arma.org/r1/professional-development/education/competencies
Gidley, S. & Rausch, N. (2013). Best practices in enterprise data governance [PDF]. Retrieved from
http://support.sas.com/resources/papers/proceedings13/084-2013.pdf
Iron Mountain. (2014) Records and information management: Best practices. Retrieved from http://www.ironmountain.com
Smallwood, R. (2014). Information governance: Concepts, strategies and best practices (Wiley CIO series). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Structured information Unstructured information
Sourced from databases Text files (e.g. Word documents, PDF files)
Spreadsheets (e.g. Excel) Audio files
Flat files (CSV) Video files
Presentations (e.g. PowerPoint slides)
Emails
Images and graphics
Text messages (SMS) and Instant Messaging
(online chats)
Web content (e.g. blogs, wikis, online
articles)
XML files
Social media (e.g. Twitter messages or
Facebook comments)
Competency Domain Examples
1. Business Functions Staff supervision, strategic planning, and
budgeting
2. Records and Information (RIM) Practices Develop RIM practices and conduct information
life cycle management
3. Risk Management Assess risk, manage disaster recovery, and
implement preventive measures
4. Communications and Marketing Communicate ideas and thoughts successfully,
and establish good business relationships
5. Information Technology (IT) Implement, maintain, and use IT hardware and
software
6. Leadership Motivate and engage staff, and ensure that RIM
goals are met