Unexpected Consequences of Information Technologies on Electronic Records Management

Transcription

1 UnexpectedConsequencesofInformationTechnologieson ElectronicRecordsManagement DonaldJohnson Copyright 2008 astudentofthe MasterofArchivalStudiesprogram SchoolofLibrary,ArchivalandInformationStudies UniversityofBritishColumbia Vancouver,Canada Abstract Computertechnologyhasmadepossible,orevennecessitatedtheelectronicrecordand electronicrecordsmanagement.ithasalsomadetheelectronicdocumentubiquitous, andinsodoing,madealmostanyoneanauthorofelectronicdocuments.however,the easeofuseandtransparencyofoperationofelectronicdocumentsoftwarechallenges theseauthorswhentheymanage,notelectronicdocuments,butratherelectronic recordsandthemoreopaqueperspectivetheydemand. 1

2 Introduction Theelectronicdocumentmanagementsystems(EDMS)categoryofsoftwareevolved inresponsetothepcrevolutionthatbroughtcomputerstothedesktopsofoffice workerseverywhere. 1 Informationtechnologieshelpautomateworkintheoffice,reducingroutineworkand freeingofficeworkerstodomoreinterestingandchallengingwork.mostdocument creatorswillhaveonlyeverproducedelectronicdocuments,andworkwithincreasingly intelligentsoftware.theofficeworkerdoesnotgenerallyneedtoknowhowthe technologyworks shehasagoodunderstandingofhowdothework,butnotnecessarily howthetechnologydoesitsshareofthework.thisparadigmofintelligent,coordinated officetechnologieshasdeveloped,intheofficeworker,astrong,explicitknowledgeofthe workofbusiness,andalsoastrong,buttacit,knowledge,orexpectationofthe technologicalmechanismsofthatwork. ThePCisanempoweringtechnology,providingtheofficeworkerautonomouscontrolof theireffortsandcreativity.ithasalsomadepossiblethecoordinationandmanagementof highlycomplexsystemsofinformationandfunctions.withtheintegrationoferminto officeedms,someofthetransparencyofthetechnologymustbe'revoked'astheoffice workertakesonresponsibilitiesofrecordsmanagement. Askingdesktopenduserstomakerecordsmanagementdecisions..makeseveryuserarecordsmanager. 2 Withthegreatvolumeofelectronicdocumentscreatedandused,theofficeworkermust knowhowtoclassifyadocument,inorderforittobecomearecord;howtomanagethe retentionofthatrecordforitsbusinesslifetime;andhowtodisposeofitinthe'after life'. Andalltheseactionsmustbeperformedaccordingtopractice,policy,regulation,andlaw. Goodrecordsmanagementisanexpertisewhichrequiresexplicit,andnottacitknowledge. Theofficeworkerneedstobemorethananexpertoftheirwork shemustconsider morecriticallythepurposeandrelationsofthedocumentcumrecordwithinthebusiness. 1.Stephens,DavidO.andRoderickC.Wallace."ElectronicRecordsRetention:NewStrategiesforDataLife CycleManagement"Lexana,Kansas,USA:ARMAInternational, Sprehe,J.TimothyandCharlesR.McClure."LiftingtheBurden".TheInformationManagementJournal (July/August2005):48. 2

3 RecordsManagementandBusiness [T]hehighestqualityandaccuracyoccurswhenrecordsmanagementisas non intrusiveaspossibletothedesktopenduseranddoesnotinterferewith thenormalworkroutinesofprofessionalstaffintheenterprise. 3 Thereversecouldbesaidofrecordsmanagement:thehighestqualityworkoccurswhen theworkandtasksofbusinessareasnon intrusivetothedesktoprecordsmanager. Polanyidefinesfocalawarenessandsubsidiaryawarenessrespectivelyas:explicit, consideredattentiontoparticulars;andtacit,sensationofacomprehensivewhole. 4..totheextenttowhichourintelligencefallsshortoftheidealofprecise formalization,weactandseebythelightofunspeakableknowledge.. 5 ThePersonalComputer,andfastandefficientInformationtechnologieshavefirst createdthepossibilityofautomated,easy to usesoftwaretools,andlaterthe requirementtousesuchtoolstomanagetheincreasinglycomplexandrapidlyevolving information. [C]ontroloverinformationandcommunicationtendstobecomeindividualizedbythe useoficts.theuseofcertainictsshiftsthecontroloverthecreationand managementofinformationfromcentralizedtoindividualcontrol. 6 Theofficeworkeradmirablylearnstoworkwithagreatvarietyofever newsoftware tools,butthebreadthofknowledgegainedhascomeatthepriceofthedepthof knowledge.theofficeworkercompetentlynavigatesthecomplexworld,butreliesupon equallysophisticatedassistanceandguidancefromthesamesoftwaretools,andthe expertiseofinformationtechnologyandrecordsmanagementcolleagues. Thenatureoftheproblemsspecificallyassociatedwithelectronicrecords managementhasrarelybeeninvestigatedindetail.problemsareoftensummarized brieflyandpossiblesolutionsareexplored,withtheunderlyingassumptionbeing thattherelationbetweenicts[informationandcommunicationtechnologies]and recordsmanagementisatechnicalandmanagementproblem. 7 3.Sprehe&McClure."LiftingtheBurden" Polanyi,Michael."PersonalKnowledge:TowardsaPost CriticalPhilosophy".NewYork,NewYork,USA: Harper&Row, Polanyi."PersonalKnowledge:TowardsaPost CriticalPhilosophy" Meijer,Albert."ElectronicRecordsManagementandPublicAccountability:BeyondanInstrumental Approach".TheInformationSociety17(2001): Meijer."ElectronicRecordsManagementandPublicAccountability:BeyondanInstrumental Approach"

4 IwouldnotsuggestthatEDMandERMsystems,orrathertheirdevelopers,aretobe blameforcreatingwhollyinconceivablesystems(atleasttotheirusers).thesesame systemswhichhavebornethisparadigmofpowerful,tacitabilityandcompetence,can alsoassistandguideusersinthetransformationofdocumentsintorecords,andthe managementoftherecordsthroughouttheirlives. Forefront Knowledgeofmanyofthebusinessprocessesistacit,anditmustbeexplicatedbeforeit canbemadeelectronic,thatisthedevelopmentofanelectronicrecordsmanagement systemtoimplementthosebusinessprocessesmustbringittotheattentionoftheuser. PerhapsnootheraspectofIRM[InformationResourcesManagement]hassuffered morefromthedrawbacksoftheinformationlifecyclemetaphorthanrecords management...[that]principaldrawbackis..isthatitisthoughttooccurattheend ofthelifecycle.inpractice,thishastendedtomeanthatthatrecordsmanagementis thelastthingprogrammanagersthinkabout.. 8 Nomatterwhenthislackofthoughtoccurs,itismorethatthatthoughtful considerationisnotexplicit,orthattheermsdidnotexplicateitfortheuser. PC basedrecordspresentspecialrecordsretentionchallengesbecausepcusersoften considertheserecordstobepersonalworkingfiles,tobeusedanddisposedofat theirdiscretion.infact,thisperceptiondoeshavesometruthtoit;therecords managementgoalistoembodyitintotheorganization'srecordsmanagementpolicy andendeavortoimplementthispolicyasaggressivelyaspossible. 9 Morethanimplementationorembodiment,recognitionoftheusers'belief,ortacit understanding,thattherecordsarehers,isafirststeptowardsasystemthatbuildson tacitexpertiseandgrowsawhollyconceivablerecordsmanagementperspective.with suchasystem....individualemployeesshouldberesponsibleforreviewingtheirpc basedrecords periodicallyinordertomakejudgmentsconcerningtheirretentionanddisposal.. 10 Trainingdetermineshowwidespreadthelevelofusewasamongtheemployees,but theirparticipationintheadaptationofthefcs[functionalclassificationsystem]to 8.Sprehe,J.Timothy."IntegratingRecordsManagementintoInformationResourcesManagementinU.S. GovernmentAgencies".GovernmentInformationQuarterly17:1(2000):14. 9.Stephens&Wallace."ElectronicRecordsRetention:NewStrategiesforDataLifeCycleManagement" Stephens&Wallace."ElectronicRecordsRetention:NewStrategiesforDataLifeCycleManagement".41. 4

5 theermsdeterminedhowskilfultheywereinregisteringandsearchingfor informationintheermsandhowuser friendlytheyregardedthesystemtobe. 11 Participationandskillareevidenceofanunderstandingofthetasksofrecords managementandtheirrelationshipstothebusinesstheyrecord.thattheuseractually regardsthesystementailsconsiderationandevaluationoftheerms an understandingofmorethanthetasksandtherelationships,butratherofthesystemasa whole. Complexity Businesssoftwaretools,likewordprocessors,databases,ande mailhavemadepossible thepaperlessofficeandcanmodelmostanybusinessprocess.thesesoftware sareflexible enoughtoaccuratelymapbusinessprocessestosoftwaretoolsandfunctions.this flexibilitycomesataprice thesoftwareandsoftwaresystemsarecomplex,andsousers requiretrainingandthesoftwaretoolsrequiremanagement. Thereis,however,anot so obviousproblemposedbytheseadaptablesoftwaretools theyinstillintheuser,expectationsofalmostlimitlesscapability.suchsoftwarehas becomesouser friendly,context sensitive,andintelligent,thattheuseralmostexpectsthe softwaretoguidethebusinessprocess.theoperationofthatprocesshasbecome transparenttotheuser.thereisatacitunderstandingofthenowelectronicallymanifest businessprocess. Inthedaysofthe'paper full'officetherewasaphysicalseparationofrecords managementanddocument filingandrecord keepingwasdonebyarecordsmanager orclerk.computertechnologieshavemadepossibleandperhapssoonmandatory,the paperlessoffice.withthishighvolumeofelectronicdocumentproduction,thereislittle intellectualseparationofelectronicrecordsmanagementandelectronicdocument.the record creatorsmustdomuchoftheirownfilingandrecord keeping. 11.Gunnlaugsdottir,Joanna."Asyousow,soyouwillreap:implementingERMS".RecordsManagement Journal18:1(2008):29.(myemphasis) 5

6 Conclusion Itmaybesometimebeforesoftwaresystemsbecomesmartenoughtoadviseusersin mattersofdocumentandrecordsmanagement,butwhentheyare,theyshouldbebuiltso thattheuserisawareoftheirresponsibilitiesandexpertise,andthatsheiscoaxedinto exercisingthatexpertiseandnotbeallowedtoignoreit. Thetechnologicalsocietycontainsmanypartsandspecializedactivitieswitha myriadofconnections.thetotalityofsuchinterconnections therelationshipsofthe partstoeachotherandthepartstothewhole issomethingwhichisnolonger comprehensibletoanyone...thedevelopmentofadvanced[information Technologies]hasmadeitpossibletoconcealthecomplexityofimportantfunctions.. removedfrompublicview.relationshipsandconnectionsoncepartofmundane experience(inthesensethatsomepersonhadtoattendtothemateachstep)are nowtransferredtothatinstrument.theunintelligiblemassofsociotechnicalinterconnectionsisenshroudedinabstraction. 12 ElectronicRecordsManagementisoneofthecompleximportantfunctionsconcealed byinformationtechnologies.thechallengetodevelopersthenistoexposethatfunction andprovidethemeansofcontrolandintelligentdevelopedforelectronicdocument Management toforgenewtoolsfortheformationofaparadigmwhichretainseasy, tacitdocumentmanagement,butpermitsorbetter,promotesmoreexplicitrecords management. 12.Winner,Langdon."AutonomousTechnology:Technics out of controlasathemeinpoliticalthought". Cambridge,Massachusetts,USA:TheMITPress,1977: (myemphasis) 6

7 Bibliography Gunnlaugsdottir,Joanna. "Asyousow,soyouwillreap:implementingERMS". RecordsManagementJournal18:1(2008): Meijer,Albert. "ElectronicRecordsManagementandPublicAccountability:BeyondanInstrumental Approach".TheInformationSociety17(2001): Polanyi,Michael. "PersonalKnowledge:TowardsaPost CriticalPhilosophy". NewYork,NewYork,USA:Harper&Row,1962. Sprehe,J.Timothy. "IntegratingRecordsManagementintoInformationResourcesManagementinU.S. GovernmentAgencies".GovernmentInformationQuarterly17:1(2000): Sprehe,J.TimothyandCharlesR.McClure. "LiftingtheBurden". TheInformationManagementJournal(July/August2005): Stephens,DavidO.andRoderickC.Wallace. "ElectronicRecordsRetention:NewStrategiesforDataLifeCycleManagement". Lexana,Kansas,USA:ARMAInternational,2003. Winner,Langdon. "AutonomousTechnology:Technics out of controlasathemeinpoliticalthought". Cambridge,Massachusetts,USA:TheMITPress,1977. AllonlinereferenceswereaccessedandconfirmedonJune30,