RECORDS MANAGEMENT: June 2016

Tuesday, 14 June 2016

HOW TO PROPERLY STORE LARGE DOCUMENTS

Dear readers, today we will share with all of you the video about how to properly store large documents.... Lets enjoy.

UNDERSTANDING RECORDS MANAGEMENT

Dear all readers

Are you working now?
Are you tasked with specific scope?
Are you involved in audit process? Are you answerable to audit team?
In your task, do you need to prepare report? Daily? Weekly? Monthly? Quarterly? Yearly?
Do you need to refer to previous report for confirmation?
Do you know where are the record to refer to?
Which file?
Anyone holds that file?
Is the file missing?
Can you find the file?

The above are some of the questions for you to ask yourself from time to time in the course of performing your work. Should your answer is yes to some of the questions, it is time to look for records.
It is also time for you to look into current practices of record keeping if the answer is yes and no for question number 5-10.

Records are the last thing one would be thinking in work operation. Most of the time, it is ignored, it is not given due attention. This is a lackluster attitude among employees and top management (most of the cases). It is only needed most when there is an audit in progress or any cases as a result of litigation or judicial inquiry. In most cases, records is "managed" just enough. No serious undertakings from person in charge for proper record keeping. Records manager or records officer is consulted when only there is problem, otherwise, they are not.

Hence, record keeping is seen and deemed as 'supportive" to current operation. This state of ignorance results in record keeping as not due all the time.

Think about it.....
What is your role as record professionals to change such perceptions and views?
What could you do to make change?
How are you going to recognize that records is the backbone of any organizational operation?
How are you going to tell your top management of the critical role of proper records keeping?

Most important of all, how can you change the current perception that proper record keeping is considered secondary while the fact that everybody needs records rather than records need them.

Sources : http://recordsarchives.blogspot.my/

DEVELOPING OF COMMERCIAL RECORDS CENTRE

Nurul Hafizah bt Jamalludin

Faculty of Information Management, Universiti Teknologi Mara,

Selangor, Malaysia

Abstract: This article is to study about the commercial records centre which are discuss about the function of records centre. Other than that is discuss on the benefit of keeping the records in commercial records centre and several opinion in selecting a Commercial Records Centre. One of that is their facility such as in terms of location and construction.

Keywords : commercial records center, records management

INTRODUCTION

Records are defined as documents created or received in the operation of a practical activity or as evidence of an activity or transaction. Records can come in a variety of formats such as letters, memoranda, reports, database files, email messages, video tapes, films, photographs, maps, drawings and any other thing in which information is recorded or stored. Records management is the systematic control of all records, whether in the media or format printed materials from their creation until final disposal. According to the Akta Arkib Negara 2003 and in accordance with the Policy on the Management of Electronic Records,

"records" means materials in written or other form setting out facts or events or otherwise recording information and includes papers, documents, registers, printed materials, books, maps, plans, drawings, photographs, microfilms, cinematograph films, sounds recordings, electronically produced records regardless of physical form or characteristics and any copy thereof.

Record Centre is a building or part of a building which is designed or modified for low-cost storage, maintenance and semi-current records pending their ultimate disposal. Semi-current record which is to be transferred must be appraised first. Record centre are divided into three type which is National Record Centre, Departmental Record Centre and Commercial Record Centre. Record centre consist of five major functions, received and administer all records in whatever format that are retired from current record system, provide a reference service based upon the records, dispose of all records held in accordance with disposal schedules and plans, as an information centre for the creating agencies and to provide security measures for the records in the centre.

Commercials records centre industry have grown and prospered over the past few years. Commercials records centre has gained more clients by providing the advanced services with latest technological equipment and standardize practices to meet their customers’ expectations of service quality. Customer service quality is critical at Commercials records center for their sustenance and growth (Azhan and Saiful, 2015). The outsourcing in records keeping movement is a rapidly growing industry worldwide. It is a competitive industry, and there is an increase of customer power and managers need to focus on customer service (Afthinos, Theodorakis and Nassis, 2005).Commercial record centres provide services of keeping paper records of the organization. In some cases, they also offer savings to the records kept in electronic format. Commercial records central providing high density storage of paper records and some offer climate controlled storage for sensitive and critical non-paper (important) paper media. There is a trade organization for the commercial records such as Regalia Records Management and FARAZ Records Centre.

DICUSSION

Contrary to predictions that the paperless office is on the horizon and will put a record out of business centres, commercial records centre industry is alive and well and continues to grow. It's growing, not only in the ability to provide better and faster service to customers hardcopy, but growing in its capacity to customers who require services related services. In developing of commercial records centre, it must be secure, clean, efficient and economical. One of that is secure. To ensure safety, the record must have an external secure as the care of valuable substances. Except that the environment must also be secure as a place where documents and valuable information must be maintained in a state that can be used for a long period. The also records centre must clean and orderly. Security involves both safety and environmental resistance and is necessary both externally and preventive measures must be in force at all times. All parts of the building, including storage areas, should be protected.

In addition, records centre must in efficiency and economy. Records centre must be proficient in each record held in the centre in order to be accessed quickly and easily. Records should also be disposed of in the disposal schedule that has been set. The recommended procedure is given in this module are designed to ensure that this provision is observed. They must be followed carefully. The record is itself a building cheaper than active official site. This is because it is designed or adapted for special purposes. Besides that, Records can be stored more densely in the centre of the official record. This density can be measured in terms of the ratio between records kept cubic meters per square meter of floor space.(Dube, 2014)

Other than that is Cleanliness and Order. Records centre must be clean. Its means that the records in it must be protected from damage from dirt, insects or rodents or attack by mole. To maintain cleanliness, anyone are not allowed to eat or bring food to the point of this record because the rest of the forage can encourage the presence of insects or rodents. Smoking is also banned in the records at all times, and there should be a prominent notice to this effect. Records centre must be washed, cleaned and checked regularly. Central record should also be organized. This means that the records stored in it must be in the correct order on the shelves, so that any record can be found at any time with a minimum of delay. Records should be stored in proper containers or packages, clearly labelled with the reference code. Periodic checks should be made to ensure that the records back to the appropriate location.

However, there are also have several challenges in managing the Commercial Record Centre such as levels of risk. In developing a disaster recovery plan records, the records must evaluate the intensity of which varies for each risk that their records may be subject. Risks can range from minor flooding affecting perhaps only one or two officials at the facility for large fires can cause significant damage to the entire facility and its contents. In general, water, fire and smoke damage will receive special attention because they are the agents may be damaging the records kept in the agency. If chemicals are either stored in the building or contained in the operating system, this may result in potential damage should also be addressed during the planning. For example, a chemical used in fire extinguishers comply with the record. Although the use of extinguishers may be effective in smothering the fire, they cannot be used in areas where records are exposed. Records centre staff who participated in this scheme should learned and practices earlier the Emergency Plan and Risk Assessment.

Other than that is rapidly growth of technology. The system also faces major technological hurdles. Today some of the most important decision-support documents are in the form of a multimedia computer slide presentations and spread sheets, which the presumption contained within the electronic version that are not easily amenable for printing out. The problems related to saving such important types of records are typically not addressed, and so the records are lost. Other relatively new technologies that are already producing enormous amounts of uncaptured records are e-mail, video conferences, Web sites, and call centres and other audio systems, while Web logs, instant messaging and geographic information system technologies are emerging potentially as large producers of records. Documents produced using such tools must be maintained in an integrated fashion retaining their mutual context. There are also new formats of record material including computer generated, motion picture and television films and a wide variety of other formats requiring all skills, procedures and storage environment in a part of the world where there are extreme variations in temperature and humidity.

In terms of benefits, institution or organizations are encouraged to keep their records in commercial records centre. It is because commercial records centre is Secure Destruction. Records Centres have procedures that ensure records are systematically destroyed and only with appropriate authorization reduce the chance of reckless destruction, selective or motivated by personal records. They provide a secure and confidential records and media computer shredding, pulverizing and recycling services for records in accordance with your organization's records retention and destruction policy. The records of your organization will not be destroyed prematurely or retained longer than necessary and proper disposal procedures to ensure compliance with privacy laws, state and federal.

Other than that is security. Record Centres to understand how important and difficult of all information. Therefore they have been providing security and controlled nature of the records. They have established procedures to maintain control of your intellectual and physical records at all times. They ensure records remain secure your organization through difficult handling, safe storage and monitoring and access control.

Many companies have selected to use commercial record centres for a long term solution to the problem of where to store and manage their records and information. However, there are several opinion in selecting a Commercial Records Centre. One of that is their facility such as in terms of location and construction. For the construction, client must surely that there are protection of records from fire, water and damage to the environment should be paramount when considering the construction specifications. Underground facilities offer protection from natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes, the collapse of the roof of snow, and others. Underground facilities can also offer temperature and humidity controlled environment without reliance on man-made system.

In terms of location, Records centre should be in a safe area and within a reasonable distance from the location of the service. Employees of the company or your client may need to visit the record centre for audit or investigation and need to feel comfortable when visiting the facility. If rapid response is the key criterion, adjacent to consider. If the disaster recovery considerations are part of the evaluation process, further facilities that may be more appropriate. Determining the specific needs of your company and consider carefully when evaluating the choice of location.

CONCLUSION

In the course of doing business, records created, received and maintained by various government activities, and in various forms. Although the computer has ever thought of ushering in the age of "paperless office," we are experiencing rapid growth and replication of records. Therefore, it is important for government agencies to develop a records management program that is based on sound policies and procedures appropriate and effective agency staff informed: about the nature of what is a record; where records are open to the public and difficult; how to classify, organize, and maintain records and how to properly dispose of records.

In my opinion, the record needs to take a more active role in the management of municipal records. Moreover, the records must be placed in a building constructed, with a stable environment conducive to keeping records. Finally, it is important that the design and implementation of records and information management system including a multi-disciplinary project teams, with a place reserved for records management staff. By taking these recommendations into account, agency should be prepared to face the challenges of managing records in the 21st century.

REFERENCE

Abioye, A., 2007. Fifty years of archives administration in Nigeria: lessons for the future. Records Management Journal, 17(1): 52-62

A.P. (2014, April 25). Benefits of Using a Commercial Records Center. Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140425163840-46254388-benefits-of-using-a-commercial-records-center

Bidwell, S. 2008. The Four Pillars of Commercial-Records Centers: Expanding Self-Storage Services. (Online) http://www.four-pillars-of-commercial-records-storage/files.html

Challenges in managing Record Centre. (n.d.). Retrieved May 03, 2016, from http://information-field.blogspot.my/2009/06/challenges-in-managing-record-centre.html

Dube, A., D. Mukono, R. David, 2013. Marketing Commercial Records Centres in Zimbabwe: The Success Story Of Archive-It Services®.

Hyman, S.J., 2008. Basic concepts of starting and operating a commercial records management business. (Online) http://www.dhswolrwide.com/pages/basic-concepts.htm

F., & M. (n.d.). Selecting an Offsite Commercial Records Center. Retrieved from https://www.questia.com/read/1G1-19188013/selecting-an-offsite-commercial-records-center

Kemoni, H. N. (1998). The Impact of Records Centres on the Management of Public Sector Records in Kenya. Records Management Journal, 8(1), 55-65. doi:10.1108/eum0000000007230

Mohammad Azhan Abdul Aziz and SaifulFarik Mat Yatin., A Conceptual Paper on Customer Satisfaction Towards Commercial Records Service. J. Appl. Sci. & Agric., 9(3): 67-74, 2015

Xiao Qiuhui　Ding Feier. The Characteristics of Foreign Commercial Record Center and the Reference to China[J]. Journal of Information Resources Management, 2014, 4(4): 106-111.

THE RECORDS MANAGEMENT TRAINING EFFECTIVENESS IN PUBLIC AGENCIES

THE RECORDS MANAGEMENT TRAINING EFFECTIVENESS IN PUBLIC AGENCIES

INTRODUCTION

The records management training effectiveness nowadays is very important, especially in the public agencies. The public agencies play a big role in order to make their records management become efficiency and economic. By having a records management in the public agencies their organizational management of the file will become more systematic and tidier. It is good to have a records management, especially for the small company to the big company; they always have business transaction that will become as a record. By having the records management it will make them retrieve the information or file that they want easily because it is important to give the information or file to the right person, in the right format, at the right time and place so that we can make the right decision-making. Most of the records are confidential and restricted the outsider from retrieved the information. If the outsider can retrieve the confidential records, it might cause the problem and can give an impact to the organization.

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

A Study of the Records Management Training Effectiveness in Public Agencies

According to Laura Millar (1999), the records created or received and maintained by any public sector agencies. Various people and institutions create records for example individuals, families, businesses, associations and groups, political parties and the government all make and use the records every day. Records created by government agencies or other institutions in the public sector are usually specifically defined as a public record; or their management should be governed by the laws, which determine how they will be successful throughout their lives.

According to Henry N. Kemoni and Patrick Ngulube (2007), four of six respondents believe that by providing records management training to the staff will make the records management be more effective. It shows that, there have a few respondents believe by having the training of records management; it will improve the effectiveness of the records management.

According to Anastasia Dikopoulou and Athanassios Mihiotis (2011), specialized the training according to the professional records management, for record-keeping it is useful for civil servants. Every staff that deal with the records need to be train and involved in the records management processes. Training should be done, so that the staff will be more professional and knowledgeable. Hence, they will manage the record easily and efficiency.

According Harry Akussah and Catherine Asamoah (2015), in Ghana, there have a several consultancy firms offer training services to organizations in house and to individuals who buy into their services. There is a need to institutionalize the training of young professionals. This is show people at the outside our country also think that the training practice is important. It is better to train the young generations because they will practice the training for the long term and have a good memorising.

PROBLEM STATEMENT

Every person who is responsible for the creation of the administration of government is the creator of the record. Public agencies act as a creator. Extensive training will need to develop competencies necessary record keeping for all the administrative public agencies to ensure the management of records secure, reliable and efficient. Records management training is very important, by having the training, the public agencies can manage their records in consistency and able to be controlled. However, despite all the efforts that have been made by public agency records management training it still not effective because some of the staff does not willing to join the training it makes the training become less effective.

· Do the records management training is effective for the public agencies?

DISCUSSION

What is training?

Training can be define in many ways. According to Margaret Watson, training is an investment in people. Its objective is to increase staff competence and develop staff potential, and, thereby to improve organisational performance. It is as important to an organisation as sound capital investment and deserves equally careful attention (Margaret Watson, 1994).

Besides that, according to Aaron W. Hughey and Kenneth J Mussnug, training entails personal involvement, commitment and experimental gains that the aim to provide employee with proficiency in the execution of task (Aaron W. Hughey & Kenneth J Mussnug, 1997). This is mean that by having training to the employee, they will have more knowledge in their work area.

How to measure effectiveness

According to Margaret Watson, the way to determine the effectiveness of record management training programme by measuring the time of retrieval of record. If the staff be able to retrieve the record faster than before, that is mean that the training programme succeed. Moreover, the way to measure the effectiveness in record management context is by looking at the productivity of the organization which could mean less unnecessary record being created in the first place. (Margaret Watson, 1994).

Expenses or investment of public agencies in employee training programme

Training should be ongoing. According to Margaret Watson, all organisation will require the training be cost effective, so the input cost of the training need to be calculated. For example cost of staff time and resources. These cost should be then assessed against increase efficiency and productivity. (Margaret Watson, 1994)

According to Steve Denby, training can be extremely powerful and cost effective investment by an organisation but only if it implemented to match and complement the business needs and objective. This is mean that before training been doing, there must have clear view of what the organisations training need. In some cases, there are organisation have wasting the valuable training budget because they do not know how to identify what their internal needs are hence cannot design the most suitable training. (Steve Denby, 2010)

The expenses or investment of public agencies in employee training programme must be worth it with what has be invest. It is always a good idea to list and describe the resources such as the financial that will be needed to successfully accomplish training goals and objectives (Aaron W. Hughey & Kenneth J Mussnug, 1997).

The training plan of the Records Management in the Employees’ Training Programme

Training program was well-designed built-in reinforcement. It is not necessary to reinforce learning if the skills and competencies that are emphasized during training actually help workers in the performance of duties and responsibilities. For example in this group is able to use what they have learned. External reinforcement only be necessary if the skills acquired not play an important role in improving the work done. Employee training program will bring out the successful result from careful planning and serious interest. The majority must be given the attention to detail and the desired result. Training requires a lot of commitment, time consuming, requires relentless, and support. Dedication is required to conduct training good employees is huge but so are the potential rewards (Aaron W. Hughey & Kenneth J Mussnug, 1997).

Role of the Department of Human Resources in Implementing the Effectiveness Employees’ Training

According to Aaron W. Hughey and Kenneth J Mussnug in implementing the effectiveness employees’ training, the department of Human Resources should involve tangible, hands on skills and observable behaviours (Aaron W. Hughey & Kenneth J Mussnug, 1997). Moreover, they have stated that to keep training objectives focus on skills and competences, attitudinal changes will occur spontaneously with time. In implementing the effectiveness employees’ training, the training should be about more than simply teaching staff new skills or guiding them on how to do things better (Steve Denby, 2010).

Training and development are the process of investing in people so that they are equipped to perform well. Human resource management has emerged as a major function in most organizations and is the focus for a wide ranging debate concerning the nature of the contemporary employment relationship (Asfaw, A.M., Argaw, M.D. and Bayissa, L., 2015). Therefore, the human resource have very important role in ensure the training program be conducted.

            Human resources particularly in public agencies play an important role towards implementing effective training program. According to the article written by Aaron W.Hughey and Kenneth J.Mussnug (1997 ), said that many companies often entrust their training initiatives to managers who do not have the expertise or background does not have a formal education in the field of employee training. Management suddenly realized training needs or informed of their needs with corporate headquarters and a representative of accountability to implement a training program for someone in human resources or related departments.

REFERENCES

Aaron W. Hughey Kenneth J. Mussnug, (1997),"Designing effective employee training programmes", Training for Quality, Vol. 5 Iss 2 pp. 52 - 57