Hi
I have now been using Google Apps for a few weeks and thought I would share my experiences with you.
Set Up
Costs about £6 per year.
You can have up to 200 user accounts, each with their own email address, mine looks like paul@the dodgsons.net. Usable addresses seem fine. You also have web pages and can create child pages, similar, but lacking the functionality of sharepoint by a long margin.
I created a slide presentation and collaborated with two other people as it grew. the main value here was that the slide deck, was not moving, I just created editorial/view rights to other users, easy to do.
I also created a document and did some spreadsheet design, all similar to other products, but with much reduced functionality. In addition you have a google messenger tool and some other bits n pieces.
Speed and viewing was fine, very good actually.
What would it be like in a business environment?
As you might expect, the main concern was security, followed closely by accessibility, all really surrounding itself around the term "Control". Would the business really be in control? At present I think not. Also what about version control? What if they change the software apps and it is not backwards compatible?
I suppose a great deal of guarantees will be needed.
I would sum up by saying that there is definite potential and I applaud Google for their development, something I would not have said 12 months ago.
If you want to know more email me at my work address pdodgson@leics.gov.uk
Monday 9 June 2008
Friday 9 May 2008
Web 2.0 Google Apps etc
Hi
I attended a web ex meeting (online meeting with dial in) yesterday about google apps.
It has got me thinking about that which Steve Bailey shared with us at conference.
At the web ex we were considering whether or not our organisation would move to hosted facilites.
The consensus at the meeting about the use of products such as Google apps was yes, but only when Google had addressed issues around business continuity, security, compliance, reliability etc.
However, at Leicestershire County Counicl we are already dipping our toe in. We are now actively developing the use of google maps and integrating with existing solutions, instead of an intenral mapping solution, we are moving to google maps,principally due to speed and update issues.
But is this only the start?
Lets face it, their solutions for business already includes, amongst other elements:-
Gmail
Google docs, including spreadsheets and presentations
Calendar
Google Talk
Google Sites
Extensibility API's
I have to say that if they develop good rm practices within their hosted solutions, it may only be a matter of time before we take the leap, using Google or whatever else appears on the web 2.0 horizon.
In any case I have created a google apps environment and will be doing some rudimentary testing, has anyone else created a google apps account?
I attended a web ex meeting (online meeting with dial in) yesterday about google apps.
It has got me thinking about that which Steve Bailey shared with us at conference.
At the web ex we were considering whether or not our organisation would move to hosted facilites.
The consensus at the meeting about the use of products such as Google apps was yes, but only when Google had addressed issues around business continuity, security, compliance, reliability etc.
However, at Leicestershire County Counicl we are already dipping our toe in. We are now actively developing the use of google maps and integrating with existing solutions, instead of an intenral mapping solution, we are moving to google maps,principally due to speed and update issues.
But is this only the start?
Lets face it, their solutions for business already includes, amongst other elements:-
Gmail
Google docs, including spreadsheets and presentations
Calendar
Google Talk
Google Sites
Extensibility API's
I have to say that if they develop good rm practices within their hosted solutions, it may only be a matter of time before we take the leap, using Google or whatever else appears on the web 2.0 horizon.
In any case I have created a google apps environment and will be doing some rudimentary testing, has anyone else created a google apps account?
Tuesday 29 April 2008
Conference 2009
We've had lots of positive feedback about conference this year. I was very impressed with the way it went (save for drastic pc failure on one particular session!)
This blog has had nearly 800 hits in just over a fortnight, which is amazing.
We're beginning to plan for next year already....watch this space.
This blog has had nearly 800 hits in just over a fortnight, which is amazing.
We're beginning to plan for next year already....watch this space.
Monday 28 April 2008
Search Versus Classify
This blog is so good I think we should continue beyond the RMS Conference content.
In an unashamed effort to slavishly sponsor my MSc dissertation, can I recommend that you go to an online survey at http://www.questionpro.com/akira/TakeSurvey?id=939601
The survey is entirely confidential with an option to supply your email address should you wish to do so.
It has some significance in that I do hope to have elements published in leading RM journals (yes that also means the Bulletin), perhaps avoiding the "confined to a dusty corridor syndrome" so many dissertations suffer from.
Paul Dodgson
Business Partner, Information Management Leicestershire County Council
MSc RM Student at University of Northumbria, UK. paul.dodgson@unn.ac.uk
In an unashamed effort to slavishly sponsor my MSc dissertation, can I recommend that you go to an online survey at http://www.questionpro.com/akira/TakeSurvey?id=939601
The survey is entirely confidential with an option to supply your email address should you wish to do so.
It has some significance in that I do hope to have elements published in leading RM journals (yes that also means the Bulletin), perhaps avoiding the "confined to a dusty corridor syndrome" so many dissertations suffer from.
Paul Dodgson
Business Partner, Information Management Leicestershire County Council
MSc RM Student at University of Northumbria, UK. paul.dodgson@unn.ac.uk
Tuesday 22 April 2008
Records management principles and practice
Julie McLeod gave us a fascinating insight into what's happening in the academic world. It's great to hear that there are projects going on that treat our discpline with the (growing) respect it needs and deserves.
Juile pointed out that we live in a world of increasing complexity, contradiction and ambiguity; diversity and interconectedness. And in this fast dynamic, agile world records management still has to make its way but not without challenges, principles and best practice.
Challenges. The challenges for Julie are around ICTs, the legal framework within which we operate, updating our knowledge and skills to keep abreast of changes, the human and organisational elements that shape us, all within our records management requirements. We all want seemingly contradictory things; faster response times but a better work life balance. Do we need to adapt our rm practices?
Principles what records are, what they represent? What is records management? Principles are borrowed from other systems and we've developed them.
Practice what is best practice? Standards/guidance/tools/toolkits
We need to develop all these elements into a coherent whole so we can move forward into the records management future we all are trying to shape / influence / develop.
Julie also noted the work going on with three particular projects; InterPARES, the clever metadata project and espida
InterPARES is looking at the reliability and authenticity of erecords including long term digital preservation.
Clever metadata project is looking at how metadata is created once but used many times, particularly looking at that metadata for which there is no need for people to add themselves.
espida was a project for managing intangible benefits and included looking at the value of information. The main outcome is a blueprint for making a business case, balanced scorecards. Two real case studies have been sucessful.
All of these projects were designed to look to the future not the past. And when we do that, it's important to note that there are three dimensions to take into account ... principles, perspectives and players.
Northumbria University has done two witness seminars...exploring the essence of records management /examining the issues and challenges of email.
The ACerm project is concentrating on the accelerating pace of change in ERM. It is perhaps, the first ever RM project looking at evidence-based outputs and its work will, therefore, be valuable and important.
There are two PhDs being undertaken in the area in investigating risk and erm and continued communications.
The links between the principles, perspectives and players in records management will give us results which are powerful and (post?) modern, enabling us to move the profession forward into the 21st century.
I found this to be a compelling tale of how principles and practice can interact, interlink and drive positive change.
Juile pointed out that we live in a world of increasing complexity, contradiction and ambiguity; diversity and interconectedness. And in this fast dynamic, agile world records management still has to make its way but not without challenges, principles and best practice.
Challenges. The challenges for Julie are around ICTs, the legal framework within which we operate, updating our knowledge and skills to keep abreast of changes, the human and organisational elements that shape us, all within our records management requirements. We all want seemingly contradictory things; faster response times but a better work life balance. Do we need to adapt our rm practices?
Principles what records are, what they represent? What is records management? Principles are borrowed from other systems and we've developed them.
Practice what is best practice? Standards/guidance/tools/toolkits
We need to develop all these elements into a coherent whole so we can move forward into the records management future we all are trying to shape / influence / develop.
Julie also noted the work going on with three particular projects; InterPARES, the clever metadata project and espida
InterPARES is looking at the reliability and authenticity of erecords including long term digital preservation.
Clever metadata project is looking at how metadata is created once but used many times, particularly looking at that metadata for which there is no need for people to add themselves.
espida was a project for managing intangible benefits and included looking at the value of information. The main outcome is a blueprint for making a business case, balanced scorecards. Two real case studies have been sucessful.
All of these projects were designed to look to the future not the past. And when we do that, it's important to note that there are three dimensions to take into account ... principles, perspectives and players.
Northumbria University has done two witness seminars...exploring the essence of records management /examining the issues and challenges of email.
The ACerm project is concentrating on the accelerating pace of change in ERM. It is perhaps, the first ever RM project looking at evidence-based outputs and its work will, therefore, be valuable and important.
There are two PhDs being undertaken in the area in investigating risk and erm and continued communications.
The links between the principles, perspectives and players in records management will give us results which are powerful and (post?) modern, enabling us to move the profession forward into the 21st century.
I found this to be a compelling tale of how principles and practice can interact, interlink and drive positive change.
Interview session - What's next for TNA?
An extremely interesting and informative session highlighting the work the TNA is doing in the knowledge/info/records management area. It outlined what they are doing now and what has been happening since they gave up testing EDRM products.
They spoke of the Machinery of Government change project. The ability to move electronic files from one govt dept to another... from one EDRM system to another...which relied on defining a detailed metadata mapping regime. Designing workable solutions. It has to work.
It makes me wonder whether it's technically possible and, even, desirable to have a national, central government EDRM system. Wow, now that would be something, wouldn't it?
James Lappin, who conducted the whole interview with his customary intelligence and sensitivity asked if EDRM had been a success...
Has edrm been a success?
The reply, of course was a qualified yes. Change (management and culture) was the biggest headline... Richard Blake noted that we didn't realise how big it was going to be... Another big issue was how users interact with the systems. There was a widespread belief that EDRM systems were too intrusive. That's a view I certainly subscribe to. See below My intelligent office.
Early EDRM systems were said to be quite crude. Vendors are now developing and providing technology which is moving into the background. We're in a period of considerable evolution.
James wanted to know what lessons TNA had learned from the exercise.
What would you have done differently?
Richard noted that the 2004 target was challenging. 2004 was a steep learning curve for everyone; particularly as there was no detailed guidance on how to do it.
I'll say amen to that. I helped my organisation be the one of the first to roll out an EDRM system, only to realise that hardly anyone else was meeting the target.
What have been the alternative solutions?
DEFRA has built their EDRM system using Sharepoint. (I'll come back to this in a later post.) Islington Council use Alfresco. Sharepoint isn't free.
The environment is moving from edrm to ecm. For TNA, it doesn't matter what system you use so long as you're managing your information to suit your business needs. A wise way of doing it.
It takes huge intellectual effort to manage an EDRM system with lots of components, especially as you have to think carefully about how things integrate - or even, if they do. Orgs have to think carefully about how they work.
James wanted to know what TNA thought about Sharepoint as an EDRM system.
What about Sharepoint?
The out-of-the-box system is very basic for Records managers. For example, there's no easy way of getting emails in to it... you have to create new environments and manage them both.
But it's on lots of people's agendas so we have to consider how we'll use it.
Can TNA influence Microsoft?
It's on the agenda. TNA's testing programme might have finished but they still need to have dialogues with suppliers about how their products meet our needs.
TNA has a programme to work with other National Archives to help influence and explain their concerns. The jury is out on how successful TNA will be but there's an indication that people are willing to talk to them.
Which countries are in the lead...what can we learn from them?
It's important to note that we, in the UK, have achieved more that some countries. Comparisons are not necessarily fruitful as different countries are developing along different lines, even though the issues are the same everywhere.
A stimulating debate was appreciated by the very large audience. It's always really interesting to get the latest update from TNA about how their world is working.
They spoke of the Machinery of Government change project. The ability to move electronic files from one govt dept to another... from one EDRM system to another...which relied on defining a detailed metadata mapping regime. Designing workable solutions. It has to work.
It makes me wonder whether it's technically possible and, even, desirable to have a national, central government EDRM system. Wow, now that would be something, wouldn't it?
James Lappin, who conducted the whole interview with his customary intelligence and sensitivity asked if EDRM had been a success...
Has edrm been a success?
The reply, of course was a qualified yes. Change (management and culture) was the biggest headline... Richard Blake noted that we didn't realise how big it was going to be... Another big issue was how users interact with the systems. There was a widespread belief that EDRM systems were too intrusive. That's a view I certainly subscribe to. See below My intelligent office.
Early EDRM systems were said to be quite crude. Vendors are now developing and providing technology which is moving into the background. We're in a period of considerable evolution.
James wanted to know what lessons TNA had learned from the exercise.
What would you have done differently?
Richard noted that the 2004 target was challenging. 2004 was a steep learning curve for everyone; particularly as there was no detailed guidance on how to do it.
I'll say amen to that. I helped my organisation be the one of the first to roll out an EDRM system, only to realise that hardly anyone else was meeting the target.
What have been the alternative solutions?
DEFRA has built their EDRM system using Sharepoint. (I'll come back to this in a later post.) Islington Council use Alfresco. Sharepoint isn't free.
The environment is moving from edrm to ecm. For TNA, it doesn't matter what system you use so long as you're managing your information to suit your business needs. A wise way of doing it.
It takes huge intellectual effort to manage an EDRM system with lots of components, especially as you have to think carefully about how things integrate - or even, if they do. Orgs have to think carefully about how they work.
James wanted to know what TNA thought about Sharepoint as an EDRM system.
What about Sharepoint?
The out-of-the-box system is very basic for Records managers. For example, there's no easy way of getting emails in to it... you have to create new environments and manage them both.
But it's on lots of people's agendas so we have to consider how we'll use it.
Can TNA influence Microsoft?
It's on the agenda. TNA's testing programme might have finished but they still need to have dialogues with suppliers about how their products meet our needs.
TNA has a programme to work with other National Archives to help influence and explain their concerns. The jury is out on how successful TNA will be but there's an indication that people are willing to talk to them.
Which countries are in the lead...what can we learn from them?
It's important to note that we, in the UK, have achieved more that some countries. Comparisons are not necessarily fruitful as different countries are developing along different lines, even though the issues are the same everywhere.
A stimulating debate was appreciated by the very large audience. It's always really interesting to get the latest update from TNA about how their world is working.
EDRM using Sharepoint
Roger Smethurst's engaging look at how DEFRA brought in an EDRM system...well, how they harvested their electronic records...(geddit??) using customised Sharepoint applications.
They didn't want a onesizefitsall EDRM system because DEFRA is a diverse aggregation of government departments. People work in different ways, different parts of the organisation work differently, so they need to work with this difference and not force everyone to work in the same way. But there's also a big need to work collaboratively...so they looked at Sharepoint which they thought would meet their needs.
There are 3 building blocks within Sharepoint they worked with mysite, teamsite (workspace) and RM.
Roger pointed out that users aren't records managers...(where have I heard that before?) Users want their work to be easy, reusable and portable; records managers want to organise, to put stuff in one place, managing it with rich metadata....with lifecycle management. Users just want to get on with their work.
Users hate fileplans...RMs like them cos they add order. But web portals add urls which users do like and understand. If you can use automated record capture, the users will love you for it. Well, maybe love is too strong a word for it...but you get my drift.
They used Mysite to manage the appraisal (IPR) process.
Record declaration from teamsites, document libraries are declared and sent to a record repository, router sorts it via access controls, to a record centre.
Less burden for end users, but more responsibility for RMs. Not just about technology it's abt adapting to the change.
3 options for object type based on the level of its importance...high, medium, low. It's the only metadata users had to enter. There was a huge educaion programme with the roll out of this.
I'm fascinated with this approach and would love to see it in action. I do share TNA's reservations about it though. For one thing it still doesn't link well with email. What was Microsoft thinking? Access rights are difficult. And if you don't manage it properly you can, if you're not careful, end up with Sharepoint sprawl. A mass of unstructured unrelated data that's grown despite your best efforts to manage it.
Nevertheless, Roger's energetic presentation and his undoubted enthusiam for his subject created a lot of interest from the floor...delegates were really keen to understand how it works. As its based on Microsoft suite of tools we'll all be watching developments with great interest.
They didn't want a onesizefitsall EDRM system because DEFRA is a diverse aggregation of government departments. People work in different ways, different parts of the organisation work differently, so they need to work with this difference and not force everyone to work in the same way. But there's also a big need to work collaboratively...so they looked at Sharepoint which they thought would meet their needs.
There are 3 building blocks within Sharepoint they worked with mysite, teamsite (workspace) and RM.
Roger pointed out that users aren't records managers...(where have I heard that before?) Users want their work to be easy, reusable and portable; records managers want to organise, to put stuff in one place, managing it with rich metadata....with lifecycle management. Users just want to get on with their work.
Users hate fileplans...RMs like them cos they add order. But web portals add urls which users do like and understand. If you can use automated record capture, the users will love you for it. Well, maybe love is too strong a word for it...but you get my drift.
They used Mysite to manage the appraisal (IPR) process.
Record declaration from teamsites, document libraries are declared and sent to a record repository, router sorts it via access controls, to a record centre.
Less burden for end users, but more responsibility for RMs. Not just about technology it's abt adapting to the change.
3 options for object type based on the level of its importance...high, medium, low. It's the only metadata users had to enter. There was a huge educaion programme with the roll out of this.
I'm fascinated with this approach and would love to see it in action. I do share TNA's reservations about it though. For one thing it still doesn't link well with email. What was Microsoft thinking? Access rights are difficult. And if you don't manage it properly you can, if you're not careful, end up with Sharepoint sprawl. A mass of unstructured unrelated data that's grown despite your best efforts to manage it.
Nevertheless, Roger's energetic presentation and his undoubted enthusiam for his subject created a lot of interest from the floor...delegates were really keen to understand how it works. As its based on Microsoft suite of tools we'll all be watching developments with great interest.
Monday 21 April 2008
Blogs, blogging and online communities
Intro
What have you signed up for?
How many of you know what a blog is?
How many of you have blogs?
How many of you contribute to blogs?
How many of you read blogs?
How many of you have read mine?
The challenge of technology is not new. Medieval Helpdesk
Blogs in plain English
Challenges for blogs and RM?
Web2,0 stuff.
Online communities of interest.
Discussion boards.
Modernising RMS.
What have you signed up for?
How many of you know what a blog is?
How many of you have blogs?
How many of you contribute to blogs?
How many of you read blogs?
How many of you have read mine?
The challenge of technology is not new. Medieval Helpdesk
Blogs in plain English
Challenges for blogs and RM?
Web2,0 stuff.
Online communities of interest.
Discussion boards.
Modernising RMS.
Collaborative session RM in 2012
These are rough notes...I'll tart it up later. Suffice to say, the challenge was to look at how we can manage the environment of the future in ways that benefit ourselves and our organisations. Where will we be in 2012?
Sharepoint v EDRM
James...who will win? SP or EDRM?
Almost unanimous.
SP is easy to roll out, train, intuitive. Probs and pleasures of SP. Easy to use but - where's the governance? How do you manage the proliferastion of all the new team sites. Are we creating silos2.0?
IT within orgs like the thrill of the new. MS has a lot of stuff going for it. But more highly regulated environments may still need EDRM.
Guardians or enablers?
Will erm systems still be here in 7 years?The future is assistive technology? It's the wrong way round. Relational classification. Hierarchical systems will go. Tagging will take over. Hosted services will structure and order info/records. Using controlled lists; autoclassification is the next step. Self evolving, thesaurus builders not RMs. Will we be the Information management society?
How do we manage info / facilitating business need?
ERM interfaces are inhibiting. How can we let users have a better experience? Can we automate everything? How to introduce RM agenda into orgs that don't want to play? Outsourcing?
Collaborative environments...how do you control them? Regulate them?
Do we need the experts to tell us what to do? Each org needs to manage its own systems without the need for a man on a white charger coming along to save the day.
How do we engage senior staff to make sure we support our business? Regulation v the way that things really work. Civil Service not good at managing data, won't change now.
How do we get from where we are to this new environment?
What will individuals be doing? What shd indivs be doing?
Well, it depends on business needs. The changes aren't necessarily user driven. Changes are IT driven. We haven't engaged the users properly. IT and RM need to be seamlessly linked. RM are the links between users and IT.
Need IM/RM strategies. But RM is always down the list of priorities for orgs. Need to influence people at the right grade etc. Info is your second biggest resource. Some orgs treat RM like smoking, drink driving - it's not going to be me that's hit.
Risk management is a key factor. What abt managing email mment? Websites have out of date info on them. We shd try to build in tools that will manage these systems...acknowledging the risk is crucial.
Policies, procedures, principles and training.
How are we gonna do naming conventions on tags? People do it for their immedtiate needs not conveniently for records managers.
Get in at the beginning not the end.
Internal audits are good ways of ensuring compliance.
Can we rethink the lifecycle of records?
Endless storage or active/inactive documents. Managing lifecycles. Seamless flow in TNA. All info is valid not just that which you consider to be so.
How do we decide on what to archive? Archive when it's not needed rather than for a set period of time. If you're saving stuff...move them to archive x months/years after it was last used. What abt finance docs? Much easier than policy stuff.
Local information champions. People aren't records managers they have a day job.
Is the term 'record' useful anymore? is it just active/inactive stuff?
EDRM systems are integrating closer with SP environments. EDRM won't be obsolete it'll evolve just like MS tools have evolved.
RM community needs to be able to influence edrm systems.
Sharepoint v EDRM
James...who will win? SP or EDRM?
Almost unanimous.
SP is easy to roll out, train, intuitive. Probs and pleasures of SP. Easy to use but - where's the governance? How do you manage the proliferastion of all the new team sites. Are we creating silos2.0?
IT within orgs like the thrill of the new. MS has a lot of stuff going for it. But more highly regulated environments may still need EDRM.
Guardians or enablers?
Will erm systems still be here in 7 years?The future is assistive technology? It's the wrong way round. Relational classification. Hierarchical systems will go. Tagging will take over. Hosted services will structure and order info/records. Using controlled lists; autoclassification is the next step. Self evolving, thesaurus builders not RMs. Will we be the Information management society?
How do we manage info / facilitating business need?
ERM interfaces are inhibiting. How can we let users have a better experience? Can we automate everything? How to introduce RM agenda into orgs that don't want to play? Outsourcing?
Collaborative environments...how do you control them? Regulate them?
Do we need the experts to tell us what to do? Each org needs to manage its own systems without the need for a man on a white charger coming along to save the day.
How do we engage senior staff to make sure we support our business? Regulation v the way that things really work. Civil Service not good at managing data, won't change now.
How do we get from where we are to this new environment?
What will individuals be doing? What shd indivs be doing?
Well, it depends on business needs. The changes aren't necessarily user driven. Changes are IT driven. We haven't engaged the users properly. IT and RM need to be seamlessly linked. RM are the links between users and IT.
Need IM/RM strategies. But RM is always down the list of priorities for orgs. Need to influence people at the right grade etc. Info is your second biggest resource. Some orgs treat RM like smoking, drink driving - it's not going to be me that's hit.
Risk management is a key factor. What abt managing email mment? Websites have out of date info on them. We shd try to build in tools that will manage these systems...acknowledging the risk is crucial.
Policies, procedures, principles and training.
How are we gonna do naming conventions on tags? People do it for their immedtiate needs not conveniently for records managers.
Get in at the beginning not the end.
Internal audits are good ways of ensuring compliance.
Can we rethink the lifecycle of records?
Endless storage or active/inactive documents. Managing lifecycles. Seamless flow in TNA. All info is valid not just that which you consider to be so.
How do we decide on what to archive? Archive when it's not needed rather than for a set period of time. If you're saving stuff...move them to archive x months/years after it was last used. What abt finance docs? Much easier than policy stuff.
Local information champions. People aren't records managers they have a day job.
Is the term 'record' useful anymore? is it just active/inactive stuff?
EDRM systems are integrating closer with SP environments. EDRM won't be obsolete it'll evolve just like MS tools have evolved.
RM community needs to be able to influence edrm systems.
From YouTube to YouManage
Steve Bailey kicked off conference in fine style. (Click on the title to go to the full text of Steve's talk)
Iconoclastic and challenging as ever, Steve looked at the techno-centric world we live in...and reminded us that records managers don't live in a vacuum. His argument is that the user community is increasingly developing its own ways of working with retention schedules, tags and deciding on the importance of documents.
Information creators don't work in the same way as they did two, three, five years ago. Or even how they did it last week. None of us are now just passsive users of content.
What implications does that have for records managers? RM can be a conservative profession, that needs to adapt to this technologically changing environment to make sure we keep up.
Typically erudite and forthright Steve, warned us that records managers need to change with the times or be left behind. Our methodologies have to move with the times. Free online tools from such as Google are changing the way we work. Witness the way we are moving towards collaborative tools ...Office2.0... Blogs, wikis etc are just a sideshow...
Mass digital storage is challenging traditional records management. He pointed out the value of older docs as part of a story...in this environment is there a no need for r&d schedules?
Steve's own blog fundamentally challenges what a record is and who it belongs to. He notes the boundaries beween work and home life are blurring. Content is incresingly being stored on places like Flickr, youtube, delicious etc.
For Steve, technology shapes the way organisations function.
I love the work Steve is doing, it's important, challenging and enormously valuable. But yet I still wonder... what about the corporate memory of the organisation? Steve looks at the interface between users and technology and shows us where records managers can either fit in or lose out. My big concern is that he doesn't seem to address what organisations need as effectively as what users need.
Steve points out that applications are becoming both more complex and more numerous. He recognises that the new web2.0 stuff represents a paradigm shift the like of which we have never seen. Can we master this domain? How can we rethink RM in this environment? Can RM still be fit for purpose in this environment? Not by using traditional methods. He wonders whether traditional approaches the best or just the easiest...are we a stuffy rules bound profession? Not in my experience. It's a dynamic, exciting environment where all of us are experienced, if not expert in managing change.
For Steve RM isn't the future...no longer do we manage records...we need to rethink RM for the new world of Web2.0. We need a set of organising principles looking at how we can democratise info management in the same way we have democratised info creation. What we need is Records management 2.0
We're moving to a world where user tagging is better than classification schemes. Tagging gets more reliable the more users use it. We have to find ways of coping with harnessing the innovative wisdom of the crowd. In my experience we don't want to be giving users a new and shiny way of misnaming everything. Hahaha.
We do live in exciting and challenging times. One of the ways forward is for the opinions of the user and the RM to work closer together in harmony.
The umbrella of Web2.0 will affect our ability to manage the future. We need to have these important debates that Steve has rightly highlighted and, what's more we need to have them with our IT suppliers.
Iconoclastic and challenging as ever, Steve looked at the techno-centric world we live in...and reminded us that records managers don't live in a vacuum. His argument is that the user community is increasingly developing its own ways of working with retention schedules, tags and deciding on the importance of documents.
Information creators don't work in the same way as they did two, three, five years ago. Or even how they did it last week. None of us are now just passsive users of content.
What implications does that have for records managers? RM can be a conservative profession, that needs to adapt to this technologically changing environment to make sure we keep up.
Typically erudite and forthright Steve, warned us that records managers need to change with the times or be left behind. Our methodologies have to move with the times. Free online tools from such as Google are changing the way we work. Witness the way we are moving towards collaborative tools ...Office2.0... Blogs, wikis etc are just a sideshow...
Mass digital storage is challenging traditional records management. He pointed out the value of older docs as part of a story...in this environment is there a no need for r&d schedules?
Steve's own blog fundamentally challenges what a record is and who it belongs to. He notes the boundaries beween work and home life are blurring. Content is incresingly being stored on places like Flickr, youtube, delicious etc.
For Steve, technology shapes the way organisations function.
I love the work Steve is doing, it's important, challenging and enormously valuable. But yet I still wonder... what about the corporate memory of the organisation? Steve looks at the interface between users and technology and shows us where records managers can either fit in or lose out. My big concern is that he doesn't seem to address what organisations need as effectively as what users need.
Steve points out that applications are becoming both more complex and more numerous. He recognises that the new web2.0 stuff represents a paradigm shift the like of which we have never seen. Can we master this domain? How can we rethink RM in this environment? Can RM still be fit for purpose in this environment? Not by using traditional methods. He wonders whether traditional approaches the best or just the easiest...are we a stuffy rules bound profession? Not in my experience. It's a dynamic, exciting environment where all of us are experienced, if not expert in managing change.
For Steve RM isn't the future...no longer do we manage records...we need to rethink RM for the new world of Web2.0. We need a set of organising principles looking at how we can democratise info management in the same way we have democratised info creation. What we need is Records management 2.0
We're moving to a world where user tagging is better than classification schemes. Tagging gets more reliable the more users use it. We have to find ways of coping with harnessing the innovative wisdom of the crowd. In my experience we don't want to be giving users a new and shiny way of misnaming everything. Hahaha.
We do live in exciting and challenging times. One of the ways forward is for the opinions of the user and the RM to work closer together in harmony.
The umbrella of Web2.0 will affect our ability to manage the future. We need to have these important debates that Steve has rightly highlighted and, what's more we need to have them with our IT suppliers.
Sunday 20 April 2008
Getting started
Conference kicked off this evening with a meeting of all the Regional and Special Interest Group Chairs.
A positive and affirming meeting highlighting the progress we're making as an organisation. The Regional and Special Interest Groups are doing great work but we need to remember the corporate thing. We are one RMS.
Paul Dodgson noted that we need to keep up the momentum. In a moving call-to-arms, he pointed out that we are an inclusive family, dedicated to the success of each other and all of the Society. Well, it brought a lump to my throat, I don't mind telling you. It was a moving speech, enough to bring a tear to a glass eye.
Joking aside, we're all delighted with the progress the Society is making. . .so join us.
More later... is that a pint I can hear calling?
A positive and affirming meeting highlighting the progress we're making as an organisation. The Regional and Special Interest Groups are doing great work but we need to remember the corporate thing. We are one RMS.
Paul Dodgson noted that we need to keep up the momentum. In a moving call-to-arms, he pointed out that we are an inclusive family, dedicated to the success of each other and all of the Society. Well, it brought a lump to my throat, I don't mind telling you. It was a moving speech, enough to bring a tear to a glass eye.
Joking aside, we're all delighted with the progress the Society is making. . .so join us.
More later... is that a pint I can hear calling?
Welcome to conference
Hi everyone...welcome to Edinburgh.
The weather looks good.
I've just been checking out the conference facilities and I'm really impressed! Our conference organisers are doing a cracking job. The venue is superb.
Everyone's raring to go...
I've just heard that the Collaboration sessions are fully booked!!!
I'll be blogging the whole conference so watch this space....
The weather looks good.
I've just been checking out the conference facilities and I'm really impressed! Our conference organisers are doing a cracking job. The venue is superb.
Everyone's raring to go...
I've just heard that the Collaboration sessions are fully booked!!!
I'll be blogging the whole conference so watch this space....
Monday 3 March 2008
Records management in the post-modern world
For as long as I can remember there has been a strong and coherent orthodoxy within records management.
In the days before the networked computer this orthodoxy centred around the life-cycle of paper records: teams would keep their records near them while they were working on the files or consulting them regularly, after that the organisation would take the files and store them for as long as they were needed.
During the 1990s the international records management standard, ISO 15489 was written. The standard attempted to bridge the gap between paper records and electronic records by coming up with a statement of best practice that could be applied in either environment. It is so format-neutral that part one of the standard does not even contain the word 'e-mail'.
For ISO 15489 the role of records managers is to :
- build business classifications (which identify business functions and break them down into activities
- map out all the record keeping requirements around those activities (what records need to kept, how long do they need to be kept for, who needs access to them etc.)
-design records systems that apply the classification and the accompanying records requirements to records
In the days before the networked computer this orthodoxy centred around the life-cycle of paper records: teams would keep their records near them while they were working on the files or consulting them regularly, after that the organisation would take the files and store them for as long as they were needed.
During the 1990s the international records management standard, ISO 15489 was written. The standard attempted to bridge the gap between paper records and electronic records by coming up with a statement of best practice that could be applied in either environment. It is so format-neutral that part one of the standard does not even contain the word 'e-mail'.
For ISO 15489 the role of records managers is to :
- build business classifications (which identify business functions and break them down into activities
- map out all the record keeping requirements around those activities (what records need to kept, how long do they need to be kept for, who needs access to them etc.)
-design records systems that apply the classification and the accompanying records requirements to records
The National Archives (TNA) took the ideas of ISO 15489 and hard-wired them into the document that created and defined EDRM: TNA 2002: functional requirements for electronic records mangaement systems. Systems compliant with TNA 2002 had to be able to hold an organisation's business classification scheme and link retention and access rules to it.
For the first five years of this century this orthodoxy held unchallenged sway. Most of us in the proffession were either:
a) implementing EDRM
b) trying to get the funds to implement EDRM
or c) smarting because we didn't get the funds to implement EDRM.
Over the last two years cracks have started to appear in the orthodoxy. The orthodoxy itself has been proved to be sound: Numerous large and important institutions have sucessfully implemented EDRM. But it has also proved unable to become a universal model. EDRM projects are large scale, complex, long running and resource-hungry. Unless an organisation is prepared to devote a considerable amount of effort, energy, attention and money to the project they stand a significant chance of failure.
The decision of DEFRA to chose SharePoint (Moss 2007) as their corporate document management system is significant . It signals that Microsoft's position in the desktop software market is so strong that they can win Central Government business withough needing to seek the stamp of approval from compliance with TNA 2002(nor, one presumes, will they need to seek compliance with MoReq2, the forthcoming European testing regime .)
The records management model underpinning MOSS 2007 is vastly different from the records management orthodoxy. Teams can set up 'sites' in which they can have a document library with a folder structure. But there is no place in SharePoint for the organisation to hold and manage a business classification scheme to organise all these sites and all the document libraries contained in these sites. Instead documents needed as records can be duplicated and routed to a seperate area of the SharePoint installation (called a records centre) where retention rules can be applied.
DEFRA have taken the challenge of adapting SharePoint for records management extremely seriously, and have made considerable customisations to the 'out of the box' system. Roger Smethurst, Defra's Chief Information Officer, will open the second day of the 2008 Records Management Conference (Tuesday 22 April) by talking us through DEFRA's experiences so far.
The second challenge to the orthodoxy has come from web 2.0: developments in the world wide web that now mean it is as easy to publish information on the web as it is to read it, and it is as easy to save documents in personal space on the world wide web as it is to save them onto your organisation's servers .
The challenge this poses to our orthodoxy has been most cogently expressed by Steve Bailey, in his blog Records Management FutureWatch . Steve has asked whether Records management will be left behind by web 2.0, as people save their documents into their own space on web applications such as Google docs, rather than on the records systems their organisations have set up for them. Steve will give the opening keynote speach of the 2008 RMS conference by talking through what Web 2.0 means for records management and how our profession might respond.
Despite these challenges to our orthodoxy, we are still a coherent profession, as the continued existence and growth of the Records Management Society throughout this period testifies. We have asked Britain's foremost acedemic in the records management field, Julie McLeod , to adress the following question:
'given Web 2.0, SharePoint, and the difficulties some organisations have had with EDRM, what next for the fundamental priniciples that inform our professional outlook?'
Her talk 'Records management principles in the post-modern world' will be the closing keynote speach of the 2008 Conference.
Friday 22 February 2008
Wi-fi internet access for delegates at the 2008 RMS Conference
Delegates to the 2008 RMS Conference will have free access to wi-fi throughout the conference, wherever they are within the Conference hotel.
Delegates will be given the pass code to the Sheraton Hotel's wi-fi upon registering for the conference.
This year's Conference will be blogged about more than any previous RMS event. If you have a blog, bring your laptop or use the cybercafe at the venue to blog your thoughts and comments.
And the RMS exec will be blogging too: Keith Gregory has adopted the mantle of the exec's conference blogger. He and others will be posting news and comments to this blog as the conference proceeds .
Thank you to TNT for sponsoring delegate wi-fi access.
Delegates will be given the pass code to the Sheraton Hotel's wi-fi upon registering for the conference.
This year's Conference will be blogged about more than any previous RMS event. If you have a blog, bring your laptop or use the cybercafe at the venue to blog your thoughts and comments.
And the RMS exec will be blogging too: Keith Gregory has adopted the mantle of the exec's conference blogger. He and others will be posting news and comments to this blog as the conference proceeds .
Thank you to TNT for sponsoring delegate wi-fi access.
Thursday 7 February 2008
Early booking deadline reminder
The prestigious 11th Records Management Society Conference, ‘Records Management: The State of the Art’ is fast approaching and the early booking deadline is Friday 8th February. If you would like to secure your place at the discounted rate, please book your place by clicking here.
The Conference programme is available to view and download online by clicking here.
Don't forget the post conference master classes that are taking place on Wednesday 23rd April at the Sheraton Grand Hotel. For further details please click here.
We look forward to welcoming you to Edinburgh.
RMS Conference Committee
Friday 1 February 2008
Blogs and blogging
I'm running a session at conference on blogs and blogging and the relationship between Web2.0 technologies and records management.
These issues will become increasingly important over the coming year(s) so it's great we will have the space to discuss them, air our views and perhaps even find some agreement on how we move the agenda forward.
The questions I'd like to consider are
These issues will become increasingly important over the coming year(s) so it's great we will have the space to discuss them, air our views and perhaps even find some agreement on how we move the agenda forward.
The questions I'd like to consider are
- how useful, interesting and important are blogs/Web2.0 technologies?
- can we build genuine online communities of interest?
- is this the start of a new revolution in records/information/knowledge management?
I don't expect everyone to experts in the subject. (I'll even give you a quick overview of how they all work if necessary.) But it should be a lively, interesting and, I hope, important debate for the future of records management...so join us.
Red Kite
Monday 28 January 2008
RMS conference - The Local Government Experience
Hi
I thought that I would post a short message about the above theme which will be discussed in more depth at conference.
What can we learn from Local Government will be discussed on Tuesday morning from 11.30 am in Breakout 1.
We shall be looking at delivery of change using EDRMS/Taxonomy management systems/search solutions and integration.
We shall also consider success using the least cost option of time but no financial resources.
Finally, we will also look at issues in generating change. We all know that to put reocrds management on the corporate map is not easy, so we will take stock of the difficulties that lie ahead.
One output from this theme is a Masters dissertation I am writing, titled "Search or Classify". More information to follow but I will be looking at the impact developments in search and retrieval may have upon records management, particularly electronic records management. Will these new developments make some newly acquired skills redundant? Will these developments improve the lot of records managers?
I hope to have developed a questionnaire by the time conference comes around which will assist in data collection. More to follow as this piece of work unfolds
Regards
Paul Dodgson
I thought that I would post a short message about the above theme which will be discussed in more depth at conference.
What can we learn from Local Government will be discussed on Tuesday morning from 11.30 am in Breakout 1.
We shall be looking at delivery of change using EDRMS/Taxonomy management systems/search solutions and integration.
We shall also consider success using the least cost option of time but no financial resources.
Finally, we will also look at issues in generating change. We all know that to put reocrds management on the corporate map is not easy, so we will take stock of the difficulties that lie ahead.
One output from this theme is a Masters dissertation I am writing, titled "Search or Classify". More information to follow but I will be looking at the impact developments in search and retrieval may have upon records management, particularly electronic records management. Will these new developments make some newly acquired skills redundant? Will these developments improve the lot of records managers?
I hope to have developed a questionnaire by the time conference comes around which will assist in data collection. More to follow as this piece of work unfolds
Regards
Paul Dodgson
Sunday 27 January 2008
RMS conference 2008 : A message from the Chair
On behalf of the Records Management Society, I would like to take this opportunity to invite you to join us for the prestigious 11th Records Management Society Conference, 'Records Management: The State of the Art'. This year's conference will be held from Sunday 20th April to Tuesday 22nd April 2008 at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Edinburgh.
2008 marks the 25th anniversary of the foundation of the RMS, and the Society will be marking this with a landmark event. This year we have enlisted the help of conference specialists, Benchmark Communications.
The Conference has always been famed as a friendly and very social gathering, where debate ranges freely in conference sessions, in breaks and in convivial evening gatherings. This year we look forward to an extensive programme, innovative exhibition and a fun packed social programme.
I urge you to take advantage of the early bird registration rate and book your place today. I look forward to seeing you in Edinburgh.
Dr Paul DullerRMS Chair
2008 marks the 25th anniversary of the foundation of the RMS, and the Society will be marking this with a landmark event. This year we have enlisted the help of conference specialists, Benchmark Communications.
The Conference has always been famed as a friendly and very social gathering, where debate ranges freely in conference sessions, in breaks and in convivial evening gatherings. This year we look forward to an extensive programme, innovative exhibition and a fun packed social programme.
I urge you to take advantage of the early bird registration rate and book your place today. I look forward to seeing you in Edinburgh.
Dr Paul DullerRMS Chair
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