Interests Intertwined

Records and information management (RIM) companies have been given the task of managing records in a more varied manner than in years past. From digital records to on- and off-site records, RIM professionals are hearing from their customers that they want instant access to all of their information, whether digital or hard copy. In turn, software providers are evolving their products to keep pace with the demands records management companies are receiving.

Software providers like DHS Worldwide Software Solutions, located in Orange Park, Fla., know the RIM industry has evolved toward technology-centric operations.

Chuck Sowers and Richard Wisser of DHS say, “Our focus is ensuring that our software and technology offerings rapidly advance in order to meet the high expectations and fast pace of the RIM industry.”

When determining what software solutions should entail, President and COO Scott Bidwell of Andrews Software Inc. (ASI), Cleveland, says it is necessary to understand how complex and intertwined the RIM industry has become.

“The RIM industry is really comprised of four separate supporting industries: the traditional box on a shelf (records storage), the off-site storage of computer tapes, the document destruction industry and the imaging world,” he says. “Within those pillars, if you take computer media management, there are probably additional pillars that support that arena. The other way to describe it is like a braided rope. There are smaller ropes that are twisted together to make a larger braided rope. If you’re looking at shredding or information destruction, you have paper, hard drives, solid-state memory devices—that’s all information. The records management industry could encompass all of those different areas.”

Bare Minimum
“A records center should insist that the software encourage RIM best practices,” Sowers and Wisser say.

That should include a proven chain of custody from customer pickup to final disposition and a perpetual audit trail of all activity, they add.

Bidwell says that as a commercial records center’s services become more diverse, so should the company’s billing system. RIM companies should look for software solutions with “the ability to address multiple media types, different services and the different billing nuances that an operation can have,” he says. “The ability to provide an accurate invoice based on how the service was sold is obviously pretty important.”

Records management companies also should insist on features such as mobile barcode scanning and Web assistance, sources say.

“At a minimum,” Sowers and Wisser say, “the software should automatically bill and invoice, systematically manage the facility and customers, generate barcode labels and support barcode scanning, support integrated dispatching/routing and provide easy-to-use client Web access.”

Effective software will be comprehensive, flexible, cost-effective and easy to use; and providers should offer online demonstrations to help confirm it will meet a company’s needs, they add.

Additional Features
Software services that can expand with a RIM company can make vertical growth easier to obtain and manage. Additional features could help make the difference between winning new business and keeping existing business, according to Sowers.He explains how features like DHS’ Total Recall™ On-Site component is designed to help a records center customer manage on-site and off-site hard-copy and electronic records through an online service.

“Providing an integrated solution to a client only strengthens the relationship of the commercial record center and the customer,” Sowers says. “Advanced customer relationship management tools including correspondence tracking and automatic email notification of key events provide benefits that will increase customer retention and improve communication.”

Records management firms also may want to look for automated, compliant credit card payment systems that are designed to streamline the payment process and can offer ways to mitigate risk by protecting customer banking information.

Additionally, software solutions that have the potential to grow with a RIM firm as it adds services may be more beneficial than having to search for a new software provider when stepping into a new industry segment.

Ian Thomas, vice president of business development for O’Neil Software, Irvine, Calif., says, “A good partnership is a process, not a one-time deal. The best way to inspire customer loyalty is to re-invest in the product. Find a software provider that updates their core products continuously, so they can be used indefinitely,” he suggests.

“Change is inevitable and, like almost everything else, software has a shelf life. So be sure to purchase technology that will stand the test of time, adapt and grow along with your organization’s business,” Thomas advises. He suggests using software that is built using industry standard platforms and languages, such as Microsoft SQL Server and the new Microsoft.NET technology. “It’s insurance against obsolescence,” he adds.

All Together Now
Larger, commercial customers as well as government agencies have expressed an interest in receiving help for managing on-site and off-site records and data storage. They want a “fully integrated solution for clients to manage hard-copy and digital files using a single online portal,” Sowers and Wisser say.

Typically, larger entities have developed custom systems to manage information coming from multiple locations but they still may seek out additional resources.

Bidwell says digital files can include everything from Word documents to emails to PowerPoint presentations. He says large clients of RIM firms often have systems in place to manage those files because “what they are dealing with is on a much larger scale than the records centers would ever see.”

Bidwell uses General Motors as an example. The company is trying to manage digital information created in multiple locations worldwide. “A lot of times what they have done is come up with an in-house solution. But if they have the ability to take their in-house solution and integrate that with either an Excel export of boxes or files that they are sending off [to a commercial records center], a lot of times those [in-house] solutions have the ability to track an off-site location.”

This is where RIM companies have the opportunity to offer expanded services and build stronger business relationships. Bidwell explains that these in-house solutions have shortcomings that records management firms can compensate for with the help of integrated software.

“Think of all the emails you receive on a daily basis. Those records in that form will never hit the records center. But for a records center providing back-file conversions or a scan-on-demand solution, if there is a way to integrate [those files], great; but, a lot of times those things can be managed by a couple of different solutions because typically a records center system does not have all the checks and balances that a true digital archiving software application will manage,” he says.

Thomas says, “Managing in-house corporate records can be tough, and that challenge compounds when utilizing off-site storage. Updating metadata and ordering services from an off-site vendor often require manual, time-consuming steps, creating an additional burden and possibilities for errors,” Thomas says.

Again, ease of use plays a key role when deciding which software program to adopt. “Just like with any industry, software users in the RIM industry are looking for solutions that do not require multiple software applications to manage records of all formats,” Sowers says.

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Piqued Interest
Beyond the benefits of an easy- to- navigate system, integrated software solutions can provide real business advantages. The RIM industry and its clients continue to face regulatory challenges, especially in regard to the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability (HIPA) Act. Software can help RIM firms—and their clients—remain compliant with regulations.

“The evolving regulatory and market trends of digitally born information has prompted a greater interest in a RIM solution that comprehensively accommodates all record types, physical and digital,” Sowers and Wisser say.

Additionally, records centers that can offer more services can generate more revenue, Bidwell says. Providing easy access to a company’s records regardless of where they are stored can strengthen customer relationships and encourage future growth, he says.

Sowers says, “By providing a comprehensive solution, the record center will increase customer retention and advance their level of professionalism—from the client’s perspective, the commercial record center is now a records management professional, not just an off-site record storage center.”

Clients of commercial RIM companies also may be able to reap the benefits of a single request and management portal for their information versus being tied to multiple systems.

“The client has a solution that helps them better manage retention and legal holds, improving their internal records program,” Sowers says of integrated software. “A corporation or government agency that has this ability will reduce operating costs and minimize risks.”

He adds, “Streamlining their RIM program through systematic records management initiatives can also increase revenues for a corporation by providing faster access and retrieval of information assets.”

The author is assistant editor for Storage and & Destruction Business magazine and can be contacted at kstoklosa@gie.net.