Electronic Document Management

Computers were supposed to make our lives easier and create a paperless office. Now I have more paper files than ever before, plus thousands of electronic files. How can my organization take control of our documents and ensure information is available to employees where and when they need it?

Documents are an essential part of conducting business for every organization. They are the corporate memory of your business transactions, activities and functions. Your business could not achieve its objectives if it were not for the information contained in your documents. However, a document is not just a piece of paper anymore. It’s any object an organization uses to store information. So, word processing files, spreadsheets, electronic presentations and even web pages are all documents.

All documents have a life cycle. They are created, distributed, stored, retrieved and eventually destroyed. It doesn’t matter if they are paper or electronic, they all go through this cycle as a result of your business activities. TAB professionals can show you how to manage your electronic documents through all of the phases in this life cycle, to increase efficiency, minimize costs and reduce risk.

Analyse, Classify, Retain
TAB’s Certified Records Managers (CRM) apply the same methods used in paper records management to implement an information management program for all your electronic documents. We start by assessing business functions and processes with your key stakeholders. Our professionals will then develop a classification scheme to better organize your information taking business practices and relevant laws into account. The classification is the structure that identifies your records holdings and works as a “sign post,” to clearly identify information and facilitate electronic filing, retrieval and archiving.

Once classification is complete TAB develops a plan including a retention strategy that will help you identify the records that need to be kept, how they should be stored, and when you can legally dispose of them. The development of a retention strategy and schedule can significantly reduce the volume of electronic records stored on hard drives and servers throughout your organization.

TAB will help you set up the right policies and procedures, train your employees, and implement a monitoring system to ensure program compliance.

Manage your risk
TAB ensures that your information management practices are compliant with all industry-specific regulations and legislation. We develop comprehensive programs outlining everything from duplication and dispersal requirements, through storage and access restrictions to the eventual destruction of records no longer deemed vital as outlined by a retention schedule.

For more information on how TAB can help you take control of your electronic documents, call 1-800-417-8010 or complete our response form.