Records Consulting Services to help you keep up with a demanding records and information environment

Feeling like your RIM program is two steps behind where it should be? ACS offers a spectrum of RIM consulting services designed to move information through its life cycle, improve access and security, ensure legal and regulatory compliance and establish cost savings and avoidances. Services include:

 

RIM Program Assessment
RIM Organization & Policy and Procedure Development
Records Retention Schedule Review and Development
Vital Records Scheduling & Protection Planning
Electronic Records Management (ERM)
Storage Management Services
Imaging Applications & Management
Business Process Analysis & Design
File Systems Development
Performance Audit

RIM Program Assessment

What is it?
A review of how your records and information management efforts stack up against a typical RIM program, a top-flight RIM program, industry peers, ISO 15489, legal mandates (HIPAA, SOX, GLB), or even your own vision.

How we can help:

• Comprehensive review of organization RIM activities and performance.
• Identification and definition of appropriate benchmarks.
• Clear and concise analysis of activity/performance deficiencies and recommendations for remedial action.

The benefits to your organization:

• An objective and accurate assessment of RIM initiatives compared with the organization's expectations and tolerance for risk.
• A clear roadmap for bridging the gaps - efficiently, effectively and compliantly.

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RIM Organization and Policy and Procedure Development

What is it?
A thorough assessment of the way RIM is organized (including staffing) and the associated guidance personnel areprovided to fulfill your RIM obligations.

How we can help:

• Review of RIM activities and associated structure, responsibilities and accountabilities.
• Review of RIM policies, procedures and delivery systems, including orientation/training efforts.
• Development of effective RIM organizational schemes, directives, and communications strategies.

The benefit to your organization:

• Provides the foundation to ensure your organization operates within accepted guidelines for successful RIM implementation and successful long-term maintenance.

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Records Retention Scheduling

What is it?
A key component in any records management program, records retention schedules identify the records of an organization and specify the period of time for which those records need to be retained. Schedules also contain additional information helpful to the ongoing management of the organization's records.

How we can help:

• Identification of all relevant records using a variety of data gathering techniques.
• Assessment of the operational, legal and audit requirements for retention.
• Records Retention Schedules are submitted in a detailed report with data and recommendations summarized for management review and approval.
• Implementation strategies to ensure the accurate, confident and consistent application of retention schedule standards today and going forward.

The benefits to your organization:

• A significant reduction of records holdings and related costs.
• Dramatic savings in avoiding the need to produce records in the course of discovery or in response to subpoena.
• Better able to manage your assets and liabilities.

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Vital Records Scheduling and Protection Planning

What is it?
Provides for the security and the accessibility of records and information needed to protect key assets, establish financial position, resume operations and preserve the rights and privileges of affiliated parties (e.g., employees, customers and shareholders) in the event of a man-made or natural disaster.

How we can help:

• Identification and documentation of records and information that meet "vital record" criteria.
• Assessment of alternative methods for ensuring appropriate protection and accessibility.
• Construction of schedule listing vital records and protection method for each.
• Development and presentation of strategies to ensure that protection methods and accessibility requirements are met within defined standards and over time.

The benefit to your organization:

• The ability to quickly resume operation following business interruption.

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Electronic Records Management (ERM)

What is it?
Application of basic records and information management principles to information in electronic form.

How we can help:

• Definition of ERM scope and objectives.

• Critique of existing ERM objectives and practices within the organization (if any).

• Analysis to determine if ERM measures correspond with performance expectations.

• Redesign/design and justification of revised/new ERM processes.
• Planning and implementation of revised/new processes, including documentation, training and communications.
• Post-project assessment of revised/new process performance.

The benefits to your organization:

• Ensures that information in electronic form is managed properly with the same degree as that which resides in other formats.

 

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Storage Management Services

What is it?
Off-site stroage of organizational semi-active and inactive records, including alternative media storage functions. The service is particularly suited to organizations with large storage volumes and related transactions, as well as holdings at multiple sites.




How we can help:

• Definition of scope and identification of standards for off-site services to be provided.
• Establish relationships and required processes with all storage providers.
• Development of procedures for organization personnel regarding all storage-related transactions.
• Consolidation of all storage-related information into centralized database(s).
• Monitoring and reconciliation of all facets of the storage function: transfers, retrievals, refiles, special services, disposition and invoice verification.
• Periodic reporting of activity and associated costs.
• Onsite auditing as required to verify actual storage vendor performance.



The benefit to your organization:

• Rigorous, controlled and professional management of the offsite information storage function - providing current and accurate information - without the expenditure of internal resources.

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Imaging Applications and Management

What is it?
Selection of appropriate imaging applications and proper management of imaging processes.




How we can help:

• Identification of existing and potential imaging applications.
• Justification of applications.
• Analysis and presentation of in-house vs. outsourced imaging alternatives.
• If in-house: assessment of systems design, indexing requirements and schemes, quality controls and procedures/documentation.
• If outsourced: development of service specifications, vendor selection criteria, and assistance in vendor identification and selection.



The benefit to your organization:

• Appropriate, effective, efficient and legally acceptable use of imaging technology.

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Business Process Analysis and Design

What is it?
Review and streamline administrative work processes, involving specific tasks and the flow of information.




How we can help:

• Definition of process (or lack thereof) and expected outcomes.
• Gathering of appropriate data and assessment of performance.
• Analyze data and improvement alternatives; redesign/design as appropriate.
• Develop and implement transition plan, including documentation and training.
• Monitor results; implement controls to ensure ongoing performance.



The benefit to your organization:

• Processes that consistently produce desired outcomes - with low or no incidence of error - at the least possible cost.

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File Systems Development

What is it?
The creation of schemes of organization, generally for records in hardcopy form. Improves record identification and retrieval and reduces the incidence of misfiled or lost documents. May be developed for individual organizational units or enterprise wide.




How we can help:

• Development of a logical structure (classification system) for the organization of records.
• Creation of related aids (guides and indices) to assist personnel in the retrieval process.
• Identification and specification of appropriate supplies and equipment for the physical maintenance of records.
• Conversion of records from the current system (or lack thereof) to the newly created organizational scheme.
• Development of file maintenance guidelines to ensure ongoing file integrity and retrievability.



The benefits to your organization:

• Greatly improved productivity and cost savings due to speedy location and retrieval of records.
• Greater assurance of complete production in response to litigation discovery or subpoena.


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Performance Audit

What is it?
The periodic assessment of an organization's RIM practices.




How we can help:

• Development of an audit plan.
• Creation of audit instruments to rate performance of selected RIM, administrative and operations organizational units.
• Physical, onsite conduct of audit by ACS staff or organizational personnel.



The benefit to your organization:

• Continued assurance that RIM activities are being conducted at the level and in accordance with the standards for which they were designed.

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