Guidelines for choosing a records management system: a document viewer

From the translator . The choice of ECM-system is very difficult. There are a lot of publications in which various software solutions are described and compared to each other — but materials that are impartial analysis that are devoid of advertising character are not enough. Today we would like to offer our readers a translation of an article written by Nancy Graham Moreland, an employee of the State Archives of New York. The author takes a fundamentally unbiased position: the text does not even mention the names of any specific software products. Of course, the considerations expressed in the article are largely controversial. But at the same time, the author, the document specialist, looks at the problem of choosing an ECM-system with the eye of an ordinary user and points out a number of points that technical specialists often do not pay attention to.
By publishing this text, we would also like to invite readers to discuss the following questions: what functions should include software for working with electronic documents? What functions do you think are missing in the ERMS / SER used by you?

We are currently working on article, on the technical aspects of the choice of an archive system. It will be published in our blog very soon. Keep for updates.


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Introduction

Record management system is a software solution designed to organize and monitor organization records. Such programs have a fairly wide range of features and allow you to work with records of any format. However, the evaluation and selection of a specific record management software solution depends on a number of factors. There is no system that could suit all potential users. In addition, when choosing a system, one should take into account the specifics of the organization - its size, nature and complexity of the tasks to be solved. Before purchasing a system, it is necessary to clearly clarify why and how it will be used.

The purpose of this publication is to assist readers in choosing a software solution for their organization. The right choice allows you to significantly increase labor productivity, as well as more effectively build the external and internal communications of the organization. At the same time, we do not aim to recommend a particular software product; we just want to make a number of considerations of a general methodological nature, which can be relied upon when choosing and evaluating a particular product.

Preliminary analysis

First of all, try to answer the following question: what type of records do you most often have to deal with in everyday practice? Once again, pay attention to the rules under which the creation and storage of records in your organization. The choice of a specific solution essentially depends on all the listed circumstances.

Formulation of software requirements

When choosing a records management system, decide on the tasks that this system should solve and the functions it should perform. In addition, try to formulate performance criteria that your system must meet.

Records Management Systems Functions

Record management systems usually include the following functions:

• destruction of records (deletes records in electronic form in such a way that their restoration becomes impossible)
• request processing (receiving and executing requests for records or a series of records)
• file management (storage, retrieval, update)
• document management (creation, use and maintenance of electronic records)

General requirements

Record management systems must also meet a variety of general requirements. These include:

• Help and detailed help (informative and yet written in simple language user manuals; understandable error messages; support and training from the vendor);
• Menus and commands (they should be clear and logically organized);
• Speed ​​and accuracy (data loading / retrieval should be fast);
• Generating standard reports (the system should quickly generate reports and print them)
• Ease of use (the system should be easy to use; it is desirable that users can start working with it directly on the day of installation);
• Customization (the ability to "tweak" the system to the specifics of work in a particular organization)
• Ability to work with records throughout the life cycle (from creation and active use - up to transfer to archival storage);
• Ability to manage records of any format (the system should allow to work with records of different formats - text, graphic, sound, etc.);
• Full text search (full text search and keyword / attribute search must be present in the system)
• Management of security and access levels (the system should allow the possibility of delimiting access to records / series of records)
• The ability to track the movement of records (if necessary, the system should allow the ability to track the movement of records between users).

Performance criteria

In terms of performance, the records management system must meet at least the following criteria:

• it should work stably on the hardware available in the organization (otherwise additional costs are unavoidable);
• must store data in accordance with the American Standard Code Table (ASCII) - this is necessary for the possible transfer of data to a new system in the future

In addition, it is desirable that system vendors provide technical support as well as staff training.

Important questions

To clearly understand what kind of records management system you need, try to answer the following questions:

What records do I often work with?

You must clearly understand what type of records you are going to use the system for and what problems you plan to solve with it.

What specific software can help me in solving my problems?

There are many records management systems. All of these systems include various features. You must be clear about what features you need.

What software solutions are used in other organizations?

Contact other organizations and find out which record management systems they use and why; It can help you understand what you need.

Is the user manual clearly written?

Before you purchase a specific software, read its documentation. The user manual should describe in detail all the nuances of working with the system, possible problems and methods for solving them, and contact details should also be given for communication.

Is the system simple?

The system should be simple. Vendors often say that the system can do everything you want - but it often happens that the system has more opportunities than it really needs. Chances are good that you pay large enough sums for features that you will never use.

Can the system do what you need?

Make a list of the necessary functions, and then check if the system you are planning to purchase includes them.

What is the evaluation of the system in terms of design and usability?

How does the system interface work? Does the user understand the graphic and text notation? It is highly desirable that the interface is intuitive.

Are training materials available?

Training materials are a step-by-step description of the operations carried out with the help of the program. They must have a clear logical structure, and also be written in simple and understandable language.

If an error occurs while working with the program, do the corresponding messages appear on the screen?

Error messages should be displayed whenever you perform an incorrect or illegal action, be it pressing the wrong key or entering data in a format that is not supported by the system. The error message should be informative and understandable; it is very desirable that it contains information on possible ways to solve the problem.

How are the program menus organized?

Menus should be simple, clear, have a clear and logical structure. It is desirable that the most frequently repeated operations are also initiated using context menus / hotkeys.

How fast does the system work?

Make sure that the records management system runs on your equipment at normal speed and does not freeze.

How is data entry into the system organized?

The system device should eliminate unnecessary data entry. Each data element must be entered into the system only once - all further work with it is carried out automatically.

Is there a possibility of global data changes in the system?

All changes should be carried out through one or two simple operations. For example, if you change the name of any department in an organization in one document, the old name should be automatically replaced with a new one in all documents related to that department.

Is it possible to simply switch between files?

The user should be able to freely switch between elements of content stored in the system without performing any additional operations (just like switching between open windows in Internet browsers).

Does the system include backup and restore procedures?
The system should include a set of functions ensuring the protection of information from deletion.

Can the system be tailored to the specific requirements of a particular organization?

As mentioned above, there are no universal solutions for managing records. Choosing a system, analyze the possibilities of its adjustment to the system of your work (connection of additional modules, integration with other software, etc.).