Records management highlighted as key to business success

It may seem a somewhat niche aspect of business, and one that many may consider surplus to requirement, but a well-defined records management system is in fact essential to business continuity, the IT Online website notes.

First let’s define business continuity – this is the ability of a business to continue provision of a product or service at a pre-defined level of quality for an extended period, even after a disruptive incident. It’s basically about a business’ ability to carry on performing; and investing in records management can help with this.

Business continuity is dependent on being able to identify current and future threats to the business; but in order to do this a business needs to look back at past threats and learn from them, and this is where records management come in. The memory of a business lies in its records, and they can therefore help professionals to better understand previous grievances and prepare themselves for future hiccups.

And it’s not just business professionals touting the importance of good records management – two professors from the University of Botswana have recently given talks about the usefulness of records management, noting how the practice can help with business performance and corporate governance.

Thorough record keeping facilitates effective and accurate delivery of a business’ product or service, as well as helping with managerial decision making and providing protection against risk. However, the security of keeping such archives must also be considered by the business in question, as records can prove highly valuable depending on the type of information they relate to.

Did you realise that records management could be so valuable? Have you the facilities in place to begin storing records in a way that will prove useful to your business?