Information Maps: Navigating a Course for Better Data Oversight by Jeff Picozzi

What do tours of famous Hollywood homes and searches for critical electronic files have in common? They both benefit from a good, smart map. After all, who wants to lose time and money driving around Beverly Hills looking for Katy Perry's manse?

You also don't have time to waste when you're scanning your archives for that one piece of star information. However, you may currently find it easier to locate directions to Katy's than it is to find an information map that can pinpoint the customer complaint file you need now. And you're in good company: In one recent Information Lifecycle Management survey, 60 percent of records and information management professionals polled said they aren't using maps as part of their RIM program.

These firms probably haven't taken steps toward information mapping because the initial build is a time-consuming process that often requires skills beyond their staff's capabilities. Instead of going it alone, companies should consider working with a partner to locate, catalog and chart their e-files.

Navigating the RIM Archives: Where Are We?

In the simplest definition, an information data map identifies your various and often disparate databases using metadata tags or other common characteristics, allowing you then to apply governance policy collectively. To be successful, such a map must cover all points of customer contact, whether they're the standard documents of an account opening, the marketing offers consumers may receive, or informal conversations over the phone or via email.

Sounds simple, right? But before you run off and draw up your map, you need to determine the current state of your organization's data oversight. The best way to know whether you have an adequate and accurate inventory of all your digital documents is to work with a trusted partner with the tools and experience to make sense of your inventory maze.

Establish Your RIM Archive Coordinates

A map without directions is just a picture. The same can be said for an information map without governance. Data or information maps should be guided by protocols. These guidelines should detail how to handle items that may be requested during litigation. A knowledgeable partner keeps your information in line with current federal, state and industry regulations regarding discoverable documents. Its experts can also help you assign identifiers for easier file retrieval.

A map should also provide a regularly updated company-wide view-one that incorporates all applications (including social media) and all of your enterprise's current systems. This calls for regular maintenance and updating. And once files have outlived their usefulness, a capable partner can assist you in assuring their safe destruction.

Reaching Your Information Management Destination

The benefits of information mapping are clear: increased visibility for all documents and a better understanding of how data flows through your organization. When you engage a partner to guide the development of your information map, you'll save time and aggravation and speed up your company's arrival at a sensible data management system.

LINK:	http://blogs.ironmountain.com/2015/industry/financial-services/informa...
	See more stories from ironmountain

Most recent headlines