News You Can Use

Disaster Preparedness Tip Sheet for Businesses of All Sizes

• Start the disaster plan by identifying what your operation needs to do to
  protect itself in the face of a natural disaster.  Even if you don’t own
  the building where you do business, take steps to protect your assets.
  
  
• Determine what production machinery, computers and other essential
  equipment is needed to keep your business open.  Store extra supplies
  offsite, and make a plan for a temporary location if your company is forced
  to relocate after the disaster.   Be ready for utility disruptions with a
  portable generator.
  
• Find escape routes from the business and establish meeting places.  Make
  sure everyone understands the emergency plan before the storm hits.
  Designate a contact person to communicate with other employees, customers
  and vendors.
  
  
• Review your insurance coverage to make sure you understand what is not
  covered.  Most policies don’t cover flood damage.
  
  
• The National Flood Insurance Program provides coverage to property
  owners.  Go to the NFIP Web site at www.floodsmart.gov.
  
• Consider business interruption insurance.  It covers operating expenses,
  like utilities, and compensates you for the income lost after a temporary
  closure.
  
  
• Make back-up copies of all tax, accounting, payroll and production
  records and customer data on computer hard drives, and store the records at
  an offsite location at least 100 miles away.  Important documents should be
  saved in fireproof safe deposit boxes.
  
  
• To protect your property from wind damage, install impact-resistant
  windows and door systems, or plywood shutters.  Hire a professional to
  evaluate your roof to make sure it can weather a major storm.
  
  
• Develop a post-disaster communications strategy.  Keep current phone
  numbers for your suppliers, employees, customers, utility companies, local
  media, and emergency agencies.  Appoint a spokesperson to get the word out
  that your company is still open and on the road to recovery, to dispel
  rumors of business failure.
  
  
• More preparedness tips for businesses, homeowners and renters are
  available on the SBA’s Web site at www.sba.gov/disaster_recov/prepared/getready.html. 
  The Institute for Business and Home Safety (www.ibhs.org ) also has information on protecting your home or business.  The federal government’s preparedness Web site www.ready.gov is another helpful resource.
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AIIM Survey Finds Compliance Real, Relevant, and More Than Just Records   

SILVER SPRING, MD -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 08/15/06 -- AIIM - The Enterprise Content Management Association releases results from its new Industry Watch study ' Compliance: It's Real, It's Relevant, and It's More Than Just Records .' The study of over 700+ end users found that organizations DO believe that compliance concerns related to information management are here to stay and that they are not just a passing fad. Yet, awareness of what constitutes "compliance" is extremely narrow. "When users view the term ' compliance ' in their organizations in relation to information management, their recognition is limited primarily to government regulations (84.2%), litigation (62.1%), and paper records management (52.0%)," states AIIM President John Mancini. "End users should be concerned about all of their critical business information and their core business processes."
When it comes to compliance, the weakest link is electronic documentation. In a series of questions focused on individual responsibility for retention of records, user understanding of the definition of records, and policies governing management of information, end users indicate that they are much more comfortable managing PAPER information than ELECTRONIC information.

--Nearly 3 in 4 end users agree that the individuals responsible for retaining PAPER records are clearly identified in their organization -- vs. barely half when considering retention of ELECTRONIC information.

-- Nearly 64% of end users believe that there is widespread understanding of what PAPER records are and how they should be retained -- vs. 34% when considering ELECTRONIC records.

-- 65% of end users believe they have clear policies in place related to PAPER information in the event of litigation -- vs. 39% when considering ELECTRONIC information.

For most forms of important PAPER documentation, 70-80% of end users feel a high level of confidence (or at least some degree of confidence) in their systems and processes. Of course this does not mean that these paper documents are being handled in the most effective and efficient manner. There is great evidence that even though organizations appear "comfortable" with their management of paper-based information from a compliance perspective, there are still incredible process efficiencies to be gained from turning all this paper into digital information.

Mr. Mancini notes, "There are some who believe that compliance-related demands of information management have crested. However, the data suggests that most organizations have only just begun to seriously consider compliance related to organizational content.

"With the passing of Sarbanes-Oxley's 4th birthday (July 30), one would think that organizations would be further into the process of electronic records management . Our study found that only end users in very large organizations are likely to have begun a compliance initiative, and these are at a fairly early stage of development. Even among some large organizations (1,001 to 10,000 employees), there is still much room for action. Over 50% of survey respondents describe themselves as at a very early stage in considering compliance requirements -- either as 'we have not yet begun' or 'we have begun, but much remains to be done.'"

The full study is available at http://www.aiim.org/viewpdfa.asp?ID=31842

Key Findings

-- Organizations are still at the beginning stages of determining compliance requirements.
-- When it comes to compliance, the weakest link is electronic information.
-- End users have a disturbingly narrow view of compliance and what it means for their organization, perhaps because of an over emphasis in the media on such legislation as Sarbanes-Oxley and HIPAA.
-- Users have an intuitive feel that "something" is wrong within their organizations relative to managing electronic information, but are having a difficult time mounting a systematic and disciplined approach to meeting the challenge.
-- When it comes to compliance, Records Managers have a seat on the bus -- but they aren't driving it.