-----Original Message-----
From: Records Management Program [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On
Behalf Of Richard King
Sent: Thursday, May 11, 2000 2:35 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Scheduling Data Warehouses and ERP's


Chris,
This is a tough one I think.  Much discussion came after your post and I am
still reading.  Our state records director says that if it's data it ain't
records.  However (and to me) if that data exists and was used to create
records
then as long as it is there it can be used to re-create records.  Even if
the
report writer or whatever application was used to generate the "record" is
gone
if the data is still there you may have to recreate the record anyway.

NOT JUST THE RECORD, BUT THE RECORD COPY.

My understanding is that the courts have consistently ruled that if you
build a
system that is difficult to use and it is expensive and time consuming to
recreate the records that is your problem and if you can't do it the court
will
find someone who can (at your expense).

iNITAILLY VENDORS SAID TO JUST DELETE THE INDEX AND THAT WAS EQUIVALENT TO
DESTROYING THE RECORDS. IT HAS BEEN AN EDUCATIONAL PROCESS TO CHANGE THIS
PERSPECTIVE AND OBVIOUSLY HAS NOT YET ENDED.

To me this is like deciding to cut your paper records up and put them in a
trash bag and store the trash bag
permanently.  Comes litigation you still have the records albeit in a hard
to
use and expensive to recreate form but under discovery you will have to
produce
or pay.  Maybe I am missing something here but I just think this is a
dangerous
practice that hasn't been thought through or tested in court.  There are
very
good reasons why we have created the notion of information life-cycles and
ultimate disposal.  I think the IT guys are just too lazy and uninterested
to
deal with the problem.

I WOULDN'T SAY LAZY. THEY JUST REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE ARE OTHER
CONCERNS THAN ROI AND MAXIMUM EFFICIENCY IN DATA MANAGEMENT TERMS.

If I was in the position of managing your institutions
records I would get the legal department to give me an opinion in writing
that
this is not a problem and in a sense indemnify me against blame when this
blows
up down the road.

LEGAL MIGHT BE WILLING TO RECOGNIZE THAT I HAVE A PROBLEM, BUT WITHOUT A
PROPOSED SOLUTION I WILL NOT GET VERY FAR.

Maybe I'm too conservative on this issue but I've got a
feeling that any record/data that hangs around "forever" is going to
eventually
bite us on the butt.

AS LONG AS IT IS NOT MY BUTT, RIGHT?

Dick King, University of Arizona and his thoughts only.

I AM HESITANT TO WRITE SUCH WORDS, BUT THE AUSTRALIANS MIGHT BE ON THE RIGHT
TRACK. I ADOPTED THE VICTROIA STANDARD AS A BASELINE FOR METADATA CAPTURE
AND FOR MOVING RECORDS INTO OUR EDMS SYSTEM. IT LOOKS LIKE I MIGHT HAVE TO
ADOPT THEIR DEFINITION OF A RECORD AS WELL. ARE THERE ANY AUSTRALIANS OUT
THERE? LET'S SEE SOME APPLIED THEORY


CHRIS FLYNN, CA CRM
RECORDS OFFICER
UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO
[log in to unmask]
208/885-4408

Chris Flynn wrote:

> Dick,
>
> Any suggestions?
>
> Chris Flynn, CA CRM
> Records Officer
> University of Idaho
> [log in to unmask]
> 208/885-4408
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Records Management Program [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On
> Behalf Of Richard King
> Sent: Tuesday, May 09, 2000 3:39 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Scheduling Data Warehouses and ERP's
>
> Chris Flynn wrote:
> I have already been told that nothing will ever be scheduled out of the
data
> warehouse.
>
> Chris,
> If this is the case it seems to me you don't have (or won't have) a
legally
> defensible records management program  Dick King, University of Arizona