Enforcement of Policy is Key to Successful Content Management

July 13, 2010

I wanted to talk about everyone’s favorite subject, email management. Yes, I know your eyes just rolled to the back and you’re thinking of the tech guys that have lectured you in the past about cleaning up your inbox and that you have storage limits and the like. But I want to get away from the tech side and talk very briefly about the policy side.

I would like to touch on the importance of an email policy. An email policy is pretty clear-cut and simple right? Well, if it so simple why do so few organization have a formal email policy or, for that matter, any email policy oversight. Yes email is, or should be, addressed in the employee handbook and if you have an IT person they will most likely come by from time to time and lecture you about having too much email in your inbox. However, it seems that much of the time, management has not fully bought in to the whole idea of an email policy or enforcement of the policy. Many times management just lets IT be responsible for email policy enforcement. Of course, IT should play a role in development and enforcement but there really should be an oversight team that includes IT, legal and records management,  and they should have the backing of the C-Level guys. Every organization’s email policy will be different and oversight will vary, and therefore the makeup of the over sight team will differ from situation to situation. However, most policies should address a few basic concepts:

  • Acceptable usage
  • Signature blocks
  • Effective usage
  • Personal usage
  • Ownership
  • Privacy
  • Retention and disposition

What should not differ from situation to situation is that top-level management support of the written email policy.  This will help ensure that the policy will be enforced throughout the organization, including management. (If management is not going to adhere to the email policy how can they expect anyone else to?)

By having a clear email policy, organizations reduce legal liabilities, manage content and records for optimal retrieval and reduce the cost of storing outdated or useless information. The key to the success for any email content management policy relies on management buy-in.

Miller Montague 7/12/2010

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Posted by Answer Maven

Two Years & Answer Maven Business is Good

July 7, 2010

Answer Maven has been busy this summer.

  • Duty as Chair of SLA Legal Division complete after the end of the Annual Conference in mid-June
  • Working with a great team on the planning for  the Lucene Revolution User Conference to be held October 7-8, 2010.
  • Finalizing the second custom taxonomy for two different clients
  • Content Management and e-Discovery business development underway with Miller Montague

In the meantime, Miller and I are working out lots of details.  We are excited about the work we will be doing in the e-discovery arena.  He is  all set for a certification course next week.  I continue to bone up the industry at large.

So Answer Maven has a lot going on, which is great news.

Today, I want to take a moment to share just a couple of observations that I have made during the last few weeks of work.

  • Quality is important. If the semi-colons and date formats are the major topic of discussion about a deliverable  that’s a great thing.

You may wonder why I say that, the truth is that if that type of detail is the focus of attention the content is where it needs to be.  Delivering the highest quality of content to a client is success.

  • Open Source Search must not be ignored.

The opportunities in this arena are boundless because the community drives improvement.

  • All the old stuff offers new opportunities

Businesses that deliver the same-old same-old underestimate the shifting factors in both client expectations, technical abilities and dreamed of opportunities.  Transitioning business models is a difficult but necessary undertaking.  I understand that it is more difficult for large companies to shift quickly but the out-and-out refusal of a company to transition to new models can be the death toll.

I love having the opportunity to talk with my clients about their transition opportunities.  One recent transition idea was so simple in concept that I was sceptical at first.  As we discussed use scenarios the possibilities seemed like real opportunities.

Much in Answer Maven’s consulting work needs to be transitioned and that work is underway.  Are you busy with the daily grind or have you thought about your transition opportunities?  What is old that you need to make new again?  If you can find those gems and execute the innovations business is good.

Constance Ard July 7, 2010

Leave a Comment » | Business, Information Management | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by Answer Maven

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