Information for RIM Professionals

ARMA is proud to offer a collection of material specifically of interest to RIM professionals, covering a wide range of information management-related subjects. Browse by material type below.

Other Resources

Electronic Records Listserv
The Electronic Records Listserv is a free e-mail listserv devoted to discussion of electronic records. NOTE: This service is neither provided nor maintained by ARMA International. The instructions contained on this page are provided solely as a convenience, and not as an endorsement by ARMA International of the users of or content contained upon the listserv. ARMA International has no control over listserv users or the content of messages that they may post.

Records/Info Management Listserv
The Records/Info Management Listserv is a free e-mail listserv devoted to discussion of records and information management. NOTE: This service is neither provided nor maintained by ARMA International. The instructions contained on this page are provided solely as a convenience, and not as an endorsement by ARMA International of the users of or content contained upon the listserv. ARMA International has no control over listserv users or the content of messages that they may post.

A Practical Enterprise Methodolgy for Addressing the Compliance Challenges of eDiscovery, eRetention Management, and Defensible Disposition (PDF 351KB)
Each year, companies are losing millions of dollars due to the costs of retaining and managing electronic information. This white paper discusses in detail the issues related to eDiscovery and eRetention compliance and proposes a ten-step methodolgy for addressing these challenges. The methodology is intended as a practical framework that can help organizations simplify these issues and minimize risk. ...
 |   |   |   | 
Date Created: 12/28/2006 - Date Updated:

A RIM Guide to Sarbanes-Oxley (PDF 473KB)
The RIM Guide to Sarbanes-Oxley was designed as a quick reference to the various kinds of records and information mentioned or required throughout the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. This matrix will not replace the need to read or refer to the Act itself, but it will help identify sections that may be relevant for specific purposes. ...
 | 
Date Created: 09/18/2002

Building a Successful ECM Solution Team (PDF 206KB)
In order for a company to succeed in implementing a records management system, employees from many different areas need to work together. This article discusses the various players and departments needed to create a winning team. Also covered is the importance of setting goals and getting all the members on the same page. ...
 |   |   |   | 
Date Created: 12/28/2006 - Date Updated:

Data Retention Impacts ERM Strategies (PDF 35 KB)
“How long do we retain business information, in what data format, and within which electronic repositories?”  This article covers the responsibilities of IT professionals and records managers in the challenging area of data retention procedures and policies. Guidelines and tips are provided to further aid awareness and education of content managment. ...
 |   |   | 
Date Created: 01/05/2007 - Date Updated:

Developing a Records Retention Program (PDF 67KB)
A basic explanation of a records retention program and links to industry-specific records retention information, including an overview of key resources and Web links. Excerpted from Developing and Operating a Records Retention Program and Electronic Records Retention: New Strategies for Data Life Cycle Management ...
 | 
Date Created: 01/01/1900 - Date Updated:

Disasters Come in All Sizes (PDF 160KB)
This article, from the March 2000 issue of InfoPro magazine, talks about the basics of planning ahead for disaster recovery. ...
 | 
Date Created: 03/01/2000

ECM From a New Point of View (PDF 802 KB)
The risk companies face when information is not properly managed is a cost most can't afford to endure. Effective enterprise-wide information management is a difficult challenge leaving many organization vulnerable and frustrated. Explanation is given about why ECM is so important and what your company can do now.     ...
 |   |   |   |   | 
Date Created: 01/05/2007 - Date Updated:

Eleven Ways to Protect Yourself from Identity Theft (PDF 13KB)
Originally a tip sheet for Personal Information Privacy Day, sponsored by ARMA in April 2003, this short article focuses on how to prevent the crime of identity theft from a consumer perspective. ...
 | 
Date Created: 04/26/2003

Emergency Management for Records & Information Management Programs (PDF 256KB)
Excerpted here are two chapters, including forms and checklists, from the book Emergency Management for Records and Information Programs. This material focuses on the steps for responding to an emergency or disaster and for beginning the recovery of information assets. These response and recovery steps are but a small part of a comprehensive emergency management plan that organizations need to formulate in order to prepare for disasters and prevent or minimize the loss of records. ...
 | 
Date Created: 06/28/2004

Evolving the Records Management culture: From Ad Hoc to Adherence (PDF 476 KB)
Organizations that haven't implemented an enterprise-wide records management program are taking a significant risk that could result in lost productivity and extra costs. This article discusses how to change an organization's culture through policy and procedure, how to manage that change and provides a framework for records management planning. ...
 |   |   | 
Date Created: 05/11/2007 - Date Updated:

FACTA and Your Responsibility (PDF 125 KB)
New records management laws will soon impact every private and governmental organization nationwide. This case study discusses the Disposal Rule enacted by the Federal Trade Commission and new state laws that require companies to notify consumes of security breaches involving their personal information. ...
 |   |   | 
Date Created: 12/27/2006 - Date Updated:

From Compulsory to Competitive Advantage (PDF 126 KB)
With the increasing costs of email management and the growing number of governance mandates, many companies are striving to improve efficiency with their records management strategies. This case study takes a looks at the obstacles of electronic records management facing a variety of industries. ...
 |   |   | 
Date Created: 12/27/2006 - Date Updated:

Getting Past the Fad (PDF 160 KB)
This case study focuses on helping your organization create an effective and lasting ECM or RIM program. Areas such as identifiying the right skills, building a taxonomy with goals for simplicity, and updating the company's retention and disposition schedule are covered. ...
 |   |   |   | 
Date Created: 12/27/2006 - Date Updated:

Hope for the Best, Plan for the Worst (PDF 46 KB)
If a disaster unexpectedly struck your company today, would you be ready, or would you be down for the count? Covered in this article are the basics of a business continuity plan. Important areas such as the necessity for developing a vital records program and a risk management and mitigation plan are discussed. ...
 |   |   |   | 
Date Created: 01/05/2007 - Date Updated:

It’s After Sarbanes-Oxley. Do You Know Where Your Records Are? (PDF 4MB)
Recent regulatory requirements make managing and protecting information both a business priority and a legal obligation. Unfortunately, many financial institutions lack effective policies and procedures for systematic control of recorded information. ...
 |   |   | 
Date Created: 07/01/2004 - Date Updated:

Records Center Case Study: An In-house Solution to Records Storage Woes (PDF 244KB)
Siân Madsen and Sean Mabley describe how the Hudson’s Bay Co. established a centralized records center to serve its stores located throughout Canada. The case study contains a useful task list and valuable “lessons learned” about important issues such as budgeting and unexpected expenses, scope creep, technology impact, and project evolution. ...
 | 
Date Created: 06/28/2004

Records Center Case Study: Corporate Express Records Center Case Study (PDF 1.2MB)
Harrison explains how Corporate Express created one corporate and 17 division records centers to manage inactive records across its 33 North American Divisions. The case study emphasizes the importance of introducing an overall corporate-wide records management program and includes a helpful method for estimating the size of a project and other valuable “lessons learned.” ...
 | 
Date Created: 06/28/2004

Records Center Case Study: Institutional Dementia: Restoring Institutional Memory at the Port of Vancouver USA or How the Port Got Its Groove Back (PDF 275KB)
Oftedahl describes how the Port of Vancouver, Washington, responded to legal discovery demands that revealed its inability to quickly produce needed records. The case study addresses inappropriate storage, inability to retrieve records, training, records ownership, and the importance of institutional memory. ...
 | 
Date Created: 06/28/2004

Records Center Case Study: Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station Implements Electronic IM Program (PDF 128KB)
Co-authors Debra Hernandez and Steve Sawtschenko describe how the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station developed and implemented a world-class electronic information management program in a case study that won an honorable mention in ARMA International’s writing contest earlier this year. Leveraging information technology allowed PVNGS to improve business processes, lower overall costs, and capture intellectual assets. ...
 |   | 
Date Created: 11/12/2004 - Date Updated:

Records Center Case Study: The 5-Million Gallon Water Tower (PDF 172KB)
Ginger Choate, from the south Texas town of Flower Mound, describes the challenge of taking control of 1,300 unidentified boxes of inactive records that had been stored in the town’s water tower. ...
 | 
Date Created: 06/28/2004

Standards: Building Blocks for a Strong RIM Program (PDF 438 KB)
Combining guidance provided by ISO 15489 with ANSI/ARMA standards will allow a RIM professional to develop or improve a comprehensive records and information management program.   This Britt Literary Award-winning article: Explains the importance of standards in developing a complete RIM program Provides guidance about how to apply standards to problems faced by RIM professionals Describes important elements of the standards and how to use them to improve existing programs or develop new ones ...
 |   | 
Date Created: 11/14/2006 - Date Updated:

Storage Solutions and Record Management: In Tandem for Success (PDF 31 KB)
So ECM or ILM?  RIM or IT? Integration between storage and records management solutions demands that IT and RIM professionals work together to effectively manage their risks. Organizations are building information management practices into their enterprise content  platforms to effectively capture, manage, secure, and preserve content as part of critical retention procedures. ...
 |   |   | 
Date Created: 01/05/2007 - Date Updated:

The Sedona Guidelines: Best Practice Guidelines & Commentary for Managing Information & Records in the Electronic Age (PDF 1.38MB)
A companion piece to The Sedona Principles on Electronic Document Production, this article suggests basic guidelines, commentary, and illustrationsto help organizations develop sound and defensible processes to manage electronic information and records. ...
 |   | 
Date Created: 01/14/2005 - Date Updated:

The Sedona Principles: Best Practices, Recommendations & Principles for Addressing Electronic Document Production (PDF 1.6MB)
The problems posed by electronic document production vex corporations, litigants, and the courts alike, yet there exist few guides sufficient to meet thecomplexity of issues that even the most simple document request can raise. This guide describes “best practices” for lawyers to follow in addressing electronic document production. ...
 |   | 
Date Created: 01/14/2005 - Date Updated:

This Is Not Your Father's Records Management System (PDF 163 KB)
Compliance vs. Risk? The relationship between these two words is often a gray area in the world of records managment. This case study gives an overview of this subject matter and addresses the benefits of investing in a well-designed compliance strategy. ...
 |   |   |   | 
Date Created: 12/27/2006 - Date Updated:

Trial By Tornado (PDF 323KB)
This article, from the March 2000 issue of InfoPro magazine, talks about how one records facility's response to a devastating tornado demonstrates the necessity of a solid disaster recovery plan. ...
 | 
Date Created: 03/01/2000

Understanding Cyber Insurance (PDF 191KB)
Records and information management (RIM) practices have a direct nexus to information security. Poor RIM practices can create additional “e-Risk” exposures for organizations. Failure to correctly store and protect data/information has increasingly gained attention resulting in new laws and regulations and emerging legal liability. Loss and damages can decimate the bottom line and tarnish reputations. The insurance industry has responded with new forms of “network risk insurance” aimed at protecting an organization’s information assets and computer resources, and defending them against lawsuits for negligence due to breaches. In this article, NetDiligence and AON provide a layman’s overview of the cyber insurance marketplace. ...
 |   |   | 
Date Created: 07/01/2004 - Date Updated:

What CIOs Should Know About Records (PDF 429 KB)
Electronic records pose an enterprise risk that is pervasive, producing possible exposure in the areas of legal discovery, regulatory inspections, industry investigations, and privacy rule violations. This IT Update tells those with responsibility for providing solutions to these compliance, legal, and regulatory challenges 10 things they should know about managing electronic records. ...
 |   |   | 
Date Created: 06/08/2005 - Date Updated:

When Information Management Becomes Risky Business (PDF 47 KB)
This is an in-depth article covering the many risks associated with information management. Topics include what to look for in a records management program, enterprise training, accessing the risk and online assessment tools. Advice will also be given on avoiding the pitfalls of risk.   ...
 |   |   |   |   | 
Date Created: 01/05/2007 - Date Updated:

Access Rights to Business Data on PCs (PDF)
If an employee is doing substantive work on the employer’s behalf on a personally owned computer that is not located on the employer’s premises, the employer may expect or assume that it has some property ...
 |   |   | 

Chapter Resource - Video on Effective Presentations
 | 

Controlled Language in Records and Information Management (PDF)
Controlled language is an umbrella term that indicates an agreed-upon use of language in a predetermined or predictable way for describing organizational information resources, regardless of its format.  This gui ...
 |   |   | 

Establishing Alphabetic, Numeric and Subject Filing Systems (PDF)
This American National Standard is intended to aid in the selection and application of a filing system that will enable users to retrieve information when needed. It describ ...
 | 

Factors Leading to the Establishment and Support of Records and Information Management Programs
This research report draws on existing literature and personal interviews to examine the reasons why archives, records management, and informati ...
 | 

Glossary of Records and Information Management Terms, 3rd Ed. (PDF)
This glossary is indispensable for anyone whose work includes managing records and information. The newest edition includes nearly 500 terms from numerous disciplines tha ...
 |   |   | 

Guideline for Evaluating Offsite Records Storage Facilities
This guideline is a practical tool for organizations to use to evaluate their storage needs, whether their business practices make outsourcing t ...
 |   | 

Guideline for Outsourcing Electronic Records Storage and Disposition (PDF)
Purchase print version here This guideline provides information to assist organizations i ...
 |   | 

ISO 23081-1:2006 Metadata for Records - Part 1 - Principles
NOTE: This item must be downloaded within 30 days ...
 |   | 

ISO/IEC 27002 Information Technology - Security Techniques - Code of Practice..
NOTE: This item must be downloaded within 30 days of purchase. By purchasing this ISO standard, you agree to abide by the ANSI End-User License Agree ...
 |   |   |   | 

ISO/TR 15489-2 Information and Documentation - Records Management - Part 2: Guidelines
NOTE: This item must be downloaded within 30 days of purchase. By purchasing this ISO standard, you agree to abide by the ANSI End-User License ...
 | 

ISO15489-1 Information and Documentation - Records Management - Part I: General
NOTE: This item must be downloaded within 30 days of purchase. By purchasing this ISO standard, you agree to abide by the ANSI End-User License Agree ...
 | 

Job Descriptions for Records and Information Management (PDF)
A print version is available at this link. Based on Records and Info ...
 |   |   | 

Keeping Good Company (DVD Training Program + workbook and facilitator’s guide)
This product is now available with a hard copy facilitator guide and package of 25 participant workbooks at this  |   | 

Keeping Good Company (DVD Training Program)
The Keeping Good Company DVD is now available only as part of  |   | 

Keeping Good Company: Participant's Workbook & Facilitator's Guide
The Keeping Good Company facilitator guide and participant workbook is no longer available as a PDF download. Both are included as part of  | 

Land's End Peruvian Pima Polo - Men's Large
Men&rsquot;s size large: Lands’ End Peruvian Pima cotton 3-button polo in true navy, complete with an embroidered ARMA International logo. The 100% cotton fabric is treated to fight wrinkles and shrinkage wa ...
 |   |   | 

Land's End Peruvian Pima Polo - Men's Medium
Men&rsquot;s size medium: Lands’ End Peruvian Pima cotton 3-button polo in true navy, complete with an embroidered ARMA International logo. The 100% cotton fabric is treated to fight wrinkles and shrinkage w ...
 |   |   | 

Land's End Peruvian Pima Polo - Men's X-Large
Men&rsquot;s size x-large: Lands’ End Peruvian Pima cotton 3-button polo in true navy, complete with an embroidered ARMA International logo. The 100% cotton fabric is treated to fight wrinkles and shrinkage ...
 |   |   | 

Land's End Peruvian Pima Polo - Men's XX-Large
Men&rsquot;s size Xx-large: Lands’ End Peruvian Pima cotton 3-button polo in true navy, complete with an embroidered ARMA International logo. The 100% cotton fabric is treated to fight wrinkles and shrinkage ...
 |   |   | 

Land's End Peruvian Pima Polo - Women's Large
Women&rsquot;s size large: Lands’ End Peruvian Pima cotton 3-button polo in true navy, complete with an embroidered ARMA International logo. The 100% cotton fabric is treated to fight wrinkles and shrinkage ...
 |   |   | 

Land's End Peruvian Pima Polo - Women's Medium
Women&rsquot;s size medium: Lands’ End Peruvian Pima cotton 3-button polo in true navy, complete with an embroidered ARMA International logo. The 100% cotton fabric is treated to fight wrinkles and shrinkage ...
 |   |   | 

Land's End Peruvian Pima Polo - Women's Small
Women&rsquot;s size small: Lands’ End Peruvian Pima cotton 3-button polo in true navy, complete with an embroidered ARMA International logo. The 100% cotton fabric is treated to fight wrinkles and shrinkage ...
 |   |   | 

Land's End Peruvian Pima Polo - Women's X-Large
Women&rsquot;s size x-large: Lands’ End Peruvian Pima cotton 3-button polo in true navy, complete with an embroidered ARMA International logo. The 100% cotton fabric is treated to fight wrinkles and shrinkag ...
 |   |   | 

Land's End Peruvian Pima Polo - Women's XX-Large
Women&rsquot;s size xx-large: Lands’ End Peruvian Pima cotton 3-button polo in true navy, complete with an embroidered ARMA International logo. The 100% cotton fabric is treated to fight wrinkles and shrinka ...
 |   |   | 

Legal Holds and Spoliation (PDF)
Since the passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley, concerns over discovery and spoliation have catapulted to the priority lists of most companies, specifically regarding what is considered pending or potential investigatio ...
 |   | 

Legal Obstacles to E-Mail Message Destruction (PDF)
The convenience of e-mail and its resulting pervasive use means that most organizations are maintaining large volumes of it. This poses several problems: < ...
 |   | 

Legal Obstacles to E-Mail Message Destruction - French (PDF)
The convenience of e-mail and its resulting pervasive use means that most organizations are maintaining large volumes of it. This poses several problems: Despite the continuing drop in prices for electr ...
 |   |   | 

Legal Obstacles to E-Mail Message Destruction - Spanish (PDF)
The convenience of e-mail and its resulting pervasive use means that most organizations are maintaining large volumes of it. This poses several problems: Despite the continuing drop in prices for electr ...
 |   |   | 

Procedures and Issues for Managing Electronic Messages as Records (PDF)
This technical report (ANSI/ARMA TR-02-2007) will be of great value to those who must deal with practical managerial issues typically confronted during the implementation and management of any text-based electron ...
 |   | 

Records and Info Management: A Benchmarking Study (PDF)
How does your RIM program measure up? Find out with the only publication available that examines the current status of records and information management initiatives in American businesses. This exciting new study report ...
 | 

Records and Information Management Core Competencies (PDF)
Competencies are defined as the knowledge, skills, characteristics, or traits that contribute to outstanding performance in a particular profession. With its development of this publication, ARMA International has def ...
 |   |   |   | 

Records Management Responsibility in Litigation Support (PDF)
This guideline helps records managers identify the steps of a typical litigation and define their roles in the process. It is written from the perspective of the law firm records manager, as well as the client/corpora ...
 |   | 

Requirements for Managing Electronic Messages as Records (PDF)
This American National Standard defines requirements for developing a corporate policy for managing information content in any type of text-based electronic message or communication such as e-mail or instant ...
 |   | 

Retention Management for Records and Information (PDF)
This American National Standard provides guidance for establishing and operating a retention a ...
 |   | 

Revised Framework for Integration of EDMS & ERMS Systems (ANSI/AIIM/ARMA TR48-2006)
This technical report (ANSI/AIIM/ARMA TR-48-2006) defines, describes, and differentiates the two most common types of information systems used to manage electronic document-based information using current technology&n ...
 |   | 

RIM Checklist for Mergers, Acquisitions, Divestitures, and Closures
Due to the enormous variety and volume of mergers, acquisitions, and other organizational changes, it is very likely that corporate records mana ...
 |   | 

Risk Profiler Self-Assessment for E-Discovery (online subscription)
E-mail has gained notoriety as a significant, potential embarrassment to high-profile companies ...
 |   |   | 

Risk Profiler Self-Assessment for RIM (online subscription)
In these times of stricter regulations – whether in the form of laws such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act or international privacy laws – records management may be one of the most powerful weapons in the compliance ...
 | 

The Digital Records Conversion Process: Program Planning, Requirements, Procedures (PDF)
This American National Standard provides requirements for ensuring that electronic records remain authentic and trustworthy as they are converted from one digital recordkeeping system to another. Though it does n ...
 |   | 

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act: Implications for Records Management (PDF)
This goal of this publication is to aid readers in the development of programs and methods needed to ensure that their records and information management programs are a properly functioning component of Sarbanes-Oxley co ...
 |   | 

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act: Implications for Records Management: 2004 Supplement (PDF)
This supplement to the 2003 Sarbanes-Oxley Act: Implications for Records Management brings the reader up-to-date on related legal and business developments, such as litigation, regulatory actions, or similar ac ...
 |   | 

Think Outside the Box Poster PDF - for Print
Make “Think Outside the Box” a year-round promotion in your organization. Purchasing the PDF version gives you unlimited reproduction rights for internal use. The poster is | 

Vital Records Programs: Identifying, Managing, & Recovering Business-Critical Records (PDF)
This American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard (ANSI/ARMA 5-2003) sets the requirements for establishing a vital records program. It includes requirements for: identifying and protecting vital rec ...
 |