RM 101: What exactly is RM software – in five bullet points or less

If you have been wondering what records management software is and why you’d need it, this quick overview answers the key questions!

1. RM software keeps track of your records and where they are located.
   In the simplest case, RM software is used to track the most important documents in your organization – the actual records of business transactions. This helps keep the wheels of the organization turning and protects you from legal risk.Because RM software comes with powerful productivity and management features, many organizations use RM software to track records and non-records alike.

2. RM software is used for tracking both paper and electronic formats.
   It doesn’t matter what format the record is in – if it’s a record, it needs to be tracked in your RM software system!The best RM software solutions make it easy for you to register records in your system, regardless of format. Techniques for importing records include: scanning file folders with a bar code reader; dragging-and-dropping documents from your computer desktop, and automatically importing electronic documents directly from other business software.

3. RM software ensures you keep documents as only long as you need to.
   Legally, organizations are required to keep business records for very specific lengths of time. One of the main benefits of RM software is that it tracks the ages of your records and alerts you when they are eligible for destruction.Without a tool to help you do that, your organization is at risk of destroying documents too early or hanging on to them too long. RM software saves you from both kinds of legal difficulties.

4. RM software makes it easier for everyone to do their jobs, including records managers.
   So what happens after records are registered within your RM software system? Lots! Along with the features we have already mentioned, RM software increases productivity by helping staff members:

• • Create reports to find out easily find out which documents are eligible for destruction
  • Share documents with colleagues in other locations
  • Instantly find and view scanned versions of paper records
  • Put “legal holds” on records to make sure they are not destroyed until the legal activities are completed
  • Find out exactly where a document is located and put in a request for the document
  • Track the location history of every record, saving time and avoiding risk in the event of litigation.

5. RM software comes in different forms to make it easier to fit into your business environment.
   RM software can be installed as a standalone solution or as an add-on to an existing document management or content management system. For example, if your organization uses Microsoft SharePoint® to manage enterprise content, you could use the add-on version of an RM software solution to handle the records management duties within SharePoint®.

There you have it – in five bullets or less! To learn more about records management software, check out the links below.

Next Steps

• Check out the new FusionRMS website to learn more about TAB’s own records management software solution.
• Watch a video to see a day in the life of a records manager using RM software.
• Download a guide to help you understand the difference between RM software, enterprise content management software and enterprise information portals.