What are the essential skills for capturing and creating records in a digital environment?

To capture and create records in a digital environment, you need to understand what constitutes a record, how to identify its value, and how to classify it according to its function, content, and context. A record is any information that documents a business activity, decision, or transaction, regardless of its format or location. A record has value if it provides evidence, information, or knowledge that supports business objectives, legal obligations, or historical preservation. A record classification scheme is a system that groups records into categories based on their purpose, structure, and characteristics.

Metadata is data that describes and enhances the meaning, quality, and usability of records. To capture and create records in a digital environment, you need to apply metadata that captures the essential attributes of the records, such as their title, author, date, type, format, and security level. Metadata also helps you to link records to their sources, processes, and outcomes, as well as to other related records. Metadata standards and tools can help you to ensure consistency, accuracy, and interoperability of metadata across different systems and platforms.

Getting good at technology is not enough. Unfortunately, there is not a common user interface (UI) that vendors follow. Each time you change vendors or there is an update to your software, the UI will change drastically. So, getting good at one technology is not good enough. Instead be curious about technology and tools. That way, you can always keep yourself up to date and adapt to any changes.

Technology is a necessary component for capturing and creating records in a digital environment. To meet business needs, legal requirements, and user expectations, you should use technology that supports security, integrity, accessibility, and preservation of records. This includes using email, web, and social media platforms to communicate and collaborate with internal and external stakeholders, as well as using electronic document and records management systems (EDRMS) to store, manage, and retrieve records. Additionally, scanning and imaging devices and software can be used to convert paper records into digital formats.

En mi experiencia con la creación de contenido, el conocimiento del uso de tecnologías es muy importante. Hay que actualizar conocimientos constantemente ya que es una industria cambiante. El conocimiento es más importante que el precio de tus equipos. No sirve tener una cámara tope de línea si no la sabes usar. Es un atajo, pero el talento no se compra.

Digital records are rarely disposed in line with their retention period. Usually, it's a technology issue. Electronic disposition gets really hard for many reasons. There is data sprawl, duplicates, lack of infrastructure, lack of governance considerations of most platforms (try adding proper retention to teams chats for example) and many more. Sometimes, it's a culture issue. "We don't delete anything in case of a legal suit." Rarely it's a skill issue. Good news. Many vendors are developing In-Place Management tools of all varieties to solve this data sprawl. Yet technology on it's own is not enough. We need to stop thinking of data as bits and bytes. We need to stop hoarding data and start trusting records teams more.

Capturing and creating records in a digital environment also requires you to follow the policies and procedures that govern records management in your organization. These policies and procedures provide the framework, guidelines, and standards for how to capture and create records in a consistent, compliant, and accountable manner. They also define the roles and responsibilities of records managers and records creators, as well as the rights and obligations of records users and owners. You need to be familiar with the policies and procedures that apply to your work area, and to adhere to them when capturing and creating records.

Finally, to capture and create records in a digital environment, one must possess certain competencies. This includes analytical skills to analyze the organization’s information needs, workflows, and processes, as well as communication skills to communicate clearly and professionally with different audiences. Additionally, critical thinking skills are required to evaluate the quality, relevance, and reliability of records. Moreover, ethical skills are necessary to act with integrity and honesty when capturing and creating records. Lastly, learning skills are essential to stay up-to-date with changes and trends in records management.

Data capture in electronic format is cursed. Especially for records management. Most collaboration tools don't build the pipelines for us to get this data and manage it properly, so vendors are left finding make-shift solutions. Some invest the time to create great connections and pipelines, but many don't. And since most collaboration tools are not built with governance in mind, our only way to manage this data is by capturing it first. When you are out there looking for a solution, make sure the pipeline of data actually works, that your vendor is investing in proper capture practices. Simply, do a POC and see if the data pipeline holds.