Not only is Nitin Alex a Certified Records Manager (CRM) and member of the Institute of Certified Records Managers (ICRM), but he is also a qualified and accomplished IT expert – an enviable combination of skills for a modern Records & Information Management (RIM) practitioner. Our International Correspondent, Shadreck Bayane, talks to him:
What is your professional background?
I am a CRM professional with a double master’s degree combined with a track record of over 18 years in the RIM/IT industry with extensive expertise in leading the development of Information Management frameworks and processes.
My competencies include technical hands-on support, risk management, strategic infrastructure design, troubleshooting and maintenance of IT solutions, with an advanced understanding and familiarity of information management principles and information systems and archives.
Over the last 10 years I have been combining my IT skills to work within a Physical/Digital data management and storage domain.
I have worked extensively in the United Arab Emirates, New Zealand, and Australia.
To this end, I am currently employed in the United Arab Emirates, with one of the leading Records Management Companies looking after RIM needs and requirements of more than 300 customers across various domains within the UAE.
Why did you decide to pursue the CRM designation?
I was looking to gain recognition of competency; show commitment to the profession and help with job advancements in the profession.
After doing some research online and speaking to a few industry experts, I was pointed to the ICRM web-site.
Do you have any RIM heroes that you admire, and who are they?
None for now
What / who inspired you to become a CRM?
I got into the RM industry as a novice and wanted to become a subject matter expert in the field. Although I had 7 years of hands-on experience, I did not have anything to show of it on paper. This led to searching for relevant certifications and the CRM fitted the bill.
How has being a CRM helped you in your RIM profession?
It bolstered my RIM credentials and confidence and made me an asset to some small to medium enterprises (SMEs) and large corporations who understand and appreciate the value of a good, working RIM program.
How long have you been a member with the ICRM?
This is my third year now.
Which Part (1-6) of the exam did you find most challenging, why, and how did you finally pass it?
Part 6 exam was the most challenging I reckon, as the answers required you to have a 360-degree view of the problem to suggest a solution which ticks all the boxes.
I was assigned a very good mentor; we went through 4 test cases before I finally wrote my Part 6 exam.
Have you ever volunteered with the ICRM? If so, in what capacity?
I have not yet put my hand up for any volunteering.
What do you enjoy most about being an ICRM member?
I guess the availability of RIM professionals who I can connect with to share ideas, ask for suggestions and recommendations on real life RIM experiences.
How has the RM / RIM profession changed the most since you became a member?
No major change here, except with the current push to a more digitized, paper less economy. The process of keeping and maintaining a digitized version of the physical records has become a challenge, but there are robust bespoke solutions now available.
I feel one now needs a strong business acumen, coupled with ability to manage, and influence stakeholders across all levels within the business which will surely go a long way in bringing the much needed improvements.
What one piece of advice would you pass along to our members?
We should keep updating our knowledge base within the domain.
What do you enjoy most about being in the RM / RIM profession?
The ability to make the customer see the bigger picture in understanding information management principles and getting them familiarised with information systems and archives is what I enjoy most.
Do you have one thing that you thought was a “failure” but turned out to be a good thing for you or your career?
None
What is one thing that you would like to see ICRM leadership do now for our members?
Currently I feel there could be more engagement from the leadership team.
What do you enjoy doing in your personal time?
I am an avid outdoor person, either on the soccer field, cycling track, badminton court or on a mountain, trekking. I was fortunate to be able to summit Mount Kilimanjaro in 2014.
How would you spend the “perfect day”?
A perfect day for me would start with a run and end either on the soccer field or on the Badminton courts, and in between I would be at my peak as the subject matter expert as a RIM professional.
Did you have someone that helped you along your path to becoming certified? What is their name?
A huge shout out to my mentor Ms. Sarah Sherwood for her valuable inputs, guidance, and comments on the test cases I did with her.
If you couldn’t be in the RM / RIM profession, what would you like to be doing?
I would be in IT, probably with a few more current IT certifications.
How did you first get started in the RM / RIM profession?
Coming from a solid IT background, I moved back to the UAE and came into this profession when I got a chance to do some bit of IT work for a Records Management project. One thing led to the other and I eventually moved into RM/RIM profession. My IT education and IT background surely assisted in this move. It’s been 10 years now and not going anywhere.
What is the most challenging project / assignment in RM / RIM you’ve ever been involved in, or led?
The last huge project that I led was for a major Bank in the UAE.
They had more than 12,000 Metal trunks filled with bank records, held since the day they opened.
I was tasked to run the EDMS side of the operations pan bank. I led an amazing team and had the backing of the senior management staff who had the vision for the banks’ RIM. They had complete faith in my ability to deliver.
I was also involved with the design of the infrastructure of the facility, including the fire protection systems and IT infrastructure to facilitate the enterprise rollout.
The challenge was to identify each file, tag it with a barcode and capture their retention dates as it was being re-boxed to RM industry standard archive boxes. It took me 1 year to get this done and it was a very rewarding experience to have completed the project well within budgets.
What is the project / achievement in RM / RIM that you are most proud of?
The project for the Bank, for sure.
What one or two things do you want to be remembered for as a CRM?
I would want to be remembered as someone who is very ethical and someone who gets the job done.
Do you have any words that you live by, and what are they?
I have always felt that you should never forget where you come from - Be Grateful.
And the most important one is – Move On!!!!
What one trait / ability / discipline helps you to be a very good or great RM?
Trait: Attention to detail.
If you were a superhero, what would your best power be?
Surely the Power to read minds.
What do you find the most rewarding thing about being CRM?
At present I am the only CRM certified professional in the UAE and I have my certificates displayed on the Wall of fame at my place of work. I find it very rewarding to see the certificates each time I go in or come out. I am sure there will be more certified professionals from the UAE in future.
What are your next plans and/or aspirations as a CRM?
I have enrolled for the IGP (Information Governance Professional) certification and am preparing for the same.
To learn more about Nitin Alex check out his LinkedIn profile
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nitin-alex-certified-records-manager-0035a02/
Interview By: Shadreck Bayane, CRA