PART 5

TECHNOLOGY

With the integration of technology into RIM programs, it is imperative CRMs understand how to manage the life cycle of records using various technical concepts and best practices. Further, it is important for CRMs to be knowledgeable of technology to communicate effectively with all departments to help the organization achieve its goals.

1. CONCEPTS AND COMPONENTS
   1. Ethical and Social Issues - Be aware of increasing ethical and societal issues that impact organizations and individuals such as the right to privacy, the right to be forgotten, computer crime, security, identity theft, data corruption, data loss, and computers as the objects of crime.
   2. Infrastructure - Be familiar with how hardware telecommunications, people, and procedures work together to make up the technology infrastructure of a company. Understand the different types of local storage and bandwidth organizations may use throughout their infrastructure. Understand the benefits and risks of using cloud technologies including vulnerability, scalability, cost, security, data ownership, and availability. Know how the cloud differs from traditional on-premises or off-premises networks.
   3. Applications - Understand the types and important roles applications play in an organization’s infrastructure. Understand the difference between structured and unstructured data and the systems used to contain each. Know the characteristics of databases and their uses.
   4. Data - Understand the various concepts and types of data including metadata, data warehousing, data marts, data lakes, big data, capturing, collection, and data loss prevention. Understand the benefits and challenges of mass data collection using current and future technologies. Know the basic measurements of stored data and the challenges of storing large amounts of data.
   5. Legacy - Be aware of the possibility of legacy systems housing information that still has value and retention requirements. Understand the vulnerabilities, limitations, and benefits of legacy systems to contribute to decisions regarding those systems. Be knowledgeable of legacy media and understand proper storage and handling practices. Understand the benefits and downfalls of leaving in native format or converting records off legacy media.
2. SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT LIFE CYCLE
   1. Planning - In the planning stage, sometimes referred to as the investigation stage, one needs to understand how to identify potential problems and opportunities and create a defined project plan including project schedule, milestones, deadlines, and critical paths. Know how to use prototyping, rapid application development (RAD), agile development, program evaluation and review technique (PERT), and Gantt charts. Understand how to assess technical, economic, legal, operation, and schedule feasibility and compile a systems investigation report to be reviewed by a steering committee.
   2. Analysis - Know the pros and cons of tools and techniques available to gather data including structured interviews, unstructured interviews, direct observation, and questionnaires. Understand how data modeling, activity modeling, data-flow diagrams, and data-flow lines are used to do a data analysis.
   3. Design - Understand how logical design and physical design must both be considered in a system. Know the difference between the traditional approach and the object-oriented approach to system development. Be able to analyze business process flow to design the sequence of events for the system to function correctly. Be aware of environmental design to cut power consumption, demand less physical space, and allow for better disposal of systems. Know how to prepare and send out requests for proposals (RFPs) and how to evaluate and select a system design.
   4. Implementation - Be familiar with the system implementation process including hardware acquisition, programming, software acquisition or development, hiring and training, user preparation, installation, testing, modifying, and user acceptance. Evaluate in-house or outsourcing of software. Understand the pros and cons of start-up methods like direct conversion, phased-in approach, pilot start-up, and parallel start-up.
   5. Maintenance and Review - Be aware of aspects of systems operation such as providing enhancements to a system after review, ongoing analyzing, performance measurements, the use of performance products, migration, and decommission. Understand the need for ongoing support and the various methods to provide support such as help desk, online chat, and training.
3. INFORMATION SYSTEMS
   1. Conversion and Migration - Be able to conduct a needs assessment for converting, migrating, or decommissioning records, regardless of format, into or out of RIM systems. Some considerations for justifying a system change could be data growth, frequency of retrieval, workflow complexity, location of systems, information security concerns, and impact on the organization or key stakeholders. Understand the basics of the record scanning and capture processes into information systems along with the importance of metadata, indexing, and tagging.
   2. Management - Know methods to locate electronic records, various methods of administering and managing records with ERMS, ECM, cloud-based systems, ERP systems, file shares, SaaS, social media, mobile applications, and email. Understand the importance of applying retention, having access controls, security rules, data integrity, meeting e-discovery needs, and effectively performing disposition of electronic records. Be aware of the increasing importance for companies to capture gained knowledge of employees for ongoing use. Be able to discuss the RIM implications of using collaboration software and the approaches to managing records in a collaborative environment. Last, understand the challenge of big data and how organizations use big data to make business decisions.
   3. Access - Understand and discuss components of the web such as browsers, pages, and sites including blogs, wikis, social media, and the Internet. Understand how websites, portals, and apps function and the difference between them. Understand the risk and benefits of using cookies in browsers and why organizations should or should not consider the use of cookies. Be aware of RIM challenges and considerations for an organization posed by the web and the importance and approaches to addressing them. Understand the benefits and risks of mobile devices including employer provided device vs. BYOD, apps, and mobile management.