I’ll risk supporting yet another acronym and agree that the distinction matters. It helps clarify and define our intentions and scope. It highlights a difference in the same way that RM / RIM does. Are we managing records or are we managing records and information? In this case and to align with the industry – are we managing records or are we managing content and records? If however, we fail to make that distinction work for us or to understand the implications and opportunities, it will be just another acronym.

If we agree that productivity and compliance are our ultimate goals, to manage either records or content at the exclusion of the other may result in conflicting initiatives within our organizations. We may actually find ourselves working at cross purposes with groups that we could align with instead on a common goal or initiative. Working from a framework that addresses content and records will result in greater efficiencies and streamlined processes. You should also see a reduction (or at least an integration) of systems.

We will likely all agree that records management should be as transparent as possible to the end user. If we can accomplish records management by integrating with the same systems and processes as content management, we will increase our chances of success and user adoption.

From a functional perspective, we are focused on enabling lifecycle management of content and records within systems. Basically,

• know what you have and where you have it (achieved through a file plan or inventory)
• enable appropriate access to it (design taxonomies and utilize information security classifications and access / permissions models)
• tag it so you can find it and repurpose it (develop metadata models, taxonomies, and file plans)
• dispose of it when no longer needed or required (develop records retention schedules)
• put it on hold if you have to (develop hold processes)

We translate this into the tools, processes and structures for lifecycle management within the system: Enterprise Content and Records Management!