Managing Records in the Modern Office: Taming the Wild Frontier
Abstract
From a record-keeping perspective, the modern office is like the wild frontier. Office workers can create and send electronic messages and documents to whomever they wish. They can store them according to their own individual needs and then delete them without turning to anyone else for approval. There are no rules of the road. The autonomy of the individual reigns supreme! In developing record-keeping solutions, however, we need to understand the evolution that is taking place in the use of office systems technologies. In recent years there has been a gradual shift from the wild frontier, where distinct software tools such as word processing, spreadsheet, and e-mail (designed to enhance individual productivity) are the norm, to a more settled landscape characterized by integrated software supporting directly the automation of work processes (designed to enhance organizational effectiveness). This article traces this evolution and argues that as law and order comes to the wild frontier, it will present archivists and records managers with exciting opportunities to influence the way that records are managed.
RÉSUMÉ
Du point de vue de la gestion des documents, le bureau moderne constitue un territoire sauvage. Les employés de bureau peuvent créer et envoyer des messages et des documents électroniques à qui ils veulent. Ils peuvent les ranger selon leurs propres besoins pour ensuite les détruire sans approbation. L'autonomie individuelle règne en maître. En développant des solutions à la gestion des documents, nous nous devons de comprendre l'évolution que connaît présentement la technologie des systèmes de bureautique. Les dernières années ont vu un recul graduel de la frontière: alors que différents logiciels tels que les traitements de texte, les tableurs et le courrier électronique (tous conçus pour augmenter la productivité individuelle) constituaient la norme, nous nous dirigeons maintenant vers un paysage plus structuré caractérisé par l'apparition des logiciels intégrés supportant directement l'automatisation du travail (conçue pour augmenter l'efficience organisationnelle). Cet article retrace cette évolution et soutient qu'à mesure que la loi et l'ordre s'imposeront en territoire inconnu, de nouvelles possibilités d'intervention sur la gestion des documents s'offriront aux archivistes et aux gestionnaires de documents.
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