I received a great follow up email from Bob, the person who originally asked me about best practices in document management systems. He shared what he found as he continued to research. Here’s his note, and it’s a very informative one at that! Thanks Bob!
[This information] might help anyone tasked with finding and implementing a records management system OR a document management system for any organization, to properly organize and execute the project.
Australia’s National Archives’ DIRKS How-To manual for government entities tells exactly how, in minute detail, to go about the process of determining your organization’s needs, orchestrating buy-in from your organization, and deciding on and implementing a records management system AS A FORMAL, ISO-COMPLIANT PROJECT:
http://www.naa.gov.au/recordkeeping/dirks/dirksman/contents.html
Technical communicators may not necessarily be schooled in Project Management fundamentals or ISO guidelines when they are tapped by their organization to help orchestrate such a project; if this applies to you, you might take a peek at this; it’s jammed with helpful practical advice and it’s the most thorough document of its type that I’ve found in several months of dogged web-digging.
One could even probably search/replace the words ‘document management’ for ‘records management’ and replace “government agency” with “Corporation” and end up with a fairly usable skeletal methodology for implementing a corporate document management system, too… as long as you understand the distinction between ‘documents’ and ‘records’…though I grant this idea might make people grind their teeth…:-)
Incidentally, there are guidelines and tips vaguely like DIRKS posted on the websites of various U.S. state Archives – for example, there’s one at:
http://www.state.mn.us/ebranch/mhs/preserve/records/tis/tableofcontents.html
Bob says he hopes this helps someone else who finds themselves in a similar situation someday. Let us know if you find it helpful and if you have any tips to add.