Managing Information Within Network Drives

Many organisations, across all sectors, capture and store their electronic documents within Network Drives – including the all-important Business Evidence of their organisation. Yet cost and time constraints can make the purchase and implementation of digital systems with recordkeeping capabilities hard to achieve.

Where an organisation has commenced using a Network Drive without a controlled structure or some simple Rules, the Network Drive very quickly becomes unmanageable and almost unusable as many organisations have already found out.

Setting up Network Drives at your organisation with appropriate Folder Structures, simple Rules, and Procedures will enable the organisation to operate more effectively within the electronic/digital environment.

Structures, Simple Rules, and Procedures

Network Drives need a Structure that reflects the business functions of your organisation.

Well-defined, short, simple, and easy-to-follow Folder Management Rules will ensure that anyone using your organisation’s Network Drives for digital documents and information will apply the defined structures. The IRIS manual Essential Folder Management Rules will include the consistent application of controlled language when titling Folders and documents, restrictions on how many Folders can be created and by whom, and several other very simple to follow instructions.

Procedures for managing situations such as the accidental deletion of Folders or documents will further embed records management practice within the Network Drives.

Simple Monitoring for Network Drives

Network Drive Folder Structures, Rules, and Procedures are supported by a program of simple monitoring of the effectiveness of the Rules and Procedures and support the continued integrity of the Folder Structures.

Monitoring whether the titling Rules are being followed correctly, and that documents are being placed within the correct level within the Network Folder structure, are examples of some of the monitoring which can be easily applied.

Management for Information Migration

Migrating records, documents, and information from Network Drives to an Electronic Document and Records Management System (EDRMS) or similar platform with required recordkeeping capabilities, when such a system becomes available to your organisation, is made much more effective when Network Drive Folder Structures logically reflect the business functions of the organisation and have been consistently managed with simple Rules and Procedures over time.

To learn more about Managing Information Within Network Drives, contact IRIS