It is crucial to do business process analysis prior to implementing a good record keeping practices or embarking on it. As such, will determine the gaps, the loopholes, for record management implementation.
Many organizations exist because there is a need to be established, for higher objectives and vision not for the purpose of records management establishment. This is based on the nature and direction of the organizations themselves. Records management comes into the picture because organizations needs to proof that they exist, manage its transactions and ensuring accountability and responsibility based on the scope of work and functional requirement of each department. Without which, the high order of vision, mission and objectives of the organization cannot be documented and properly kept for track records or future use.
Thus, it is undoubtedly important that records management or record keeping practices must be in place to bear the task of keeping track of the achievement, progress and development of an organization. A sound and proper running of an organization must have proper record keeping practice. It ensures accountability, increasing the organizational image, maintaining trustworthiness of the organization and its staffs thus allowing for organization to grow and flourish further.To do that, proper record keeping practices must be in place. Hence, a study or business process analysis must be made to understand how organization works before implementing records management properly. At any instance, once an organization is set up, it has in some manner a record keeping practices, however though, it depends on the organization whether they have a professional staff having background in records management to establish records management policy and procedures to be used in daily transactions. Should they have it, then the organization is in its right track. On the other hand, in most cases, many organizations do not have it, and they manage their files as it is (Alwi, 2016).
To establish a record management practices, one must be able to understand and collect information as part of business process analysis, the followings:
- How organization works?
- Scope and nature of operations.
- Demarcation line of authority.
- Identify the type and scope of transactions.
- Understand the workflow and standard operating procedures of transactions.
- Define the relationship between one transaction with another.
- Understand the segregation of works, inter-department as well as intra-department department transactions.
- Current work practices used.
- Work processes and workflows.
- List out activities and transactions.
Business process analysis (BPA) is critical in order to investigate business system, taking holistic view of the organization. This includes examining elements of the organizational structures, staff development, current processes and IT system in placed.
BPA is also meant to evaluate actions to improve the operation of business system, as well documenting the business requirement for system support using appropriate documentation standards.
The core business analyst roles could be defined as an internal consultancy role that has responsibility for investigating business situations, identifying and evaluating options for improving business systems, defining requirement and ensuring effective use of information system (records management) in meeting the need of business.
In this manner, records management is is an integral part of business system which ensures the success and achievement of business operation in term of efficiency and economy of work process and business practices. To do so, business analyst or records management specialist must be able to focus on understanding the needs of the business/organization as a whole, its strategic direction, and identifying initiatives that will allow a business to meet those strategic goals. It also includes;
It also includes:
- Creating and maintaining the business architecture
- Conducting feasibility studies
- Identifying new business opportunities
- Scoping and defining new business opportunities
- Preparing the business case
- Conducting the initial risk assessment
Ultimately, business analysis/records management specialist wants to achieve the following outcomes:
- Create solutions
- Give enough tools for robust record keeping practices
- Improve efficiency and reduce waste of resources
- Provide essential documentation, like requirements document, project initiation documents and others.
- develop file plan structure for document control.
Reference:
Kathleen B Hass, Richard Vander Horst, Kimi Ziemski (2008). From Analyst to Leader: Elevating the Role of the Business Analyst Management Concepts, 2008. ISBN 1-56726-213-9. p94: "As the discipline of business analysis becomes professionalized"
