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Records and Information Management
Welcome to The University of Texas System Office of Technology and Information Services Records and Information Management website. This site is intended to help you find answers to questions about the records for which we are all responsible.
The UT System follows Texas rules and laws in establishing and maintaining its records management program on a continuing and active basis. This program is designed for the management of records from their creation, through their full life cycle. Much like an author of a short story, who recognizes that a story includes a beginning, middle and an end, a records manager recognizes that the records management program includes the creation, use, inactive storage, and final disposition of records. Disposition can be destruction of the record or transfer to a suitable archive for historical purposes.
This orderly management of records is supported through the UT System Records Retention Schedule , add link to our retention schedule which lists all records held by the System. The schedule aids in the organization and retrieval of all official records and supports their destruction in compliance with all state and federal laws and related regulations. Official records may be in a variety of formats, including paper, microform, electronic (including e-mail), or any other media. Regardless of the media, official records will be retained for the periods stated in the UT System’s Records Retention Schedule. This schedule, recertified on a triennial basis, is approved by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission and the Texas State Auditor's Office in compliance with Texas Administrative Code. (13 Tex. Admin. Code §6.2 (2005))
All employees of the UT System are responsible for records because each of us has some part in their creation, use and disposition. We need to be aware that records have a variety of values, and some need greater protection than others. Vital records must be preserved in order for the organization to continue its mission. This calls for thoughtful planning, including disaster planning, to ensure that we can continue our work, even when crises occur. Confidential records must be secured so that protected information is not released inappropriately. Records must be available when they are needed for us to do our jobs.
Links to other information are provided to give you a deeper knowledge of records and information management at the UT System.
Document Management
Document Management is a natural outgrowth of what used to be called "Imaging." At a time when most documents still existed in paper form, imaging provided a way to scan and store that paper information digitally. This resulted in more efficient searches for information and reduced the need for physical storage space.
However, as more and more of our daily work exists in digital formats, the challenge of managing our information becomes more complex. Document Management software was created to help people control and organize all of their work-related documents regardless of whether they exist as an email, a paper copy, a word processing document, an image, or a spreadsheet. OTIS maintains and deploys FileNet Content Services document management software. Scanning paper documents may still have a role in document management. However, it is only a small part of the complete world of document management.
How to Begin and What to Expect
If you are thinking about how you might make your department's handling of documents more efficient but don't know where to start, send an email to Paula Miner or Curtis Eastberg . They will be glad to arrange a meeting with you to explain more about how you might use this technology.
If you decide you are ready to begin using this system, our analysts will begin working with you to select a single business process to start with and to carefully define that process. However, because document management is intricately tied to your business rules and needs, your department must expect to be heavily involved in planning for your initial document management project. Consider the following ahead of time:
- Who should be involved? Determine who the experts are in your department on the business process you are considering. Also, appoint one person to be the primary contact between us and others in the group.
- Plan to spend time defining business requirements. The most critical aspect is careful analysis of your specific business process and needs. There is no one size fits all solution. Our analysts will help you think through how documents come into the process, what happens to them, who uses them, and how you will need to look for them later but you are the experts in your business needs.
- Assess the files that will be involved . The questions in "Assessment of Files" will give you some areas to begin thinking about and will help determine the size and scope of your project.
- Plan for change . Departments that are currently using the document management system have been very happy with the results. However, change can be stressful. Plan to implement the changes at a non-critical time of year.
