White House predicts fully digital recordkeeping by 2020

In a memorandum released August 24, the White House has provided a "roadmap" for agencies looking to meet the goals of the the Managing Government Records directive, which should help these agencies with document management and achieve total paperless operations by 2020.

The new memorandum states that by the end of the decade, all federal agencies will have to manage their records electronically to the "fullest extent possible." More importantly, the report outlines a number of deadlines to help agencies achieve this goal in a realistic and effective manner.

To be ready for the 2020 deadline, agencies will have to appoint a senior official responsible for overseeing records management in November, one year after the initial directive was announced. At the same time, agencies are required to have a plan for meeting their unique needs in order to hit the deadline. All organizations striving to meet the directive will need to have all of their email management moved into digital storage by 2016. The National Archives and Records Administration plans to release updated guidance for agencies at this point as well.

In general, similar steps can be used by any organization or business to implement a more effective information management system. By dedicating brain power and resources to document conversion services and going paperless, a company can increase the efficiency of its systems and make the process go more smoothly.

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