Improve Your Information Management Compliance
It's no secret that businesses find themselves dealing with an ever-growing volume of information. At the same time, new regulations are continually being enacted that govern how this information must be handled throughout its lifecycle. Whether in physical or digital form, a business' information is undeniably a key asset, but it also carries with it legal, security and privacy risks.
Compliance involves proactively implementing policies designed to help your business adhere to the many rules and regulations governing your particular industry. One way to strengthen your compliance posture is by creating and maintaining a legally defensible, consistently applied information management program that supports your regulatory obligations. Critical to reaching this goal is the adoption of retention policies and procedures that help you identify what to keep, where to keep it and for how long — so the proper record can be accessed at a moment’s notice to prove compliance.
Six Steps You Can Take To Improve Your Information Management Compliance:
1. Organize your information management program parameters, including roles and responsibilities, steering committee members and company-wide terminology.
2. Assess the existing program to identify capabilities and requirements and use these findings to create an enterprise-wide implementation plan.
3. Develop a legally credible retention schedule as well as policies and procedures that cover privacy, security and disposal for both physical and electronic records.
4. Implement an information management compliance program that is formally communicated across the business and includes the proper training components tailored to specific audiences
5. Manage the program via reporting and metrics that help to ensure the ongoing security, accessibility and integrity of data.
6. Audit program compliance on a routine basis as part of a formalized, internal auditing process.
By following these six steps, you will have developed an information management compliance program that helps to:
- Prove alignment with the appropriate laws and regulations
- Speed response times in the event of an audit or litigation
- Reduce the potential for fines and penalties associated with failing to provide information in a timely manner
Leveraging over 60 years of experience in records management, Iron Mountain will work with you to develop a Compliant Records Management program that can help your organization:
- Determine exactly what information you have, how to find it faster and how to use it more efficiently
- Identify and destroy irrelevant information while preserving the records needed for regulatory compliance
- Improve compliance by establishing consistent policies and records management best practices
Learn more about the ways we can also help your company increase your overall business Efficiency and Cost Savings.