STATE OF THE ART RECORDS AND INFORMATION GOVERNANCE PROGRAMS
Kahn Consulting is a Records and Information Governance Firm
Record Retention Schedules, Information Governance Policies, Implementation, and Compliance
Kahn specializes in records and information management challenges that range from employees working from home to the use of advanced technologies such as IoT devices, artificial intelligence, Machine Learning, data lakes, and data warehouses that generate a new type of data for most organizations.
Today's challenges require a new thinking and new approach to information-related strategies, policy directives, retention schedules, auto purge routines, and daily practices. Kahn advises companies on how to find reasonable solutions that mitigate risk and manage cost in today's computing environment where information flows at the speed of light and is parked in the cloud. Solving complex information challenges requires attacking the problem from a multiplicity of perspectives. Kahn's consulting team reflects this reality by including, business, technology, information professionals and legal, compliance and privacy professionals.
Feel free to contact us to discuss industry trends and our thoughts about most information governance challenges..
Records Retention Schedules are a Key Component to
Complying with Privacy Laws
All information in an organization needs to have a predictable end of life. Every organization should have a Records Retention Schedule that is compliant with laws and regulations dictating how long a record must be retained and reflects business value of the record. Even if information doesn’t rise to the level of record, it should also have a policy on when it must be disposed. Given the new privacy laws around the world, it is essential that organizations keep retention and disposal rules current with laws, regulations, and business need. On a regular basis, organizations need to conduct business profiles to identify new lines of business, new technology that is creating new information, use of biometrics, secondary use of information in AI or BI projects, new revenue streams related to selling data, new jurisdictions they have entered, etc. Business activities change often in today fast moving world and companies need to proactively keep policies aligned.
Kahn has decades of experience in developing simplified, big bucket record retention schedules and information governance policies. Give us a call if you want to talk about updating your record retention schedule or policies.
INFORMATION MANAGEMENT IS DIFFERENT THAN RECORDS MANAGEMENT
What Information Should be Retained and for How Long?
Typically, organizations have policies and retention schedules that address what records to retain and for how long. At Kahn, we help organizations address the other large volume of information that will never rise to the level of record and non-traditional data that is generated with today's technologies. All information needs to be managed and needs to have a defined lifecycle.
Think about this...
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64 ZB of data was created in 2020 but less than 2% of this data was saved or retained into 2021.
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It is predicted that the amount of digital data created over the next five years will be greater than twice the amount of data created since the advent of digital storage (IDC).
Is your company ready to manage all information that it creates, receives, and stores?
Call us to talk more about this topic.
New Challenges Companies are Facing
Since Kahn Consulting began several decades ago, we have been helping organizations proactively manage new data challenges such as IoT, Cloud Computing, Analytics, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Social. Often our clients implement new emerging technologies without consideration for how the data will be managed. Below are some of today's challenges that we are helping companies address.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, MACHINE LEARNING, DEEP LEARNING, IOT TECHNOLOGY GENERATED DATA
Companies
Shouldn't Avoid Addressing This Reality
There are numerous predictions about the growth and impact of AI, Machine Learning (teaching a tool by using known parameters) and Deep Learning (neural networks that behave like a human brain) and it appears that these technologies will continue to be transformative. The corporate pressure to use AI makes it almost impossible to avoid if your corporation wants to stay competitive. What this means in practical terms is that many businesses are committing to using these powerful tools to transform all kinds of business processes. But as AI changes the way businesses function, there is still a need for regulatory compliance, and the need to have evidence of business activities and operations.
But AI can’t be just about “running faster,” as the implementation of AI tools creates unique, information issues (i.e., ownership, bias, privacy, retention, etc.). These issues need to be addressed or they may become costly to your organization.
OFFICE 365 & GOOGLE WORKSPACE GOVERNANCE
Microsoft TEAMS, Chats, Recordings, SharePoint, Yammer, Email / Exchange
Google Workspace, Mail, Chats, Vault, Voice, Sites
For most organizations, managing unstructured or semi-structured electronic data is challenging and time-consuming. Office 365 and Google provide organizations with features and functionality to better manage their information from a security, privacy, litigation discovery, access, and records retention standpoint, among other things. Getting it set up right will be hugely valuable during normal business times, as well as, when litigation strikes. Also, getting policies and rules established upfront will help make the migration process more manageable and valuable. Kahn’s Office 365 and Google Workspace Advisory Services will assist your organization in bridging the gap between technology capabilities and business, governance and compliance needs and requirements.
RECORD RETENTION SCHEDULES CAN REDUCE PRIVACY RISK, STORAGE FOOTPRINT AND COST
Many Companies Under Value the Benefits of a Record Retention Schedule
Today, not one size fits all when it comes to Record Retention Schedules. At Kahn we offer several different types of Record Retention Schedule ranging from "off-the-shelf" that requires limited involvement from the organization to Record Retention Schedules will include inventory level record detail such as storage location, media type, privacy, & security classification. Schedules information the organization on what Records to retain and for how long but the real value comes from knowing what information is not a record and allows the organization to apply non-record retention rules. We strive to provide the right schedule based on business need and goals.
Contact us to discuss the cost vs. benefit of the options we can offer your organization.
THE KAHN TEAM REGULARLY WRITES FOR THE AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION AND IS A REGULAR CONTRIBUTOR TO "BUSINESS LAW TODAY."
FACTS & FIGURES
In Numbers
18%
of an Average Organization
Have robust information governance and records management policies.
30%
of a knowledge worker's time spent
on search for information
According to IDC,
the knowledge worker spends about 2.5 hours per day, or roughly 30% of the workday, searching for information. Much of the time, workers still can't find the information needed to do their best work quickly
23%
Global Data Growth
Global data creation and replication will grow 23% between 2020 and 2025
Companies that create and nurture an information culture can better predict their customers' needs, exploit markets, and conjure up new business possibilities. Similarly, companies that have their information act together are better able to protect their legal interest, comply with myriad privacy regulations, and mitigate the pain and inconvenience of discovery in the context of a lawsuit. What matters now is that information - which, for most companies, is the lifeblood that pulses through their corporate veins - allows an organization to exploit business opportunities while being mindful to mitigate risk. To help guide you through the information universe, this easy-to-use primer, written by industry leaders, is a comprehensive guide arranged as twenty distinct Rules that provide an overarching understanding of "everything information" impacting your company, whether or not you know it. Each Rule includes an Executive Takeaway, Background Information, and Business and Legal Implications. Each Rule is self-contained, and you can refer to one Rule as a primer for a select topic or read the book from cover to cover to get the information you need.
KAHN'S MOST RECENT BOOK PUBLISHED BY THE AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION (ABA)
The Executive's Guide to Navigating the Information Universe Book