All companies, organizations and government departments have at least one thing in common: each generate an enormous volume of information. The burden of the Information Revolution is information management. Organizations have no trouble creating or acquiring information. The difficulty comes in deciding what information is important enough to keep, how to find it when others want access to it and for how long to keep it.

Document and Records Management is the science of information management. Organizations face increasing issues from the growing store of accumulating information, such as:
 •  Storage Costs – needless information retained in the organization's computing and paper-based information systems costs money, either in extra computers or in real estate lease charges. Prudent destruction of excess information directly reduces operating costs.
 •  Accurate Retention and Retrieval – organizations must keep relevant information for long periods. The difficulty becomes how to retain it in an organized, structured fashion and how future users can find it and retrieve it. An organized document and records management strategy ensures information can be retrieved accurately and easily regardless of length of time in storage.
 •   Privacy – organizations now face privacy guidelines that govern the retention of private individuals' information. Organizations now bear the burden of proof that private individuals' information is retained only as long as legal requirements permit, and accessible or shared only in keeping with the wishes of each private individual.

Competent organizations employ a structured approach to document and records management, to manage their information and ensure minimum risk from uncontrolled access or distribution of information.  Document and Records Management Systems are designed to automate information and put the controls in place to allow for easy retrieval under proper  distribution control.

Document Management Systems

Document management systems are purpose-built software systems that facilitate paper input into electronic format (whenever  that step is necessary), then create structured, central electronic  document repositories to find, share and store documents in a controlled, traceable fashion. Document management systems connect to industrial-grade paper scanners, so that large volumes of paper documents can be put into the system electronically. Using complex software known as CRS (Character Recognition Software), document management systems convert scanned written information into individual characters, allowing unstructured content to be treated like native digital text.

When is a Document a Record?

Most of us use the terms “documents” and “records” interchangeably.  However, in the science of document and records management, the two are very distinct.

Documents versus Records
Documents comprise the majority of an organization's information sources.  Documents can range from a simple memo or e-mail containing some useful information, to multiple volumes of exhaustive material on a related field or subject. The information in Documents can be vital to retain for long periods, or short-term in nature and relatively inconsequential. Documents can be legally binding contracts between parties or routine notifications passing between groups or individuals. In short, the term “Documents” is a general title encompassing arguably all forms of visual information. However, all Documents are not Records.

Documents become Records once some information in the document isdesignated to be retained in an official capacity. Within all organizations, only a subset of all Documentation held by the group becomes classified as Records. For example, contracts for drilling leases; the name/address/telephone number of a customer and the quantity of product they purchased; the birth weight, eye colour and hair colour of a newborn, all are vital pieces of information that  must be retained exactly, to protect the integrity of the information.  Document Management Systems focus on making all content available in electronic form. Records Management Systems address the tracking and retention of official information.

Records Management Systems

Records Management Systems allow users to apply structured rules to the storage and retention of information. Records Management Systems usually do not shape or alter documents, as those activities are ably handled by document management systems. Records Management Systems act as information accountants, establishing formal control  over access, distribution, retention and ultimately destruction of  any information designated as a record under the control of a records  management system. A complete corporate document and content management solution would include both a document management system and a records management system.