IM BLOG: From Hole-Punch to a Whole Bunch of Business Value
The Information and Records Management Transition from Document to Digital
For decades, records and information management was seen as the unglamorous caretaker of paper files and basement archives. It was often considered a back-office function, essential but rarely connected with innovation or strategy. That perception is no longer accurate. As organisations have moved from the paper paradigm into the digital era, records and information management has revealed itself as the foundation for artificial intelligence and machine learning. Far from being left behind, the discipline is shaping the very systems that drive the future of business.
The Lasting Legacy of Paper
The age of paper was about much more than keeping shelves organised. It established principles that remain critical today. Every file had a label, a logical place and a retention period. Provenance, chain of custody and information lifecycle management were second nature. Records and information professionals were, in effect, the first data architects. These practices of classification, retention and access are not outdated relics. They are the pillars of modern information governance.
During this time, the profession delivered clear value. We reduced risks, ensured compliance and preserved corporate memory. We made sure the right document appeared at the right time, protecting organisations from lawsuits and safeguarding intellectual property. These responsibilities have not disappeared. They have simply expanded to cover far greater volumes and complexities of digital information.
The Transition to Digital
Moving from paper to digital was a natural step. The way information is organised and used did not change, only the tools did. A card index became a digital taxonomy, and a manual log turned into an audit trail. What mattered was never the format of the record but the information it contained. This insight has positioned records and information management to thrive in the age of AI.
Artificial intelligence and machine learning are completely dependent on high quality, well-governed data. Without structured information, they are little more than expensive tools that generate unreliable results. Records and information professionals provide the discipline that ensures AI has the clean and trusted data it needs. By classifying the unclassified and structuring the unstructured, we make sure the promise of AI is realised.
Strategic Value in the Digital Age
Today, records and information management professionals are no longer simply custodians. We are partners in strategy and innovation. Our expertise allows organisations to:
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Create governance frameworks that keep AI data accurate, ethical and compliant
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Manage modern risks including privacy breaches, data loss and algorithmic bias
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Transform corporate data from a liability into an asset that powers new insights and opportunities
From Past to Future
The profession that once safeguarded paper files is now enabling digital transformation. Our work has always been about more than archiving the past. At its core, records and information management recognises that information is a resource with value for the future.
By managing information as knowledge, we place ourselves at the heart of organisational strategy. We are not only supporting artificial intelligence, we are shaping how it learns and applies knowledge. The principles that guided the paper era now fuel the digital age, proving that records and information management is indispensable in building the future of intelligent organisations.
Read Stephen Clarke's full blog over on Substack here.
Meet your blog author:
Stephen Clarke MRIM CSRIM PG DipAARM
Stephen is an Information/Data Management Consultant and Virtual CDO and now works for Iron Mountain. Stephen was previously Chief Archivist of Archives New Zealand, a career highlight of 20 years in senior NZ Public Sector roles in Inland Revenue, NZ Transport Agency, Offices of the Ombudsman and Auditor-General, Department of Internal Affairs, and at The National Grid.
As ISO/TC46/SC11Head of Delegation and Working Group Chair Stephen has co-developed standards such ISO 15489, ISO 13028, ISO 16175, and the ISO 30300 series.
As an anthropologist he understands human systems, and as a technical expert he understands information systems, using technology to connect these two together in innovative ways to achieve human-centred outcomes is his professional passion.