The digital transformation of business means software applications—ranging from email programs to complex building information modeling systems—are being used to create, store, and manage information.
Standards Australia has recently adopted the revised international standard, AS/SNZ ISO 16175.1:2021, “Information and documentation—Processes and functional requirements for software for managing records—Part 1: Functional requirements and associated guidance for any applications that manage digital records” and the technical specification, SA/NZS ISO TS 16175.2:2021, “Information and documentation—Processes and functional requirements for software for managing records, Part 2: Guidance for selecting, designing, implementing and maintain software for managing records,” both of which aim to assist decision makers responsible for purchasing, designing, and configuring information systems. With the potential need for digital records to be retrieved after long periods of time, integrating best practice record management principles when choosing business applications are more important than ever.
“With the rapid growth of technological change, the standards will provide IT and systems professionals with information, tools, and knowledge to better select and manage software applications to meet international best practice benchmarks in records management,” says Roland Terry-Lloyd, head of standards development at Standards Australia.
“In the current fast-moving technology space millions of digital records are created every day,” says Barbara Reed, chair of the committee responsible for the standard. “It is important for business applications to create digital records and manage them in ways that accurately store and preserve information, so they may be retrieved for as long as they are needed, possibly long after the original application is obsolete. The standards will assist in achieving this.”
The technical specification and standard aim to assist local professionals and organizations in integrating the necessary functionality for accurate and reliable digital record keeping across a range of business applications.
“Accurate digital record keeping is essential to protect the economic and legal interests of organizations, ensure transparency and accountability of governments, regulatory authorities, and private organizations,” says Reed. “It is essential in protecting the rights and entitlements of citizens and ensuring future generations have access to the recorded evidence of business and life in Australia in the 2020s.”
The publications have been designed by the archives and records/document management sector and are expected to be used by IT professionals, solution architects/designers, IT procurement decision makers, business analysts, business owners, software developers, and testers seeking to understand records management requirements.