Survey Results

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To establish to what extent organisations are assessing the economic benefit of records management within their organisation a survey was conducted from May 29th to June 12th 2009. The survey was conducted online and distributed via key email distribution groups for records managers and made available via the JISC infoNet website. A total of 77 responses were received.

The results of the online survey, available below, showed that information relating to the costs and tangible benefits of investment in improving records management is being derived within organisations for internal consumption. Internal networks such as email distribution lists and local records management groups share information and experiences demonstrating an appetite for understanding the impact and costs associated with records management initiatives.

60% of participants to the online survey indicated that they had attempted to measure the impact of introducing records management within the organisation. The main reasons stated for not measuring are difficulties in finding metrics that are based in fact and that are fair (36%) and shortage of resources, time and other priorities (28%).

According to respondents to the survey the types of Initiatives where measurements were made included hardcopy storage (internal/external) (27%), introduction of a corporate file plan (24%), implementation of an EDRM system (22%) and appraisal/disposal exercises (20%).

Approximately 26% of those measuring benefits do so on an ongoing, recurring basis. A further 15% measured immediately after the project completion and on an annual basis whilst 43% did not respond to the question.

Promoting the value of the records management function was the main reason cited for measuring the benefits at 33% of responses made. A requirement as part of a business case and to strengthen future business cases came next with 27% and 24% respectively; whilst 16% of the responses stated regular departmental monitoring as the main driver.

The main difficulties encountered when trying to measure the impact of records management initiatives was choice of metric with 55% of responses. Issues relating to choosing the right metric for the right job, choosing a metric that was robust and data collection were also cited. Twenty per cent cited issues relating to buy-in from staff and senior management and differentiating this from the impact of the records management initiative.

Forty six per cent of respondents indicated that they had been asked to provide total project costs for a records management initiative. The initiatives in question were similar to those where attempts had been made to assess the impact of the records management function.

Of those who indicated that they had calculated costs, 51% indicated that this was in order to demonstrate a return on investment for the proposed records management initiative.

The results from this survey support other indicators that the measurement of costs and benefits and the appetite for empirical data to support the case for investing in records management is already considerable and continuing to grow.

Have you ever tried to measure the impact of introducing records management within your organisation using empirical and quantifiable metrics? (N=77) (Figure 1)

The main reasons provided for not doing so are (Figure 2):

What was the primary nature of the records management initiative(s) that you measured? (N=46) (Figure 3)

When did you collect the data to measure the impact of the initiative? (N=46) (Figure 4)

What was the purpose of the measurement? (N=46) (Figure 5)

What were the main difficulties that you encountered trying to measure the impact of the records management initiative? (Figure 6)

Have you ever been asked to calculate the total project costs for a records management initiative that you have proposed? (N=77) (Figure 7)

What costs did you include within your calculations? (N=27) (Figure 8)

Were you asked to calculate the costs in order to demonstrate a return on investment for your proposed records management initiative? (N = 35) (Figure 9)

Was the proposal in question eventually funded? (N=35) (Figure 10)

If you had access to empirical data demonstrating the impact and potential return on investment of a range of records management initiatives, which of the following initiatives would you like to see such data for? (Figure 11)