Westlaw Article: MANAGING CORPORATE INFORMATION AND KNOWLEDGE

The broad subject of effectively managing corporate records covers ten topics (1) basics of corporate records management; (2) fundamentals of effective corporate records management; (3) establishing and maintaining a corporate records management program; (4) legal issues involved in a corporate records management program; (5) other issues involving corporate records; (6) considerations for computer files and electronic records; (7) auditing corporate records; (8) managing corporate information and knowledge; (9) developing and implementing a corporate records management practice; and (10) forms and exhibits relating to corporate records.

Lawyer advising clients on managing the content of their corporate record files: What Should Attorneys Who Practice Corporate Records Management Know about the Information and Knowledge They Contain?

Ed Dietel:  Lawyers advising clients on managing the content of their corporate record files should ask and be able to answer the following questions:

• What are the issues that should be addressed to effectively manage corporate information and knowledge?
• What is different and critically important about corporate knowledge?
• Does the information and knowledge meet all the many applicable quality criteria, such as accuracy, completeness, and all the other relevant criteria?
• What is the difference between information and knowledge?
• What is the difference between explicit and tacit knowledge and why does it matter?
• Is a corporate knowledge management culture important and how does one build one?
• Practically, how does an organization manage its knowledge?
• Is a Chief Knowledge Officer (CKO) a valuable and productive officer to include in the corporate hierarchy?
• What are the barriers to achieving an effective corporate knowledge management culture?
• How does one effectively implement and use corporate knowledge?
• What is the importance of aligning corporate values and personal goals and objectives?
• What should attorneys know about corporate policies of disclosing corporate information and knowledge outside the company?

All of these questions are addressed in the newest edition of my book Designing an Effective Corporate Information, Knowledge Management, and Records Retention Compliance Program, particularly Chapter 9.

These are but just a few questions that attorneys who practice corporate records management should easily and quickly be able to ask and answer and explain to those in the company who are creating and receiving materials that qualify as corporate records.  Again, the objective here is for these attorneys to be able to judge the value of the information and knowledge in the records so as they are preserved, maintained, and quickly assessable when needed by those in the organization responsible for its operations.