| Finding information instantly-the moment you need | | | | information each individual or group of persons is |
| it-can be a challenge, especially when it is buried in | | | | permitted to see; andhow long the emails need to be |
| email correspondence or attachments. Critical email | | | | retained. |
| communications can get lost in the shuffle when the | | | | An email management system functions much like a |
| recipient is on vacation, leaves a position, is unable to | | | | records manager and is part of a document |
| keep up with incoming email, or messages are | | | | management system and strategy. It helps to think |
| inappropriately deleted. In the event of an audit or | | | | like a records manager when you decide how to |
| litigation, vital data may be trapped in someone's | | | | archive information. Security is of paramount |
| Inbox, difficult-or even impossible-to access. | | | | importance, especially in the realm of compliance. |
| Time spent searching can slow your ability to make | | | | Your application should be capable of ensuring privacy |
| judicious decisions. If the information you need is | | | | and confidentiality of information. It should also be |
| trapped in someone else's email, you may not be able | | | | capable of making information available automatically |
| to find needed answers. With a strong email | | | | to the right people or departments for business |
| management application that is tied to a document | | | | decisions. You will also want to eliminate the storage |
| management system, however, you can streamline, | | | | of useless emails and messages relating to inactive |
| organize, archive, and retrieve critical information | | | | files that have exceeded their required retention |
| stored in your emails and email attachments as soon | | | | periods. In the case of e-discovery, searching through |
| as they are received. | | | | hordes of irrelevant information can be costly. Emails |
| An email management system that is part of your | | | | should be scheduled to be purged from the system |
| document management strategy gives pre-authorized | | | | in accordance with policies and regulations. A good |
| persons the ability to search through your company's | | | | document management solution should be capable of |
| mission-critical transactional data so that you can | | | | scheduling and managing email retention. |
| make informed decisions. When email management is | | | | Archiving emails by subject may be sufficient for |
| integrated with business processing software such as | | | | most of your business activities. However, some |
| workflow, the arrival of emails can trigger specific | | | | individuals may need to search for messages or |
| tasks that are part of your business routine, | | | | attachments by the sender's name, a specified time |
| expediting processing. In the event of audits or | | | | period, or may need to use multiple criteria such as a |
| litigation, the ability to search through pertinent emails | | | | specific topic from a certain sender within an explicit |
| saves considerable time and money. Also, it eliminates | | | | timeframe. Diverting junk mail to a hardware storage |
| the temptation to print and file important email | | | | device may be the best way to archive seemingly |
| communications and attachments, conserving paper | | | | unimportant data. This method would keep it out of |
| and eradicating waste. | | | | your business systems; at the same time, it would |
| This article explains the four basic parts of email | | | | maintain data availability in the event of litigation. |
| management, and describes how they work together | | | | Make sure that you consider potential internal and |
| to ensure that data stored in emails can be easily | | | | external needs as you determine the criteria for |
| found. It illustrates how proper email management | | | | archival, so that everyone can find what they need in |
| can keep projects moving that are tied to email | | | | the future. |
| correspondence and files. Finally, it also explains how | | | | Retrieving data when you need it |
| email can be integrated with digital workflow, allowing | | | | There are two basic reasons a company is likely to |
| you to maximize the occurrence of specific events | | | | need its email correspondence and attachments: in |
| that are communicated via email. | | | | response to a question (which could be from staff, a |
| Streamlining email messages and attachments | | | | customer, or could include an audit or court |
| One of the greatest time-saving elements of email | | | | subpoena), or to support an active business process. |
| management applications is the ability to streamline | | | | Email management software that is part of a |
| emails as they enter the system. Although companies | | | | document management system ensures that only |
| that are subject to the stringent rules of | | | | authorized persons can view, add to, or otherwise |
| Sarbanes-Oxley may need to have a supplemental | | | | act upon the email correspondence and attachments |
| email archival device to ensure that all email data is | | | | in your electronic storage repository. |
| saved (including junk mail and personal emails), most | | | | If you have remote workers, Web-based access |
| businesses don't want to be hampered by storing | | | | leverages the value of stored emails. It allows |
| irrelevant messages on a daily basis. Software | | | | preauthorized persons to access information from |
| containing blacklist and white list capabilities helps to | | | | any location in the same way that they would access |
| ensure that you receive all messages from approved | | | | any other data that they are allowed to view. When |
| senders, and are no longer bothered with | | | | the indexed emails or attachments are pertinent to a |
| communications that are not critical to your business. | | | | routine business process, such as supporting |
| You can refuse all emails from a particular sender, | | | | documentation for an insurance claim or a college |
| emails that end with questionable suffixes, or other | | | | application, they can be sent automatically to the |
| pre-defined criteria. This helps to ensure that the | | | | work queue via digital workflow to further expedite |
| messages that reach the next step (organize) are | | | | processing. |
| messages of value. | | | | The addition of digital workflow to an email |
| Organizing emails for processing and storage | | | | management and document management system |
| Automated indexing of emails can be tremendously | | | | dramatically improves productivity and efficiency. |
| helpful in cataloguing and organizing the messages | | | | Take, for example, an application for a mortgage. |
| that flow into and out of your company. Rules can | | | | Let's assume that your workflow system has been |
| be established to index messages and attachments | | | | instructed to collect a standard list of specific |
| by a variety of standard and custom fields, including | | | | documents from all prospects before loans can be |
| the subject line, the "to" and "from" fields, date, | | | | reviewed. All of the paperwork has been received |
| which individuals were copied on the email, or another | | | | from a particular applicant except for one final piece |
| category of choice. Emails can be routed to specific | | | | of supporting documentation, such as an insurance |
| Inboxes as they arrive, or held in batches that are | | | | statement or a pay stub or 1099 for proof of |
| designated for routing at a specific time period (such | | | | income to support the loan. |
| as during the night shift, or every four hours). As a | | | | The system has been previously instructed to send |
| result, they are ready for processing when staff | | | | you alerts as emails are received from your |
| arrives at work, or whenever you decide they should | | | | prospects, and to bump those to the top of your |
| be processed. | | | | work queue for quick review and processing. Rather |
| These same criteria can be used to associate | | | | than searching through your emails to make sure you |
| designated emails or email types with specific | | | | didn't miss any pertinent information, messages are |
| documents or document types. The receipt of these | | | | automatically sent to your work queue and |
| messages or message types can be used to send | | | | associated with all related documentation, keeping |
| alerts to staff, or simply push the messages to the | | | | your process moving. Furthermore, with Web-based |
| right location in a document management system for | | | | access, you aren't tied to finishing your work at your |
| future access. This is particularly valuable if the emails | | | | desk. A few minutes of down time-whether it is in a |
| and attachments pertain to a specific business | | | | waiting room, between meetings, or at home-can |
| process that requires timely action. For example, let's | | | | become productive. |
| assume that you represent a college admissions | | | | Summary |
| office, and you need one final piece of | | | | If you want to gain a solid grasp over all of your |
| documentation before a decision letter can be sent | | | | company's critical communications, it is important to |
| to a student. When the email arrives with the | | | | have an information management policy, an email |
| requested item as an attachment, an alert can be | | | | management strategy, and a good software solution. |
| sent automatically to the appropriate person that | | | | Make sure your chosen product guarantees data |
| their email needs prompt attention. Quicker action | | | | security, intelligent indexing, advanced search |
| means faster decisions, and a better chance of the | | | | capabilities, and the ability to integrate with digital |
| student enrolling at your institution before he is | | | | workflow and your other business applications as you |
| accepted elsewhere. | | | | grow and your needs change. By streamlining your |
| Archiving emails for future retrieval | | | | communications, organizing your information, and |
| Three vital elements to consider as you set up an | | | | archiving it sensibly, you will have what you need |
| email archival methodology are:how diverse groups of | | | | exactly when you need it. Your efficiency, |
| people will ultimately search for the information;which | | | | productivity, and reputation will soar. |