CASE STUDY

Department XYZ has an electronic mail system $($e$-$mail system$)$ which enables its staff to create, send, receive, delete and file electronic messages $($with or without documents$).$ Most of the office staff, including senior staff, use the system quite extensively. They use it to send messages to indivuduals and groups on matters ranging from critical business issues through to organizing work meetings, social events and advertising items for sale. In addition a number of the department employees use internet E$-$mails to communicate externally with customers and colleagues. Currently there are no departmental guidelines for how information in e$-$mail messages should be presented $($tittling$,$ content, langauge etc$)$ or for the retention and disposal of messages. The records manager is concerned that:

$$ Important business communication are occuring on email$-$system but are often not presented in a way which will make them meaningful records when linked to other documents related to the same business activity

$$ Messages are simply being deleted from the system without adequate thought being given to their possible future importance to the company as part of the documentation of business activity.

YOUR TASK $($IN GROUPS OF $4$S$)$

$1.$ Discuss the impact you believe the increasing trend to communicate, collaborate, and process transanctions electronically will have on the way we capture information.