What Is Records Management

Electronic records management (ERM) evolved from the need to more efficiently store and retrieve organizational records. As organizations generated increasing volumes of information, traditional paper-based records storage became inefficient. ERM systems digitized records management to reduce storage and retrieval costs. Early ERM systems lacked standards and interoperability between vendors. Regulatory bodies later established guidelines to promote consistent ERM practices, especially in the public sector. Document management systems expanded to incorporate electronic records management features to better serve organizations' information governance needs.