Is SharePoint up to the challenge of Records Management?

Last week we published an advisory paper for our ECM subscribers that analyzes some of the key challenges and limitations of using SharePoint's native services for Records Management (RM).  The briefing focuses on the standard configurations supplied by Microsoft, outside of third-party software options. Here's the outline:

  • Key take-aways
  • Introduction
  • Key Factors that Determine Whether SharePoint Is Right for You
  • Conclusion

Records Management is becoming an increasingly hot topic for SharePoint as the volume of critical business information residing in SharePoint sites and collections grows, and I hope our advisory paper will add constructively to that discussion. However, it's not a topic that gets discussed much outside of hardcore RM circles, though inside those RM circles it's a raging debate.  Questions have been raised about SharePoint's basic approach to RM, including concerns over what some experts see as fundamental flaws in the design. (We assess those flaws in the advisory.)

Of course, like everything else in SharePoint, there are third-party vendors that can sell you add on modules for RM. But the majority of SharePoint implementers, consultants, and integrators understand little of RM or of its importance. Hence it's not too surprising that flaws can potentially slip through the cracks, and that SharePoint continues to fall short for RM. 

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