Records are important to any organisation. They form the “corporate memory”, allowing management to make sound decisions; they describe the operation of the organisation, and they provide evidence of compliance with legislative, regulatory and other requirements.

Today, and in the future, a large proportion of records are created and/or received in electronic form. Details vary by country and by organisation, but already many organisations have newly-created records that are almost all electronic. In virtually all organisations, the electronic records will form the core of the business. For the reasons above – “corporate memory”, description of what has been done, and evidence of compliance – it is essential that they are managed well.