In recent years, the field of compliance management has been rapidly evolving due to a range of factors such as technological advancements, heightened regulatory scrutiny, and evolving global standards. In this dynamic transition, data integrity and accessibility have become crucial, and records and information management has become a linchpin for organizations striving to stay ahead of the regulatory curve. Records and information management defines the lifecycle of information, from creation to disposal, and ensures compliance with regulatory requirements.
As businesses are increasingly transitioning to digital platforms, the need for robust records and information management is becoming more crucial than ever. Many compliance managers have identified digitization, security, and tight budgets to be their greatest challenges, making smart investments in technology even more important.
In this blog, we will delve into the symbiotic relationship between Microsoft SharePoint, Purview, and records management, exploring the crucial role they play in today’s digital environment.
Microsoft SharePoint as the Foundation
SharePoint, Microsoft’s versatile collaboration platform, has long been a staple for organizations worldwide. It’s not just a document repository; it’s a powerful tool for creating, managing, and sharing content across teams. The integration of SharePoint into daily workflows simplifies collaboration, but its capabilities extend far beyond that.
Centralized Repository:
SharePoint serves as a centralized repository, housing documents, files, and data in a structured manner. Compliance managers can create specific libraries and sites tailored to regulatory requirements, ensuring that all relevant information is organized and easily accessible.
Version Control:
One of SharePoint’s key features is version control, vital for compliance. Every iteration of a document is tracked, allowing for a clear audit trail. This ensures that compliance managers can monitor changes, track who made them, and revert to previous versions if needed – a crucial aspect when dealing with regulatory audits.
Access Controls and Permissions:
SharePoint offers robust access controls and permissions, allowing compliance managers to restrict access to sensitive information. Role-based access ensures that only authorized personnel can view or modify critical documents, reducing the risk of data breaches and ensuring compliance with data privacy regulations.
Microsoft Purview: Simplifying Records and Information Management
Automated Data Classification:
Purview employs advanced AI and machine learning algorithms to automatically classify and label data. This is a game-changer for compliance managers dealing with large datasets. It ensures that sensitive information is identified and treated appropriately, reducing the risk of compliance violations.
Unified Data Governance:
Purview brings a unified approach to data governance by providing a centralized dashboard for compliance managers. This dashboard offers a holistic view of data across the organization, making it easier to enforce policies, track data usage, and demonstrate compliance with regulatory authorities.
Proactive Compliance Management:
Leveraging Purview, compliance and information managers can move from a reactive to a proactive stance. Automated alerts and notifications keep you informed about potential compliance risks, enabling timely intervention, and mitigating the likelihood of regulatory penalties.
The Essential Duo: Microsoft SharePoint and Purview
A dynamic duo for records information management SharePoint and Purview emerge as powerful allies for compliance managers seeking efficient records and information management. The integration between SharePoint and Purview is seamless. Purview’s capabilities are embedded directly into the SharePoint environment, ensuring a unified experience for users and enabling in-place records management. This integration simplifies implementation for IT teams and reduces the learning curve for end-users.
The combination of SharePoint and Purview covers the entire data lifecycle – from creation and collaboration in SharePoint to automated classification, monitoring, and enforcement of compliance policies with Purview. This end-to-end approach ensures a comprehensive document and records management strategy.
When Purview’s analytics capabilities are combined with SharePoint data, compliance managers get powerful insights. You can generate reports on data usage, access patterns, and potential compliance risks. These reports are invaluable for demonstrating adherence to regulations during audits.
Compliance managers act as custodians of an organization’s data, responsible for its creation, maintenance, and disposal in accordance with the legal and regulatory frameworks. Records management in SharePoint and Purview ensures that information is organized, easily retrievable, and complies with data retention policies, reducing the risk of legal repercussions.
Connecting the Dots: Records Management in the Age of IT Revolution
With technology moving at a breakneck pace, compliance managers must stay abreast of trends that impact records management. Several key trends are reshaping the way organizations handle their data:
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML): AI and ML technologies are transforming record management by automating processes like content classification, metadata tagging, and even predicting data access patterns, thereby enhancing efficiency, and reducing human error.
- Blockchain Technology: Blockchain is gaining traction as a secure and transparent method for validating the authenticity and integrity of records. Compliance managers can explore blockchain integration to enhance the trustworthiness of their records.
- Cloud-Based Records Management: The shift to cloud-based solutions is revolutionizing records management by providing scalability, accessibility, and cost-effectiveness. Compliance managers can consider cloud platforms for secure and centralized document storage.
- Cybersecurity Concerns: As cyber threats become more sophisticated, records management plays a crucial role in ensuring data security, and compliance, and providing data loss prevention (DLP). Robust policies and encryption measures safeguard sensitive information from unauthorized access.
These emerging technologies such as auto-classification, AI, and other machine learning technologies can help compliance managers reach their goals without straining their budget or overburdening their staffing resources. By harnessing the power of SharePoint and Purview, and aligning with the evolving trends in information technology, organizations can ensure not only compliance but also efficiency and innovation.
With years of experience in information management, Elantis brings a wealth of expertise to tailor solutions that align with your organization’s unique needs. Elantis collaborates closely with clients, understanding their specific challenges and goals, to develop and implement effective records management solutions.
We help you stay ahead of the curve, ensuring that your records information management strategy remains future-proof. For more information reach out to us at info@elantis.com.
