• The Korean Journal of Archival Studies
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• no.18
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• pp.139-178
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• 2008

The functional requirements standards for electronic records management systems which have been published recently describe the specifications very precisely including not only core functions of records management but also the function of system management and optional modules. The fact that these functional requirements standards seem to be similar to each other in terms of the content of functions described in the standards is linked to the global standardization trends in the practical area of electronic records. In addition, these functional requirements standards which have been built upon with collaboration of archivists from many national archives, IT specialists, consultants and records management applications vendors result in not only obtaining high quality but also establishing the condition that the standards could be the certificate criteria easily. Though there might be a lot of different ways and approaches to benchmark the functional requirements standards developed from advanced electronic records management practice, this paper is showing the possibility and meaningful business cases of gaining useful practical ideas learned from imaging electronic records management practices related to the functional requirements standards. The business cases are explored central functions of records management and the intellectual control of the records such as classification scheme or disposal schedules. The first example is related to the classification scheme. Should the records classification be fixed at same number of level? Should a record item be filed only at the last node of classification scheme? The second example addresses a precise disposition schedule which is able to impose the event-driven chronological retention period to records and which could be operated using a inheritance concept between the parent nodes and child nodes in classification scheme. The third example shows the usage of the function which holds or freeze and release the records required to keep as evidence to comply with compliance like e-Discovery or the risk management of organizations under the premise that the records management should be the basis for the legal compliance. The last case shows some cases for bulk batch operation required if the records manager can use the ERMS as their useful tool. It is needed that the records managers are able to understand and interpret the specifications of functional requirements standards for ERMS in the practical view point, and to review the standards and extract required specifications for upgrading their own ERMS. The National Archives of Korea should provide various stakeholders with a sound basis for them to implement effective and efficient electronic records management practices through expanding the usage scope of the functional requirements standard for ERMS and making the common understanding about its implications.