Firms 'fail to manage content'

A survey among Irish and UK businesses and organisations has indicated growing concern over the quality of their information management.

The survey, by AIIM Europe and PricewaterhouseCoopers, found that 20 per cent of companies believed compliance was a key business driver. The figure was 15 per cent in 2003.

The annual survey, the sixth in the series, found 25 per cent of respondents were not confident they could demonstrate that their electronic information was accurate, accessible and trustworthy.

The survey involved 500 respondents, approximately one sixth of whom were Irish, a spokesman said.

AIIM Europe is the international association for enterprise content management and represents the interests of users and suppliers of technologies and solutions used to capture, manage, store, preserve and deliver information.

Mr Atle Skjekkeland, managing director of AIIM Europe, said the trend indicated by the survey was "no doubt reflective of the increasing amount of corporate scandals in recent years in both the US and Europe" and the associated compliance legislation that was being introduced.

Effective document and records management systems can mean significant cost savings for business, he said.

The survey found that 64 per cent of respondents believed the process by which electronic information was managed would be relevant to potential future litigation.

AIIM Europe said that emails account for more that 60 per cent of business communication and that email management was a key issue for business.

Mr Ciarán Kelly, senior manager, technology advisory services, PricewaterhouseCoopers, said the survey showed Irish businesses wished to tackle information management.

"It is a business issue that will only increase year on year as reliance on documents - whether electronic or paper - grows."