Data management and the records continuum

I've been sitting Robinson Ryan's Intensive Data Management training course the last few weeks.

It's a quick skim across the DMBOK - that's the Data Management Body of Knowledge.

The thing I've realised is that the continuum has never been mentioned, but if you look for it, it's there - underneath absolutely everything.

When I look at most records programs, I see a capture oriented model with retention management as the primary focus.

When I look at most data programs, they're focused on either building systems where the same data can be reused over and over and over again, for a multitide of purposes, or they're focused on analysing what has been created to help their organisation understand itself, and the people it serves in more nuanced ways - so that it can serve them better.

In short, when I see records programs, I see a lifecycle model.

When I look at data programs, I see a continuum.

The continuum (at least in my reading) was supposed to help us understand that we were moving from a custodial model, to a non-custodial one, and that in doing so, the dynamics of what we were doing would change completely. When there is no custody, a record doesn't have to be an atomic thing, it can be something composed of many things - and can be re-composed to be many other things. When there is no custody - and not even any ability to take custody, a transaction can either be created all at once - or composed from many things, it's a flow of information from one place, to another, for a purpose - to provide a benefit to those we are trying to serve.

While the DMBOK hasn't said it yet, this idea seems to be foundational to it.

When will the continuum become the foundation of records practice?

When will we stop letting data managers beat us at our own game?

All they do is record information in smaller chunks than we do - and pay very careful attention to the quality of the chunks.