This presentation, delivered virtually on February 2, 2024 as part of the Austin ARMA Annual Conference, introduced the idea of a records management playbook. I described the purpose and benefits of a playbook, then outlined the elements of a playbook and the individual plays.

1. Bringing Your RIM
Program Under the Big
Top with a RIM Playbook
Jesse Wilkins
President and Principal Consultant
Austin ARMA Spring Seminar
February 2, 2024

2. Join at slido.com
#5103687
ⓘ Start presenting to display the joining instructions on this slide.

3. Agenda
• What is a Playbook?
•The Value of the Playbook
• Building Your Records Management
Playbook

4. What is a Playbook?
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5. What is a Playbook?
• A compilation of the organization’s
business “plays”

6. What is a Playbook?
• A compilation of the organization’s
business “plays”
• A description of how to execute the
“plays” as they exist today
• As-is, not ideal
• In the context of your organization and
your culture

7. What is a Playbook?
• A compilation of the organization’s
business “plays”
• A description of how to execute the
“plays” as they exist today
• As-is, not ideal
• In the context of your organization and
your culture
• A living document

8. What is a Playbook?
• A user manual for your department or
business
• In this case, a user manual for your
records program!
Source: Trainual

9. The Playbook Should
Answer These Questions:
• What would your replacement need to
know in order to do your job for 30-60-
90 days?
• What are the things you do, create,
monitor, or report regularly?
• What are the questions you answer
every day/week/month?

10. What the
Playbook
Is Not
A regurgitation of industry
standards and “best practices”
A copy of how another
organization does things
A set of detailed procedures
A strategy

11. Agenda
• What is a Playbook?
•The Value of the Playbook
• Building Your Records
Management Playbook

12. Benefits of Using a Business Playbook
Organization
Efficiency
Cost Savings
Work Quality
Employee Training
Independence
Improvement
Source: Indeed.com, https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/what-is-a-playbook-in-business

13. Where Is Your Program
Documentation?
File Share
In My
Head….
SharePoint
Intranet
Paper
Binder(s)

14. Organization
• Hey, it’s what we do!
• The playbook includes everything you
need to execute your program’s plays
– all in one place.

15. Efficiency
The playbook has the pre-
thought-out answers to
common issues and questions
All in one place!

16. Work Quality
Consistency in how tasks are
performed…
Even if you’re out of the office and
not the one performing them

17. Employee Training
• Speed up employee onboarding
and training
• Again, consistency!

18. Agenda
• What is a Playbook?
•The Value of the Playbook
• Building Your Records
Management Playbook

19. The Structure
of the
Playbook
• Introduction to the Playbook
• Introduction to the Program
• The Plays
• Appendices

20. Appendices
• Complete RACI chart
• Complete schedule/calendar
• List of references and resources
• Assessment results
• Program roadmap
• Etc.

21. What Plays should be Included in
Your Playbook?
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22. Records Management
Plays
• Capture, Scanning, Filing
• Metadata and Classification
• Respond to Records Requests
• Retention and Disposition
• Migration and Decommissioning
• Recordkeeping System Operations
• Records Center Operations

23. Records Management Program Plays
Review and Update Policies
Maintain the Retention Schedule
Assess and Audit the Program
RIM Inventory
RIM Training
RIM Awareness and Engagement

24. Information
Governance
Plays
Privacy Plays
E-Discovery Plays
Information Security Plays
Document Management / Document
Control Plays
Archives Plays

25. What are the Elements of a Play?
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26. The Elements of a Play
• The purpose of the play
• A description of the play
• The players involved in the play
• The frequency and schedule of the play
• The references, guidelines, standards, checklists, etc. required to
execute the play
• The metrics associated with the play
• Contact information to ask someone about the play

27. Example
Play: Send
Boxes to
Offsite
Storage
• Purpose
• Description
• Players
• Schedule
• References and Resources
• Metrics
• Contact information

28. Example
Play: Send
Boxes to
Offsite
Storage

29. How Do You Determine What Plays to Include?
• DON’T review a RM textbook….
• Review your existing processes and procedures
• Review any guidelines, templates, and job aids
• Make a list of job responsibilities for you/your staff

30. Who Should be Involved in Building a
Playbook?
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31. Who Should
Build the
Playbook?
• You!
• (The subject matter expert /
process expert)
• With management support
and signoff

32. How Would You Build a Playbook?
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33. Building a
Playbook
Interview key actors and
stakeholders
Develop draft list of plays
Gather documentation
Update draft list of plays based on
documentation
Determine technical approach/tool

34. Building a
Playbook
Draft the plays
Review with play actors (RACI)
Finalize the plays
Develop introduction (optional)
Develop appendices (optional)

35. Where Should You Build and Maintain
Your Playbook?
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36. Where Do You Build And
Keep Your Playbook?
• Word document-type manual
• PowerPoint file
• As separate articles or pages in a wiki
• Trainual etc.
• SharePoint!
• Learning management system

37. Where Do You Build And
Keep Your Playbook?
• Wherever it can be accessed by the
ones who need to access it
• Wherever it can be readily updated

38. Maintaining Your Playbook
• Only as valuable as it is current
• New processes / plays
• Legal or operational updates
• Changes to tools or configuration
• Implement a regular review cycle too

39. Additional
Resources
• The Business Playbook, Chris
Ronzio
• https://www.indeed.com/career-
advice/career-
development/what-is-a-playbook-
in-business
• Ariel Lim Consulting, Create Your
Own Business Playbook
https://ariel-
lim.com/blog/business-playbook/

41. For More
Information
Jesse Wilkins, CIP, CIPP/US, CIPM, IGP, CRM,
edp, ICE-CCP
President, Athro Consulting
https://www.athroconsulting.com
jesse.wilkins@athroconsulting.com
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessewilkins
Twitter: @jessewilkins