The document proposes that the ACD Company invest in an electronic document management (EDM) system if they decide to "go green". An EDM system would standardize the company's document storage, retrieval, and archiving processes. This would help the company comply with regulations like Sarbanes-Oxley while allowing them to reduce paper usage and better manage electronic documents. Implementing an EDM system would not negatively impact the company's finances and could help promote more environmentally friendly practices.

1. PROPOSAL FOR
A SOLUTION Mary S. Durr
Walden University
October 23, 2010

2. Abstract
The purpose of this research is to determine if the
ACD Company decides to “go green,” would it have
an adverse implication on its financial institution.
This research provides answers to those concerns.
It will show for those companies investing in an
electronic document management system will
have no long-term effects on their go green
practices. Notwithstanding, EDM systems manage
electronic document, which allows companies to
stay in compliance of all applicable laws,
particularly, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

3. Going Green Effects on Financial
Institution
Can going green immobilize the effects on
Financial Institution? Since 2002, government has
been thoughtfully negotiating economic policies
due to the stream of financial calamities brought
on by a few financial corporations.
The ultimate reason for researching this topic was
due in part to a colleague asking if the ACD
Company made the decision “go green”, what effect
it would have on the company’s SOX initiatives.

4. Literature Reviews
Jilovec (2011) discussed that there is no problem
for corporations to go green along as there is a record
management system in place for storage, retrieval,
indexing and archiving electronic documents. There
should also be a provision that would allow personnel to
segment key corporate data that function collaboratively
by making interminable amendments that can be traced,
dispatched and approved.
Stephen (2005) discussed two key features of SOX.
First, it is thought that the law may have been approved
to reaction to the unspeakable corporate disasters that
had occurred with Enron, WorldCom, Adelphia, and Tyco

5. companies. SOX make known involuntary causes for CEOs
to carry out corporate document managing as an
essential part of their business practices.
Second, purpose of the SOX is the veracity of
examining procedures and financial documentation of
openly traded corporation. Dependable record-keeping
systems are a prerequisite for corporations’ records
compliance with Section 302(a) and 404(a) of SOX. (p.
98)

6. Barker (2009) discussed the legal implications of
electronic document retention and the legal consequence
of Corporation record management. However, Baker
(2009) stated:
A $1 billion company will generally face up to
147 lawsuits at any given time, and 90% of all
U.S. companies will at some point experience
litigation. When faced with a civil lawsuit, an
organization's personalized documents often
represent a large source of liability. Data and
information stored in a company's information
systems are discoverable in a court action, and
may affect the legal suit. (p. 177)

7. Yim (2008) has further contextualized the practical
approach to electronic document retention and storage that
deals with records preservation for electronic signature.
Under the electronic signatures in Global and National
Commerce Act, any diversity of records can be stored in
electronic form. (p. 271)

8. Solution
Recommendation is made to invest in an EDM
system. An EDM system is the electronic management of
documents housed on an IT system platform. It utilizes
computer equipment and software for the purpose of
managing, controlling, locating, and retrieving Information
in electronic form. Exclusive of an EDM system, employees
will characteristically develop their own groupings for
filing, indexing/retrieval, retention, storage, etc., of data. A
typical electronic document management system allows
employees to function within companies’ guidelines by
consolidating documents by series, retention period,
procedures for storing, retrieving, indexing, and purging
documents.

9. Conferring to (Downing 2006) statement:
While traditional paper systems focus on the file
level, an EDMS focuses on the document level. It
requires users, at the point of creation, to make a
records classification decision. (p. 45)
It is no longer a matter of independent record system; it
is about having a standardized approach to preserving
documents (see Table 1 on slide 11).

10. Table 1
Working Components of an EDM system:
Active Description Work with EDMS
Label documents E-mail, HR records, X
financial, operational,
customer services, etc.
Convert paper document Label and scan paper- X
based documents into a
digital format
Create or receive Compose and receive X
document document content from
other location.
Link document Associate document X
content with information
sources.
Extract document Extract documents X
including the association
of that document with
other documents.
Edit document Add, delete, or modify a X
document
Translate document Solidify content in a X
content (language) language other than the
source language.
Versioning document Create, alter, or received X
document stamped with
updated different version.
Transform document Solidify document content X
content by transformation text to
presentation slides.
Note. From “A Framework for EDMS/ERMS Integration”, by J. Timothy Sprehe,
2004, Journal of Information Management, 38(6), p. 58.

11. Implementation
Steps:
1. Make sure that processes that require
employees to choose folders have a retention
period.
2. Make sure that the process for employees’
accessibility is available during the interface
stages prior to installation.
3. Make sure to hire personnel to maintain
control of records retention.
4. Make sure to integrate the new EDM system
with other information systems within the
organization.
5. Provide employee training.

12. The rationale behind using an electronic document
management system in the daily practice of the ADC
Company to go green is to provide standardization in
record management.

13. Conclusion
Using an EDM system for the purpose of storing
and retrieving electronic data is easier than
retrieving paper documents. It is typical, in an
office setting, for one piece of paper to be Xerox at
least ten times because that one piece of the paper
is use in multiple functions. Moreover, paper can
easily be distorted, lost or damaged. EDM system
allows records storage, retrieval, and archival in
one single location without the benefits of
destruction.

14. References
Barker, R. M. (2009). The legal implications of electronic
document retention: Changing the rules. Business
Horizons, 52(2), 177- 186, 10p.
Downing, L. (2006). Implementing EDMS: Putting people
first. Information Management Journal, 40(4), 44-
50. 5p.
Jilovec, N. (2011, June). Electronic document
Management: Why it matters. iNews, pp. Issue 380,
11-14, 4p, 1 Chart.

15. Sprehe, T. J. (2004). A framework for EDMS/ERMS
integration. Information Management,
38(6), p. 54-62, 7 p, 1 black and white
photograph, 4 diagrams, 1 chart.
Stephens, D. O. ( 2005). The Sarbanes-Oxley Act:
Records management implications. Records
Management Journal, 15(2), 98, 6p.

16. Wacker, C. (2010). The role electronic records
management plays in promoting a greener
work environment. Information Management.
Retrieved from
http://www.content.arma.org/imm/libraries/p
ds, 21-25.
Yim, S. J. (May 2008). A practical approach to
electronic document retention and storage.
Journal of Securities Compliance, 1(3),
271-287, 17p.