NEW: Feith's RMA iQ is now Fully FedRAMP Authorized

OMB Extends M-19-21 Deadline to June 30, 2024

Feith Systems is a leader in Federal Records Management software, and we are excited to see the release of OMB/NARA M-23-07, Update to Transition to Electronic Records. This memorandum reinforces the importance of strong records management for transparency and accountability in government, and reaffirms the goal of transitioning federal agencies to a fully electronic environment.

The new memorandum extends the deadlines for this transition to June 30, 2024, due to implementation delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This extension will allow agencies more time to complete their transition to electronic records and to fully embrace the opportunities that this transition affords.

At Feith Systems, we believe that moving beyond paper-based processes and transitioning to an electronic environment is a critical step in improving government efficiency and effectiveness. Our Federal Records Management software is designed to help agencies manage their records electronically, ensuring that they are easily accessible and properly stored for eventual transfer and accessioning by NARA.

Under the new memorandum, all permanent records in federal agencies must be managed electronically by June 30, 2024. This includes records that are eligible for transfer to NARA or to Federal Records Centers. After this date, all agencies must transfer permanent records to NARA in electronic formats, with appropriate metadata in accordance with NARA regulations and transfer guidance.

Temporary records are also affected by the new memorandum. By June 30, 2024, all temporary records in federal agencies must be managed electronically to the fullest extent possible. Agencies may request a limited exception to this requirement from NARA if replacing specific analog records with electronic systems would be burdensome to the public, the cost would exceed the benefit, statutory or regulatory barriers impede implementation, or there is exceptional intrinsic value in the original format.

After June 30, 2024, NARA will no longer accept transfers of permanent or temporary records in analog formats, and will accept records only in electronic formats with appropriate metadata. This means that agencies must ensure that their records are properly digitized and properly formatted before transferring them to NARA.

Meet Requirements with Feith

Feith Systems is committed to helping federal agencies meet these new requirements and transition fully to an electronic environment. Our Federal Records Management software is designed to assist agencies with every aspect of this transition, from digitizing and formatting records to storing and transferring them in compliance with NARA regulations.

We understand that transitioning to an electronic environment can be a complex and time-consuming process, and we are here to help. If your agency is in need of assistance with the transition to electronic records, we encourage you to contact Feith Systems to learn more about our Federal Records Management software and how it can help your agency meet the requirements of OMB/NARA M-23-07.

USDA Adopts the Feith RMA iQ Platform

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Washington, DC (September 20, 2022) – Feith Systems & Software, Inc. is pleased to announce that it has been selected by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide its Records Management Application (RMA) solution, Feith RMA iQ.

USDA is the latest federal agency to adopt Feith’s RMA platform, which will be used enterprise-wide to manage the lifecycle of the agency’s electronic and physical records.

“We are thrilled to have been selected by USDA for this important project,” said Dan Feith, Executive Vice President of Feith Systems. “Our RMA platform is the most flexible and user-friendly on the market, and we are confident that it will help USDA improve its records management processes and compliance with federal regulations.”

The Feith RMA solution was selected following a rigorous evaluation process that included a comprehensive review of the agency’s records management requirements. Feith’s RMA platform met all of the criteria established by USDA, and the agency is now in the process of deploying the solution across its organization.

“This is a major win for Feith, and we are proud to have our RMA solution selected by another federal agency,” said Charlie King, CIO of Feith Systems. “Our RMA platform is the result of years of research and development, and we are confident that it will help USDA streamline its records management processes and improve compliance.”

The Feith RMA platform is a web-based solution that provides users with a central repository for all of their electronic and physical records. The platform includes features such as:

  • A drag-and-drop interface that makes it easy to add, modify, or delete records;
  • A search function that allows users to quickly locate specific records;
  • The ability to generate reports and export data for analysis;
  • Workflow feature allowing the user to track progress of individual items through each stage its life cycle.

The Feith RMA platform is also compliant with a variety of federal regulations, including:

  • The Federal Records Act (FRA)
  • The National Archives and Records Administration’s (NARA) General Records Schedule (GRS)
  • The Presidential Records Act (PRA)

About Feith Systems & Software

Feith Systems & Software, Inc., founded in 1979, is the United States’ leading supplier of Records Management Applications to the federal government and commercial entities with high security requirements. Feith solutions are used by organizations around the world to manage physical and digital records, streamline business processes, and improve compliance with regulations.

For more information, please visit www.feith.com or contact us at more-info@feith.com.

Press Contact:
Richard Long
Feith Systems & Software
(267) 464-6416
rlong@feith.com

Library of Congress goes live with the RMA iQ Platform

Press Release: Library of Congress goes live with the RMA iQ Platform

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Washington, DC (October 1, 2021) – Feith Systems & Software, a leading provider of records management software (RMA), announced today that their RMA iQ software has achieved Authority to Operate (ATO) on AWS and gone into production at Library of Congress (LoC). This means that Feith RMA iQ is now being used by LoC to manage electronic records in compliance with National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) standards.

“We are thrilled to have our RMA iQ software in production at Library of Congress,” said Dan Feith, Executive Vice President of Feith Systems & Software. “This implementation is a testament to the hard work of our team and the flexibility of our software. We are honored to play a part in helping the Library manage their vast collections of electronic records.”

Authority to Operate is the formal approval required for any information system that will be used to process, store, or transmit government data. The ATO process is designed to ensure that information systems are secure and compliant with all relevant laws and regulations. The process of achieving ATO for a Records Management system can be lengthy and difficult due to the number of integrations required, but Feith’s team was able to streamline the process and achieve ATO in just eight months.

“Going live with the Library is a major accomplishment, but it’s only the beginning,” said Feith. “We will continue to work closely with them to ensure that their records are managed effectively and efficiently with RMA iQ under this IDIQ.”

RMA iQ is Feith’s web-based records management software that helps organizations track, manage, and preserve their electronic records in compliance with NARA standards. RMA iQ is used by federal, state, and local governments, as well as corporations and other organizations, to manage millions of records.

The RMA iQ platform achieved ATO on Amazon Web Services (AWS) in compliance with Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) Moderate controls. RMA iQ is also compliant with the Department of Defense 5015.2 Standard for Electronic Records Management Software Applications and Systems.

About Feith Systems & Software

Feith Systems & Software, Inc., founded in 1979, is the United States’ leading supplier of Records Management Applications to the federal government and commercial entities with high security requirements. Feith solutions are used by organizations around the world to manage physical and digital records, streamline business processes, and improve compliance with regulations. Feith is the only American owned and operated company that is certified to operate at all levels of the DoD 5015.02 standard. For more information, please visit www.feith.com or contact us at more-info@feith.com.

Press Contact:
Richard Long
Feith Systems & Software
(267) 464-6416
rlong@feith.com

Feith RMA iQ selected for Department of Labor’s enterprise Records Management program

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Washington, DC (April 28, 2022) – Feith Systems & Software, a leading provider of integrated software solutions for Records Management, announced today that its RMA iQ platform has been selected by the United States Department of Labor (DOL) as the foundation for their enterprise Records Management program.

DOL’s selection of Feith underscores the company’s leadership position in providing innovative solutions that meet the complex needs of government agencies.

The Department of Labor’s Records Management program is responsible for managing a vast array of records, which includes personnel files, email, case files, and more. The records span a wide range of formats including paper, email, audio, video, and images.

With Feith’s RMA iQ platform, the Department of Labor will be able to manage all of its records in a single, unified system. The platform’s comprehensive suite of features includes document and records management, workflow, business process management, and case management.

RMA iQ will help the Department of Labor to fulfill regulatory requirements such as the Federal Records Act, NARA guidance, UERM, and M-19-21. The software provides employees with easy access to information they need whenever they need it, thereby improving efficiency.

“We are honored to have been selected by the Department of Labor for this important project,” said Don Feith, President and CEO of Feith Systems & Software. “Our RMA iQ platform is proven to meet the demanding needs of government agencies, and we are committed to providing the Department of Labor with the best possible solution for their Records Management needs.”

About Feith Systems & Software

Feith Systems & Software, Inc., founded in 1979, is the United States’ leading supplier of Records Management Applications to the federal government and commercial entities with high security requirements. Feith solutions are used by organizations around the world to manage physical and digital records, streamline business processes, and improve compliance with regulations. Feith is the only American owned and operated company that is certified to operate at all levels of the DoD 5015.02 standard. For more information, please visit www.feith.com or contact us at more-info@feith.com.

Press Contact:
Richard Long
Feith Systems & Software
(267) 464-6416
rlong@feith.com

NARA Releases Machine-Readable GRS

An accurate and up-to-date Agency Records Management File Plan has always been and continues to be a necessary tool in the Records Management toolbox.  It provides specific guidance to bureaus and offices to ensure that all employees properly manage records under their care and control.

Maintenance of that Agency Records Management File plan also represents a continuing challenge.  Trying to keep the mix of existing GRS categories, disposition instructions, transmittals of GRS updates, and requests for Agency specific categories (in the form of SF 115s) accurate has always been a serious and time-consuming challenge.

Of late, Records Management automation was made much easier and efficient through the introduction of the Holiday Gift from NARA, specifically the machine-readable version of the General Records Schedule in comma separated value (CSV) format.  Since the CSV format is software agnostic, agencies have been enabled to convert data fields as needed for implementation in their specific applications.

With this modern version of the GRS as a holiday gift, agencies and Records Management software providers can ensure that their automated file plans are current, accurate, and maintainable.

Many thanks to our friends at NARA for this timely and modern holiday present.

Defense Commissary Agency’s rollout of Feith RMA IQ receives prestigious DoD CIO Award

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WASHINGTON, DC 

Pentagon leadership has awarded the Defense Commissary Agency with the prestigious DoD CIO Award for their world-wide rollout of the Feith Systems electronic records management platform, RMA IQ.

The DoD CIO Awards Program recognizes outstanding achievements in Digital Modernization from across the Department of Defense.

“The recipients of this award have demonstrated how technology truly enables our nation to perform critical missions despite the COVID-19 global pandemic,” said the Honorable Dana Deasy, Chief Information Officer of the DoD, introducing the awards.

This year the DoD CIO leadership selected Feith customer DeCA as the winner of the Electronic Records Management modernization award.

A team of eighteen from the Defense Commissary Agency were recognized at the Pentagon for their successful rollout of the Feith ERM platform.

Describing DeCA’s successful project, Mr. Deasy celebrated the agency’s “successful transition to electronic records with a fully integrated, fully automated, and cost savings records management solution that fosters rapid information sharing across the Defense Commissary Agency.”

Director of DeCA’s IT Management and Oversight directorate, Neville Gallimore, celebrated the win with the directorate, “It took a team effort from multiple functional areas and the IT Group to achieve one of the core pillars of our congressionally mandated IT modernization goals.”

“We are extremely proud of DeCA’s accomplishment winning this well-deserved award, especially during the COVID outbreak when IT Modernization was so critically important. We couldn’t be prouder to have been a part of it. We’re continuing our important work ensuring agencies are compliant with M-19-21 and becoming the standard for Federal Electronic Records Management.” said Daniel Feith, Executive Vice President of Feith Systems.

You can watch the presentation of the award here:
https://dodcio.defense.gov/

Video: Transform the Agency, with RMA IQ

Describing DeCA’s successful project, Mr. Deasy celebrated the agency’s “successful transition to electronic records with a fully integrated, fully automated, and cost savings records management solution that fosters rapid information sharing across the Defense Commissary Agency.”

Records Management University

Welcome to Records Management University, the world’s best and only entirely free course dedicated to serving Records Management professionals. 

With many looking to keep their skills sharpened in this brave new world of Records Management, our digital course is the perfect opportunity to keep up with the changes in the work environment.  RMU gives a global view of the benefits and challenges of being a Records Manager and covers many of the less-discussed areas and ideas in RM theory.

RMU is led by the Dean of Records Management Michael Edwards, and our latest addition and Director of Student Affairs Raymond Davis. 

Picked by AIIM International as one of the Top 5 Best Records Management Resources, and with over 7,000 RM and IG professionals already signed up, RMU is an ever-expanding and well-regarded resource.

 

Making RM Education Fun

RMU was founded by Mitch Farbstein. His theory of education is simple:  education needs to be fun, and students need theoretical frameworks with which to apply ideas. 

That approach to education made RMU a truly unique experience. It’s one of the first things people notice about RMU — the classes are just different!  There’s laughter, interesting ideas, and fun conversation.  We continue this legacy today.

A Different Kind of Class

RMU began 6 years ago, and the format hasn’t changed.  Each semester includes 5 or 6 classes that cover all aspects of Records Management, and each semester has a big theme to connect the ideas together. 

The first semester’s theme was Jeeps. (Yes, Jeeps! We told you it is an unusual series.)  Jeeps are unique among vehicles because they are truly modular.  You can modify them to fit your unique needs and personality. Similarly, there’s no such thing as a one-sized-fits-all approach to RM.

Since then we’ve used themes from Famous Explorers to the World’s Most Famous Documents to lay the framework for his discussions around RM theory, technique, and technology.

Viewers find that RMU’s unusual style of teaching makes the viewer genuinely want to keep watching.  For RMU, it’s all about building relationships between the subjects that we are teaching and topics that keep the students interested.

 

This Semester of RMU

This Spring 2021 semester is no exception.  Encouraged to adapt to meet the changes in our global work environment, Dean Michael is focused on the technologies that make Records Management possible.

The topics and conversations will cover everything from the changed landscape of Records Management, to your role in it.  RMU will spend these next 5 classes showing the viewer how to champion a socially distanced world of Records Management. You can tune in this spring.

Classes start soon, register today!

Every RMU session is pre-approved for 1 CRM Credit from the Institute of Certified Records Managers and can claim up to 5 CRM credits per semester.  CUEs can also be applied to ARMA IGPs and AIIM CIPs.

5 reasons why agencies struggle to meet their FOIA goals

When it comes to Freedom of Information Act requests, it is mandatory to disclose information on time.  Content must be collected, reviewed, and packaged as a response.  That is easier said than done when agency data is scattered, hard to search through, or difficult to collaborate around.   Deadlines are missed, critical records are lost, and sensitive information can spill.

When agencies work their FOIA caseload manually, they struggle to meet their objectives. Here are 5 main reasons why agencies fall short of their goals.

 

1.  There is no uniform solution across the agency.

Many agencies leave staff without a uniform solution to create FOIA deliverables.  If organizations use legacy desktop clients to house that information, systems can’t communicate with each other, and staff are left to sift through them for content.

Even if systems are connected, IT needs to continuously integrate them to ensure knowledge workers’ access.  That much administrative work consumes human resources.   Documents are searched through manually, information gets lost, and budgets are strained. 

Agencies need a centralized system to meet FOIA deadlines.  The single workbench approach allows knowledge workers to access anything and everything they need to manage FOIA cases.

 

2.  There are too many complexities to handle FOIA requests manually

The sheer volume of data that agencies capture, process, and archive increases every day.  It is time-consuming to manually search through that much information.  Once captured, agency rules mandate different kinds of redaction for different types of content.  Without the right tools to create a pixel-by-pixel replacement, redacted information may not be redacted at all.  Sensitive data is left visible and released by accident.

When there are hundreds of FOIA requests to create, package, and deliver, it is a challenge to track all of their statuses. There is no way to pinpoint which of those hundreds of requests are more urgent, and which of those due dates are closer.

Automation is the only way to fix this. When cases are automatically created and the content in them can be automatically redacted, time is freed up for knowledge workers to focus on more critical tasks.

 

3.  Collaboration Challenges

The outcome of a FOIA request is dependent on the communication among those assigned to the case.  The past year has challenged the government to do a large portion of this work from home.  Often the contents of FOIA requests are cross-departmental or even cross-agency, which creates a line of communication between SME’s in different locations.   When there are problems or questions, knowledge workers must ask SME’s for assistance via email.  These emails are often left for several days in the SME’s inbox without an answer, and dead stops put the agency at risk of missed deadlines. 

Knowledge workers must be able to communicate with each other and with the requestor.  When the case is opened, the team assigned to it must keep up communication with the requestor and give them estimates, status updates, and the ability to track the case through its lifecycle.  When this process is done through phone or email, communication is not transparent.  No one knows what the FOIA team has already communicated to the requestor, or what still needs to be said. 

Another hurdle that agencies struggle over is collaborative access.  With no system in place to allow group work, team members will not be able to interact with systems at the same time for collection.  Without the tools to control access, FOIA teams can’t permission content or control who can see what within the case.  When agencies can’t control who can see what sensitive information, FOIA goals are not met.

 

4.  Poor Access to Data

It is a challenge to keep information organized when there are multiple data types and sources.  Email is a source now, with social media and chat to become sources in the future.  Email search and retrieval is sub-par and will take a considerable amount of time when compared to advanced search features.  Once the information is collected, there is also no way to see both text and metadata at the same time.  If knowledge workers find that they need more information from the eDiscovery side, they have fallen short of their FOIA goals.

When workers cannot interact with their cases, time is wasted.  SME’s should be able to connect to their workstation from any location and on any device.  If they know where they need to work and can get into their cases, the collection process can start immediately.   

A lack of a real Records Management system lives at the heart of this challenge.  With a repository in place, knowledge workers have access to collect and create deliverables.

 

5.  No Oversight/Accountability

At the end of every FOIA case is a potential audit process.  The work that FOIA teams complete should be entirely defensible. There needs to be a visual tally of everything done to create the deliverable.  Vaughn indexes display that tally of case actions and guarantee transparency.  Certain solutions can create Vaughn indexes automatically, but if there is no solution in place then it is up to an individual to create one by hand.  That process can take up mission-critical time and put the agency at risk of falling short of its FOIA objectives.

Supervisors need oversight tools to be able to meet their own FOIA goals.  When they are unable to see who completed what task or what the status of their case is, there is no accountability.  Cases are not tracked across their lifecycles, and there is no way to tell which action officers are busy and which can take on more work.

 

 

Take Control of the FOIA Process

Agencies that manage their FOIA requests with outdated systems and manual practices are in a situation where it is difficult to meet their turn-around time goals.  When it takes hours to search for content and days to hear back from SME’s, time is wasted.

When agencies utilize FOIA solutions to manage their caseloads, their goals are achievable.  Information can be accessed, searched for, collected, redacted on, and packaged for delivery before the deadline.  Teams can work together on content at the same time.  Security features keep sensitive information from the wrong hands, and oversight features allow supervisors to monitor their workers progress and steer them in the right direction.

COVID-19: Records Management as a function of Business Continuity

Many companies do not give adequate attention to their Business Continuity plans.  This is likely due to the “normalcy bias” — the assumption that a disaster is unlikely because the chance of any one disaster happening is low, and because one hasn’t experienced a disaster recently.

Why is it flawed?  Mere statistics. To illustrate: the probability of flipping a quarter ten times in a row and getting heads every time is extremely low, 0.09%.  However, if you try it daily for three years, it becomes almost certain that it will happen at least once.

Similarly, each possible cause of outage or disaster is individually unlikely.  But over a long period of time, many unlikely things add up to a certainty.  That some form of disaster (whether hurricane, cyber-attack, or epidemic) will occur is a “when, not if” situation. 

When a disaster does happen, 40 to 60 percent of effected businesses will never re-open according to research from FEMA.  Companies would be well advised to prepare for all identified risks. 

At the time of writing this, we may have just such an identified risk: the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (or COVID-19).  The Center for Disease Control and the Department of Homeland Security told businesses last week to begin preparing for disruptions due to an increasingly likely outbreak in the US. 

Records Management as
Business Continuity

FEMA lists a comprehensive records management plan as one of three most important recovery tools to deal with a disaster.

Why? It’s simple. An organization’s memory resides in its records.

Business continuity stretches from simple decisions like backups and DR software, to the steps that it takes to get a business back to a normal state.  First among those is the need to understand what normal consists of.  Our repositories are not just as an asset to protect during a disaster, but a system to help us know what needs to get done.

It is more likely now than ever that company leadership will proactively invest in business continuity projects.  If there was a time for Records Managers to make the case that RM is an essential part of a company’s Business Continuity planning, it is now.

An Electronic Document and Records Management System (EDRMS) strategy supports your Business Continuity efforts, getting you back to “business as usual” as quickly as possible. 

If you’re ready to bring Records Management into your Business Continuity planning, here’s some questions to ask yourself:

1. How will our employees access their records if they must work from home?

During a major outage, employees will need to have access to their regular working files to stay productive. Electronic Document and Records Management systems allow your employees to continue working off-site, while protecting your content through fine-tuned ABAC and RBAC permissions.

2. Are manual processes putting us at a higher risk?

During a disaster, employees may be unable to perform their normal duties: manual processes that weren’t explicitly documented are lost without their presence or experience.  A complete records repository means that you can recover these lost processes by examining the files and communications employees produce surrounding them.

Modern ERM systems support the creating of Forms and Workflows on the fly.  During a disaster, being able to structure your processes digitally means faster time to recovery, maintaining continuous operations even with a workforce working out of office.  This supports conducting business and delivering services efficiently, even during disruptions.

3. Is our data digitized, archived and backed-up properly for Disaster Recovery situations?
Records Management systems will capture your documents and data, replicating them to disaster-safe storage.  With Disaster Recovery mechanisms in place for Records Management systems, major outages are unlikely to result in significant data loss.
Modern ERM systems allow for easy integration with your LOB servers and platforms, meaning you can support Disaster Recovery objectives even for systems that are not natively DR-ready.

4. How can we stay compliant during disasters?

Having a complete records system makes tying up the loose ends during and after any outages or disaster recovery situations much easier. This includes proving losses and damages for insurance claims with documentation, as well as monitoring for fraud.

During and after a disaster, organizations will need to prove their compliance with regulation and law, all while showing that they took the necessary steps to reduce loss of life or damage to property.  This is essential from both a legal standpoint, as well as a Public Relations one.

The message is clear: 
Records Management is a critical Business Continuity initiative. To ensure your company has a comprehensive plan, make sure they see the critical role of Records Management. The steps you take today will keep critical processes operational during a crisis, reduce process downtime, and reduce the risk your company faces.

Extra Credit Reading:  The Australian Capital Territory produced a significant guide to Records Management and Business Continuity back in August 2008.  It’s as relevant today.