WOBURN, Mass., March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Access, the world’s largest privately-held integrated information management services provider, today released the findings from its annual State of the Records & Information Management (RIM) Industry Report, which revealed what professionals in the space are challenged by and most interested in learning about and investing in over the next 12 months.

Two of the key findings were that industry professionals consider digital transformation and information security to be critical priorities that both challenge them and offer the most opportunity for successfully meeting their RIM goals in 2023. In fact, the survey results show that over one-third of respondents consider information security to be a top challenge. Digitization and information security are also key areas of investment this year.

The goal of the Access State of the RIM Industry research is to benchmark how the industry is evolving amid a global pandemic and changing regulations and privacy considerations, as well as track technology’s role in the evolution. The research, conducted by RA2 and commissioned by Access, was based on findings gathered from over 500 RIM professionals. It also highlights findings on goals, how the industry measures success, and where they plan to invest over the next 12 months.

Key research findings include:

• Digital transformation is top of mind for leaders and decision-makers: Leadership or upper managers (47% vs the average of 38%), as well as decision-makers (43% vs 35% of non-decision makers), were most interested in learning about the benefits of digital transformation.
• AI and emerging technology are interesting to learn about, but most have not adopted them to meet RIM demands: Nearly one in three (31%) are interested in learning more about emerging technologies in the next 12 months, however, new technology is currently a “nice-to-have” initiative with only 14% saying adopting new RIM technology is ‘critically important’ for their organization’s 2023 goals.
• Security is a top concern for leaders and decision-makers: Decision-makers are more likely to rate information security as a top priority than non-decision makers (40% vs 27%) as are managers compared with non-managers (37% vs 27%). Similarly, decision-makers are more interested in learning about ensuring information security than non-decision-makers.
• Professionals measure RIM success by alignment with regulatory compliance: Over half (51%) of RIM professionals measure the success of their RIM program by its alignment with legal and regulatory compliance. Additionally, two-thirds of industry professionals (66%) described regulatory compliance and privacy initiatives as very important (32%) or critically important (34%).
• Investment and outcomes aren’t fully understood: Nearly three in five industry professionals (57%) do not believe they are (or are unsure if they are) investing enough in their RIM programs. Furthermore, over one in three (35%) say either their practices are not sufficient, or they don’t know whether they are sufficient.

“Our latest research showcases not only the immense need for digitization capabilities among industry professionals, but the desire to approach records management in a more modern and secure way,” said Ken Davis, CEO at Access. “The most successful leaders are taking action to improve both their level of digitization and information security. Focusing on understanding and adopting records management best practices and technologies is essential for organizations that want to remain compliant in today’s digital age.”

To see the research results presented and commented on live by a panel of industry practitioners, register to attend today’s 1pm ET webinar, Navigating the Top Challenges in Records and Information Management.

To register to receive the Executive Summary of Access’ State of the RIM Industry report, click here.

About Access:
Access is the largest privately held records and information management services provider worldwide, with operations across the United States, Canada, Central America, and South America. Access provides transformative services, expertise, and technologies to make organizations more efficient and more compliant. Access helps companies manage and activate their critical business information through offsite storage and information governance services, scanning and digital transformation solutions, document management software and secure destruction services. Access has been named 12 times to the Inc. 5000, the ranking of fastest-growing private companies in the U.S. For more information on Access, please visit AccessCorp.com.

Media Contact:
Melissa Kolodziej, Access
781-710-0763
melissa.kolodziej@accesscorp.com