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22 May 2007 Forum
Email archiving and storage, document retrieval

Attendees:

  • David Appel, Fielden Clegg Bradley
  • Chris Poulton, Wilkinson Eyre
  • Monica Parrott, Gensler
  • James Tansley, Hamiltons Architects
  • Jane Sharman, Weston Williamson Architects
  • Hannah Heathcote, Hopkins Architects Ltd
  • Rory Campbell-Lange, Tim Whiteley, Mark Adams, Campbell-Lange Workshop Ltd.
  • Will Yandell, Union Square Software

At the Campbell-Lange Workshop's second Forum event attendees from a variety of design firms met to discuss issues of email and document management. It was clear that this was an area of concern with email becoming the primary means of communication over the last five years and the inherent problems of effectively filing, monitoring actions, archiving and retrieval. Document management had similar issues, specifically retrieving items after a long period of time when key members of a project team may have moved on.

In discussion it was identified that the various practices used an array of different processes including the use of archive servers, electronic indexing through database and backup to tape. One practice had implemented a black box (Cryoserver) to capture all email, both internal and external. Some firms also printed off all emails for hard copy filing and offsite archive storage.

CLW noted that WREN had advised that the primary source of a document is valid, therefore hard copy printing was not necessary from a legal perspective, and with strong backup and archive processes in place, together with digital fingerprints on documents, its evidential capability can be well supported.

Will Yandell of Union Square provided a demonstration of their email management system and explained how the 'vaulting' aspect captured all incoming and outgoing information allowing firms to set limits on their users accounts and search data on a browser interface. Emails could be deposited in pre-determined project files and, with a function still in BETA testing, attach action monitoring to individual emails.

CLW concluded the session by noting how the data held by systems in each practice could be utilised to provide rich operatonal data analysis and assist in efficiency and performance drives.

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