The man tasked with drawing up an action plan to co-ordinate every single invoice, statement and other important documents and files has taken up his new post at the University of Aberdeen.
Phil Astley is the University's very first Records Manager and he's facing a mountainous task - there's never been a full audit of the masses of paperwork and electronic communications that are produced on a daily basis.
However, Phil will have to devise a scheme to manage all kinds of documentation to comply with the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, which comes into force on January 1, 2005.
It is known that the amount of photocopying done at the University last year would stretch further than Aberdeen to Orlando if it were laid end to end.
And as many of those photocopies are filed away and kept, it gives a rough idea of the magnitude of the post Phil has embarked upon.
Graham Pryor is Director of Information Systems and Services. He said: "With the launch of this legislation Phil has an absolutely crucial role if we are to comply with the new statutory requirements and protect the integrity of the University."
"It's potentially a huge task because we have not previously attempted to manage our records on a business-wide basis. Phil has a large and diverse community that he will quickly have to learn and understand."
Across industry it's recognised that the inability to produce adequate records can lead to damaging litigation under tax, health and safety, data protection and other statutes. But it is perhaps less well known that the loss of important records through fire, flood or malpractice is a principal cause of business failure in Britain and the USA.
Records management is not about simply ensuring that documentation and other records are kept securely. It is also about ensuring that only records that are required are kept.
To complicate matters, other legislation governs different sets of documentation, which means some records need to be kept permanently while others can be thrown out after a certain number of years.
University of Aberdeen graduate Phil, previously worked at Highland Council where he was North Highland Archivist.
He said: "My new post will be extremely challenging and I'm really looking forward to it. Records management involves everyone so I'll be dealing with the higher echelons of the University right across the spectrum to those who file the records away."
The father-of-three added: "While the main focus of my job will be to ensure that the University complies with its obligations under the new legislation, in the longer term the aim is to develop a robust records management system, covering both paper and electronic records, which will deliver significant corporate benefits for the University."
Photograph/Media Interview Opportunity:
For more information contact Graham Pryor, tel: 273384 or Phil Astley, tel: 273175.
Photograph and media interviews are available with Phil Astley on Wednesday, April 7 between 10:30am and 11:30am. Tel: Jennifer Phillips on 273174 to arrange.