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Issue # 10, <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2021</strong><br />
<strong>Inside</strong><br />
Leading the way in Nuclear Information and Records Management<br />
magazine<br />
Visit us at: <strong>NIRMA</strong>.org<br />
Celebrating<br />
45<br />
Years<br />
<strong>NIRMA</strong>’s 45th Anniversary Conference<br />
Will Be Truly Spectacular!<br />
Defining Microfilm “Production Scanner”<br />
nextScan<br />
Are You a Digital Leader or a Digital Laggard?<br />
iBridge
Contents<br />
<strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2021</strong><br />
4<br />
5<br />
7<br />
11<br />
From the President<br />
Vice President Report<br />
Defining Microfilm “Production Scanner”<br />
By Matt Anderson, Vice President of Marketing, nextScan<br />
Are You a Digital Leader or Digital Laggard?<br />
By Desh Urs, CEO and President, iBridge LLC<br />
13<br />
14<br />
16<br />
18<br />
Change Comes From Within<br />
By Bob Larrivee, Bob Larrivee Consultancy<br />
Chronicles of NIM: A Retrospective on Information Management in<br />
Nuclear Power<br />
By Eugene Yang, KISMET Consulting, Inc.<br />
Lifetime Member Profile: Meet Margie Janney, CRM/NS/FED<br />
From the CRM: Records Management Career — A Series of<br />
Song Lyrics<br />
By Denise L. Pickett, CRM/NS/FED, IGP<br />
2 <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2021</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>.org <strong>Inside</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>
CONTENTS<br />
<strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2021</strong><br />
in every issue<br />
TREASURER REPORT—19<br />
PDBU NEWS—21<br />
RIMBU NEWS—22<br />
M&MBU NEWS—23<br />
NOMINATING COMMITTEE—23<br />
INDUSTRY NEWS—24<br />
Letter from the Editor<br />
This month, <strong>Inside</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong> introduces a new<br />
feature focusing on <strong>NIRMA</strong>’s Lifetime Members<br />
(see Margie Janney’s profile on page 16). <strong>NIRMA</strong>’s<br />
Lifetime Members are the backbone of our<br />
organization. We hope our readers enjoy the<br />
valuable insight Margie provides.<br />
As always, we welcome your feedback and are<br />
always looking for good stories to share with our<br />
membership. Should you have feedback or<br />
would like to put pen to paper for an article for our<br />
next edition, please contact us at<br />
DevereauxInc@outlook.com.<br />
Thanks for reading. Keep in touch!<br />
Neal and Sandy Miller<br />
Editors<br />
Editors<br />
Neal and Sandra Miller<br />
DevereauxInc@outlook.com<br />
Advertising<br />
Neal.F.Miller@gmail.com<br />
<strong>NIRMA</strong> Headquarters<br />
Sarah Perkins<br />
<strong>NIRMA</strong> Administrator<br />
245 Sunnyridge Ave., #41<br />
Fairfield, CT 06824<br />
nirma@nirma.org<br />
In addition to our own articles,<br />
<strong>Inside</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong> publishes guest<br />
articles from agencies and<br />
vendors. Please be advised that<br />
the views and opinions<br />
expressed in these articles are<br />
those of the authors and do not<br />
necessarily reflect the opinions<br />
of <strong>NIRMA</strong> or its Board of<br />
Directors.<br />
Back to Content | <strong>Inside</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>.org <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2021</strong> 3
A MESSAGE From the<br />
President<br />
Janice Hoerber<br />
W<br />
e are off and running with<br />
<strong>2021</strong>! Some things remain<br />
the same, such as the<br />
uncertainty of the COVID-<br />
19 pandemic and its impact on our<br />
lives. Yet, some things are different<br />
in these first months. Nuclear<br />
power has been getting more sound<br />
bites in light of a once in a century<br />
winter storm and rolling power<br />
outages in Texas. There is more talk<br />
recently about Nuclear energy and<br />
resiliency in the same breath. It raises<br />
some optimism for the future of our<br />
industry to participate in an energy<br />
mix.<br />
Our focus remains on the<br />
economic challenges for Nuclear and<br />
helping our organizations to be more<br />
efficient especially through<br />
automation and use of technology.<br />
The <strong>NIRMA</strong> Board of Directors<br />
convened for the annual Winter<br />
Board meeting on January 30 th to<br />
review the Strategic Plan, the <strong>2021</strong><br />
Board Goals, and the current status<br />
of the organization. We are pleased<br />
to announce that Process Management<br />
was incorporated into the <strong>NIRMA</strong><br />
Strategic Plan, which expands<br />
<strong>NIRMA</strong> into the tools, techniques,<br />
and strategies you need to<br />
improve your business agility and<br />
operational performance. These<br />
include:<br />
• RPA, Robotic Process<br />
Automation<br />
• AI, Artificial Intelligence<br />
• IG, Information Governance<br />
Technologies<br />
It's time to get<br />
more involved<br />
in <strong>NIRMA</strong> and<br />
to be a part of<br />
the future!<br />
This will enhance <strong>NIRMA</strong>'s<br />
reach to potential solution<br />
providers/exhibitors in this space, as<br />
well as webinars and education to<br />
the membership.<br />
Looking back on 2020,<br />
<strong>NIRMA</strong> achieved some remarkable<br />
milestones even in the midst of a<br />
pandemic:<br />
• A vibrant <strong>NIRMA</strong> Mentoring<br />
Program was launched under<br />
the Professional Development<br />
Business Unit, thanks especially<br />
to co-Director Lou Rofrano<br />
(lou@amsstoreandshred.com)<br />
and the <strong>NIRMA</strong> volunteers who<br />
are making it happen.<br />
• A memorable Virtual <strong>NIRMA</strong><br />
Conference was delivered to 88<br />
attendees who embraced the<br />
remote technology to learn, but<br />
also to have fun! Our vendors<br />
and sponsors were greatly<br />
appreciated and instrumental to<br />
its success.<br />
• A <strong>NIRMA</strong> Webinar series was<br />
piloted with rave reviews and is<br />
planned for a monthly basis if we<br />
can keep the topics and<br />
presenters queued up! Our<br />
special thanks to iBridge for<br />
hosting the technical platform.<br />
Contact the Professional<br />
Development Business Unit<br />
Director, Tammy Cutts, to offer<br />
a topic suggestion or to<br />
volunteer as a presenter.<br />
(tammy.cutts@pge.com).<br />
We now look forward in this<br />
45 th anniversary year of <strong>NIRMA</strong> to<br />
continue bringing educational value<br />
to our membership and to take a<br />
moment to celebrate our past at the<br />
annual <strong>NIRMA</strong> Conference in<br />
August. It's time to get more<br />
involved in <strong>NIRMA</strong> and to be a part<br />
of the future!<br />
4 <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2021</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>.org <strong>Inside</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>
FROM THE VICE-PRESIDENT<br />
Bruce Walters, CRM/NS<br />
G<br />
reetings everyone. There is<br />
some positive energy being<br />
created for the <strong>2021</strong> Nuclear<br />
Information Management<br />
Conference (August 9-11) at the<br />
JW Marriott Resort and Spa in Las<br />
Vegas, Nevada. During the <strong>NIRMA</strong><br />
Winter Board meeting on-property,<br />
we walked through the renovated<br />
Palms Tower to look at the potential<br />
new space for our upcoming<br />
conference. Plans are being made to<br />
welcome many of you in-person in<br />
August. The Board and the JW<br />
Marriott staff recognize that the<br />
elephant in the room, COVID-19, is<br />
still an issue, but with this year being<br />
our 45 th anniversary, we are working<br />
hard to pull it off. Nevada has strict<br />
COVID protocols and we are<br />
confident that we can still have a<br />
successful and safe conference<br />
possibly as a hybrid approach.<br />
The plan is that the <strong>NIRMA</strong><br />
Board will make the decision later in<br />
March, after the board meeting.<br />
Hybrid means some speakers will be<br />
remote and some in-person. It<br />
means some attendees will be inperson<br />
and some remote. We are<br />
looking into offering a “Quiet<br />
Room” where in-person attendees<br />
can participate with BYOD (bring<br />
your own device) such as a smart<br />
phone, iPad, or other devices<br />
without being in a large gathering.<br />
What that will look like is still being<br />
discussed, but know that we are<br />
trying to accommodate all<br />
possibilities. Conference registration<br />
fees are planned to remain the same<br />
regardless if attending in-person or<br />
“I wasn’t sure<br />
what to expect<br />
during a<br />
virtual<br />
conference,<br />
but was<br />
pleasantly<br />
surprised by<br />
my positive<br />
experience.”<br />
<strong>NIRMA</strong> Lifetime<br />
Member, Frank Kocsis<br />
remotely.<br />
My fond memory from last<br />
August is seeing <strong>NIRMA</strong> Lifetime<br />
Member Frank Kocsis sitting on a<br />
sofa in-person at the 2020<br />
Conference, i-Phone in hand, ear<br />
buds in place, attending sessions.<br />
Between sessions, he was mingling<br />
with the few of us in the conference<br />
foyer. It worked for him. And here<br />
is how Frank experienced last year.<br />
“I recall the pleasant experience of<br />
sitting on the couch outside our<br />
normal meeting rooms watching and<br />
listening to the sessions. Even with a<br />
hearing loss problem, I was able to<br />
better hear, absorb, and jot down<br />
notes using my personal ear buds<br />
and tablet. I wasn’t sure what to<br />
expect during a virtual conference,<br />
but was pleasantly surprised by my<br />
positive experience. The one thing I<br />
did miss was the interaction with<br />
colleagues and friends. I look<br />
forward to be with them and I am<br />
sure this year’s Conference will be<br />
better than last given the positive<br />
feedback <strong>NIRMA</strong> received.”<br />
While we are working to firm up<br />
some thought-provoking keynote<br />
speakers, we are still looking to any<br />
of you who would be interested in<br />
giving a presentation. The Call for<br />
Papers has been published a couple<br />
times in our monthly emails and is<br />
also available on the <strong>NIRMA</strong><br />
website (click here) under the<br />
SPEAK tab.<br />
My hope is to have a number of<br />
new speakers, new voices, new faces<br />
from <strong>NIRMA</strong> to give a presentation.<br />
A list of possible topics is included<br />
on the Call for Papers. Case Studies<br />
are my favorite types of sessions<br />
because they’re from the heart, reallife<br />
experiences that colleagues are<br />
sharing, even lamenting. Sharing our<br />
grand successes and epic failures is<br />
huge to our education. Learning<br />
how to give a presentation (for the<br />
novice) is a growing experience for<br />
that person. My first few times<br />
giving a presentation was anything<br />
but spectacular, but I had the<br />
courage to overcome my fears, to<br />
learn, to grow, and to share. I invite<br />
you to consider being that newbie<br />
Continued on page 21.<br />
Back to Content | <strong>Inside</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>.org <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2021</strong> 5
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Defining Microfilm<br />
“Production Scanner”<br />
By Matt Anderson,<br />
Vice President of Marketing, nextScan<br />
L<br />
ately there has been a lot of<br />
talk about “Production”<br />
scanners within the microfilm<br />
market, but what does that actually<br />
mean? According to Isausa, inc.<br />
President Manuel Bulwa,<br />
“Document capture industry experts<br />
share a general consensus around the<br />
concept of “Production” level status<br />
as an elusive threshold that separates<br />
low to high volume document<br />
capture.” And by volume, that is<br />
more than how many images per<br />
minute, think a month. With that in<br />
mind, we thought we would share<br />
our professional opinion to help you<br />
pinpoint key identifiers that<br />
differentiate a production scanner<br />
from an on-demand scanner.<br />
Two Basic Kinds of<br />
Microfilm Scanners<br />
When you break it down, there<br />
are two “classes” of microfilm<br />
scanners:<br />
• Production and<br />
• On-Demand<br />
Production<br />
scanners are<br />
machines that are<br />
built using<br />
sophisticated lighting and line-scan<br />
sensors to convert microfilm to<br />
digital format permanently, in one<br />
scan. On-Demand scanners are the<br />
devices equipped with area-scan<br />
sensors that are employed to capture<br />
images from microfilm on an “as<br />
needed basis” - one image at a time.<br />
Someone would not use a<br />
Production scanner to scan one<br />
image at a time, same as someone<br />
would not use an On-Demand<br />
scanner to convert an entire roll of<br />
microfilm. These scanners have been<br />
designed for two separate and<br />
distinct processes.<br />
Production level scanners are<br />
designed from the ground up to<br />
simultaneously transport and capture<br />
high-resolution images on microfilm<br />
or microfiche. Production scanners<br />
are built with a highly specialized line<br />
scanning image sensor, top-of-theline<br />
lenses for greater focal depth,<br />
and lighting technology that enables<br />
high-speed digital conversion of the<br />
media. This allows for the film, or<br />
fiche, to be captured at the highest<br />
resolutions while traveling at<br />
extremely high speeds. Due to their<br />
reliability, and image quality,<br />
production scanners are always<br />
favored by conversion service<br />
bureaus, the document capture<br />
experts that scan all sorts of<br />
documents professionally.<br />
On-Demand, also known as<br />
research or walk-up microfilm<br />
scanners, are designed to offer a<br />
digital solution to replace the old and<br />
outdated analog microfilm readerprinters.<br />
The On-Demand scanners<br />
are most popular with patrons of<br />
libraries around the world, both in<br />
public and university settings<br />
because they are easy to use. The On<br />
-Demand scanner is limited to still<br />
image capture. These scanners are<br />
equipped with a light source and<br />
Complementary Metal Oxide<br />
Semiconductor (CMOS) image<br />
sensor like what you would find in a<br />
digital camera, limiting the user to<br />
capture each image on microfilm one<br />
at a time.<br />
Microfiche Scanning<br />
Challenges<br />
The flat, card-like style of<br />
microfiche presents its own<br />
Continued on next page.<br />
Back to Content | <strong>Inside</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>.org <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2021</strong> 7
STimaging<br />
Continued from previous page.<br />
next can<br />
S<br />
the microfiche.<br />
confidence that<br />
each file was<br />
captured from<br />
assurance it is essential that the<br />
entire roll was captured into RAW<br />
data as it allows for quick and simple<br />
corrections to the archiving files.<br />
challenges when being converted to<br />
digital files. Rolls of microfilm sit on<br />
a spool which can be unrolled,<br />
scanned, and rewound in rather<br />
quick fashion. The transport<br />
regulates supply between intake and<br />
outtake spools. This job is<br />
performed by secure and stable<br />
motors that drive the spools of<br />
microfilm, a straight-forward<br />
procedure under a line scanner.<br />
To convert microfiche, the<br />
“transport” regulates the movement<br />
of the glass platen the fiche sits on.<br />
Using line scanning technology, a<br />
sheet of microfiche is loaded onto<br />
the transport. On a nextScan<br />
production scanner, the microfiche<br />
transport travels in a back-and-forth<br />
manner while moving up and down,<br />
like a typewriter. Though unlike the<br />
typewriter, production scanning<br />
technology is capable of scanning<br />
both forwards and backwards,<br />
creating more scans in less time.<br />
Once the capture process has<br />
taken place, proprietary software<br />
combs the data, and replicates the<br />
physical microfiche turning it into a<br />
digital ribbon. This allows the<br />
auditing process to occur, ensuring<br />
According to<br />
Manuel Bulwa,<br />
“All production level<br />
workflows hinge on<br />
automation and batch<br />
processing. Stop and<br />
go, transactional, ondemand<br />
processes and<br />
the like do not belong to<br />
the production realm.”<br />
Camera technology intended to<br />
capture a single image makes<br />
production microfiche scanning<br />
nearly impossible. Again, the<br />
microfiche must be on a transport<br />
and an additional step must take<br />
place, the fiche must come to a<br />
complete stop for a clear capture.<br />
There is no camera sensor that<br />
notifies the transport to stop, so the<br />
camera is essentially “capturing<br />
blind.” When this occurs, a scan may<br />
be split in two or missed entirely.<br />
These spliced and missed images<br />
must go through a costly rescanning<br />
process if they are even caught in the<br />
first place. If each image is not<br />
viewed by a person to verify the scan<br />
is a true conversion cannot be<br />
guaranteed.<br />
Production Scanning =<br />
True Conversion<br />
As previously stated, a<br />
production scanner captures all data<br />
on the reel of microfilm or sheet of<br />
microfiche, but how is the data<br />
captured, specifically? By using line<br />
scanning technology, the key<br />
determinant of a Production<br />
Scanner. The line scanning<br />
technology process allows for<br />
everything to be captured from the<br />
media, edge-to-edge and end-to-end,<br />
without a single pixel of information<br />
missed. Once captured, the software<br />
gets to work detecting edges and<br />
presenting an “Audit” or review of<br />
the captured images. A technician is<br />
then able to easily discern if any files<br />
or documents were missed, and<br />
instead of a rescan, simply revert that<br />
area to the RAW data and continue.<br />
To be confident of a complete<br />
conversion with real quality<br />
On-Demand microfilm<br />
scanners physically cannot capture<br />
film in the same way. The limitations<br />
of the CMOS image sensor force the<br />
scanner to move the film, stop,<br />
capture, and repeat. The CMOS also<br />
does not “know” what it is capturing<br />
allowing for images to be spliced if<br />
not directly in line with the image<br />
sensor. There is simply too much<br />
room for error when trying to<br />
conduct a conversion project using a<br />
scanner designed for On-Demand<br />
use.<br />
According to Manuel Bulwa,<br />
“All production level workflows<br />
hinge on automation and batch<br />
processing. Stop and go,<br />
transactional, on-demand processes<br />
and the like do not belong to the<br />
production realm.”<br />
Your Trusted Production<br />
Scanner<br />
There are fundamental and<br />
significant differences in a<br />
production scanner when compared<br />
to other types of microfilm scanners.<br />
nextScan defines a true production<br />
scanner as equipment designed for<br />
the simultaneous high-speed<br />
transportation and real-time capture<br />
of both microfilm and microfiche<br />
using line scanning technology,<br />
which provides a critical step that<br />
guarantees quality assurance by<br />
enabling users to complete an audit<br />
before finalizing the conversion.<br />
If you have questions on your<br />
current equipment or are looking for<br />
new equipment, please give us a call<br />
208-514-4000 or visit<br />
www.nextScan.com.<br />
8 <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2021</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>.org <strong>Inside</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>
<strong>NIRMA</strong>’s 45 th Anniversary Conference<br />
Will Be Truly Spectacular!<br />
The Conference will be held at the beautiful JW Marriott Las Vegas<br />
Resort and Spa, 221 N. Rampart Blvd., Las Vegas, NV<br />
The <strong>NIRMA</strong> Board is hard at work to make this conference one of our<br />
best ever! In addition to our tradition of engaging speakers and<br />
enlightening presentations, we will also be commemorating <strong>NIRMA</strong>’s<br />
45 th Anniversary with a Celebration Night Extravaganza including<br />
dinner, music, and all-around fun! In addition, there will be lots to see<br />
and remember in our Memorabilia Room, highlighting <strong>NIRMA</strong>’s rich<br />
history!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Learn the latest from<br />
the experts in current<br />
trends.<br />
Be inspired by the<br />
message of industry<br />
leaders.<br />
Retool & re-energize<br />
your passion to make<br />
a difference.<br />
The JW Marriott Resort and Spa is a luxury getaway,<br />
providing spacious rooms and suites, premium amenities<br />
and superb customer service. Visit JW Marriott here.
Are You a Digital Leader or<br />
Digital Laggard?<br />
By Desh Urs, CEO and President, iBridge LLC<br />
T<br />
he secret to digital transformation<br />
success lies in developing a digital<br />
leader mindset.<br />
Companies talk a good game<br />
when it comes to digital<br />
transformation. But why do only<br />
some achieve success while others<br />
struggle? To understand how your<br />
business can succeed in digital<br />
transformation, you first need to<br />
understand what sets digital leaders<br />
and digital laggards apart.<br />
The way organizations approach<br />
digital technologies often defines<br />
whether they’re digital leaders or<br />
digital laggards. Here’s how they<br />
differ:<br />
What’s a Digital Leader?<br />
A digital leader actively and<br />
strategically embraces digital<br />
transformation and proactively<br />
introduces new systems to innovate<br />
its organizational structure, business<br />
processes, and offerings. They go<br />
beyond implementing new tools on<br />
a tactical level to using technology to<br />
redefine how they conduct business<br />
on a strategic, successful level. A<br />
digital leader places high values on<br />
communication, creativity and<br />
willingness to explore the ways<br />
emerging technology and digital<br />
information can be used within their<br />
business.<br />
What’s a Digital Laggard?<br />
A digital laggard understands the<br />
value of digital transformation, but<br />
they often approach the process<br />
with incremental improvements<br />
without an overall strategy. Despite<br />
some initial positive impact, this<br />
approach doesn’t improve their<br />
ability to remain competitive.<br />
Laggards tend to “plug gaps” but fail<br />
to visualize the lasting benefits of<br />
digital transformation and are<br />
destined to fall behind more agile<br />
competitors.<br />
The Differences Between<br />
Digital Leader and Digital<br />
Laggard<br />
There are three main areas in<br />
which digital leaders and digital<br />
laggards do things differently:<br />
Innovation<br />
Because digital leaders take a<br />
broader view of digital<br />
transformation, they see<br />
opportunities that laggards miss.<br />
Leaders see benefits that can only<br />
become available by the<br />
convergence of different<br />
technologies and integrating separate<br />
systems. Laggards simply seek to<br />
improve the cost-efficiency of<br />
current business processes, but<br />
leaders leverage digital<br />
transformation to develop ideas that<br />
would otherwise be impossible.<br />
Leaders view digital<br />
transformation as a way to advance<br />
innovative ideas that’ll help them<br />
adapt to threats posed by<br />
competitors that are pioneering new<br />
Continued on next page.<br />
Back to Content | <strong>Inside</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>.org <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2021</strong> 11
Continued from previous page.<br />
Look for a partner that<br />
can help you design a<br />
holistic and forwardlooking<br />
approach to<br />
digital transformation<br />
and then seamlessly<br />
integrate the appropriate<br />
technologies to support<br />
implementation.<br />
ways of doing business. Digital<br />
laggards will remain stagnant with<br />
this process.<br />
Market Development<br />
Digital leaders understand that<br />
technology can change how they can<br />
attract and communicate with<br />
customers, partners, and suppliers.<br />
They leverage digital<br />
transformation to expand their reach,<br />
grow into new markets, and explore<br />
the use of new resources. This allows<br />
them to diversify their businesses,<br />
increase profits, and stay competitive<br />
in today’s fast-changing<br />
environment.<br />
Meanwhile, digital laggards often<br />
only view technology as a way they<br />
can reduce costs and improve<br />
efficiency. They overlook the<br />
opportunities of reaching new<br />
markets or resources via digital<br />
systems that are breaking historic<br />
barriers.<br />
Organizational Structure<br />
A company needs to evolve its<br />
organizational structure to adapt to<br />
market demands and the business<br />
environment. Digital leaders<br />
structure their organizations to<br />
embrace digital transformation so<br />
that their organizations can become<br />
more autonomous and agile.<br />
On the other hand, because<br />
digital laggards fail to accept digital<br />
transformation holistically, they miss<br />
out on the opportunities to increase<br />
their organization’s ability to identify,<br />
react and respond to internal and<br />
external changes.<br />
How to Become a<br />
Digital Leader<br />
Here are the key steps for supporting<br />
your organization as a digital leader:<br />
• Determine your goals for digital<br />
transformation. Seek out the<br />
right technology partners and<br />
select the right digital platforms<br />
that will help implement new<br />
processes and keep your focus.<br />
Look for a partner that can help<br />
you design a holistic and forward<br />
-looking approach to digital<br />
transformation and then<br />
seamlessly integrate the<br />
appropriate technologies to<br />
support implementation.<br />
• Understand the context in which<br />
the technologies are<br />
implemented. From marketing<br />
personalization to supply chain<br />
management, context can inform<br />
how technologies are applied to<br />
make innovation meaningful and<br />
how data is used to inform<br />
impactful decision-making<br />
processes.<br />
• Prioritization is key. Have the<br />
digital transformation process<br />
become a part of your company’s<br />
DNA. Engage in the frequent<br />
communication with<br />
stakeholders during your journey<br />
to automation – it is crucial for<br />
successful team building.<br />
• Get buy-in from all levels within<br />
the organization to ensure proper<br />
implementation and long-term<br />
adoption of new processes and<br />
technologies. Digital<br />
transformation is an ongoing<br />
effort and only as effective to the<br />
extent everyone in the company<br />
is using the new tools to change<br />
how they do things.<br />
• Keep the end goals front and<br />
center. What was the original<br />
intent to transform your<br />
company digitally? Work with<br />
digital transformation specialists,<br />
trusted peers and your IT<br />
professionals to plan take full<br />
advantage of today’s digital<br />
landscape.<br />
About iBridge<br />
<strong>NIRMA</strong> members trust iBridge to support<br />
every facet of the documentation journey.<br />
We capture legacy information from<br />
aperture cards, jackets, microfiche, film,<br />
and paper on-site, then classify, index, and<br />
seamlessly load the finished images into your<br />
document management system.<br />
iBridge is a Microsoft Gold Partner with<br />
certified experience in cloud services,<br />
SharePoint and O365 mobility.<br />
12 <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2021</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>.org <strong>Inside</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>
Change Comes<br />
From Within<br />
H<br />
ow many times have you<br />
heard this statement,<br />
“change comes from<br />
within”? In my life I have<br />
heard it from motivational speakers,<br />
Preachers, and lots of other folk in<br />
relation to personal lives. Truth is,<br />
this applies to businesses as well.<br />
Many times, throughout my<br />
career, I have heard people in<br />
various businesses say, “It is what it<br />
is” and I typically respond with, “but<br />
is it what it could be?” Change in<br />
your personal life is possible if you<br />
are willing. Change in business is<br />
possible if the organization is willing<br />
and the culture is one that accepts<br />
change.<br />
We all know that change is<br />
inevitable. We witness change every<br />
day reading articles, watching the<br />
news, monitoring social media, and<br />
even strolling through a mall. New<br />
features are available in the day-today<br />
appliances we use at home, in<br />
our vehicles, and in the workplace.<br />
But are we open to changing the<br />
ways we work or, are we more<br />
AUDIT BUSINESS<br />
UNITS<br />
inclined to stay in our comfort zones<br />
and do things the way they have<br />
been done? Case in point. We are<br />
willing to sign for a purchase made<br />
in a department store using our<br />
credit cards for payment, yet less<br />
willing to accept this same kind of<br />
signature as valid in our business<br />
lives.<br />
Why is it OK to use this<br />
technology personally, but not<br />
professionally? Is it because the<br />
stakes are higher in our professional<br />
lives? Or is it the level of comfort we<br />
get with our traditional ways of<br />
working? We know that if we<br />
accepted and incorporated<br />
eSignatures into our business<br />
processes, transactions and<br />
operations would be streamlined,<br />
more consistent, and under better<br />
control. Yet there is still a reluctance<br />
to accept and incorporate these<br />
technologies into our business<br />
operations and processes.<br />
In My View<br />
It is not the technology that is in<br />
question, but human reluctance to<br />
C<br />
alling all MEMBERS! Have you ever thought<br />
about joining a <strong>NIRMA</strong> Business Unit (BU)? We<br />
have three very interesting and awesome<br />
opportunities to join, learn and become involved.<br />
There is the Membership & Marketing BU, Professional<br />
Development BU, and Regulations and Information<br />
Management BU all very exciting with different agendas<br />
in support of <strong>NIRMA</strong>.<br />
By Bob Larrivee<br />
Bob Larrivee Consultancy<br />
change that<br />
hinders many<br />
projects and forward movement in a<br />
business’ digital transformation<br />
journey. Change is possible, but<br />
willingness to change must first<br />
come from within the organization.<br />
When the culture is open to change,<br />
acceptance to change comes more<br />
readily. It is up to you to identify<br />
those areas of reluctance, understand<br />
the underlying reasons for reluctance<br />
to change, and work to move the<br />
organization toward a state of<br />
acceptance.<br />
Bob Larrivee is a recognized expert in<br />
the application of advanced technologies and<br />
process improvement to solve business<br />
problems and enhance business operations.<br />
In his career, Bob has led many projects<br />
and authored hundreds of eBooks, Industry<br />
Reports, Blogs, Articles, and Infographics.<br />
In addition, he has served as host and guest<br />
Subject Matter Expert on a wide variety of<br />
webinars, Podcasts, Virtual Events, and<br />
lectured at in-person seminars and<br />
conferences around the globe.<br />
<strong>NIRMA</strong> would like to provide you with an<br />
opportunity to check them out via an invitation to sit in<br />
and audit any or all of the BUs to see what they are<br />
about.<br />
M&MBU Calls: 11:00 am MT, 1 st Wed. of every Month<br />
PDBU Calls:<br />
9:30 am PT, 3 rd Wed. of every Month<br />
RIMBU Calls: 11:00 am PT, 2 nd Wed. of every Month<br />
If you would like to check it out please contact Sarah<br />
Perkins at nirma@nirma.org and she will be able to<br />
provide you with the call in numbers for one or all of the<br />
BUs.<br />
Back to Content | <strong>Inside</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>.org <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2021</strong> 13
A Retrospective on Information Management<br />
in Nuclear Power<br />
s I have consulted, sometimes I get frustrated about how<br />
A<br />
records management is viewed, especially electronic<br />
records. Don’t get me wrong; I’ve ridden the wave of<br />
the evolution (revolution?) of moving from paper-based<br />
to going completely digital regarding records. What<br />
concerns me is the mis-understanding of the “why’s” of electronic<br />
records management. Over the course of several columns, I’m<br />
going to address the fundamentals of electronic records, in the<br />
nuclear power context.<br />
Over the past decade or so, I have frequently<br />
provided a workshop at the annual <strong>NIRMA</strong> Conference<br />
on the fundamentals of electronic records. I did this<br />
primarily for the “newbies” who have been recently<br />
hired into a nuclear power plant – helping them<br />
understand the “why’s” on what they are doing. What’s<br />
been heartening, at times, is to see records management<br />
veterans also attend who have been doing “this<br />
electronic thing” for years; I like to think that they’re<br />
reminding themselves of the basics. I’ve done a lot of<br />
martial arts training in my life, and you can never do<br />
enough kicking, punching and throwing; even though<br />
you may have done a move a thousand times, there’s<br />
always a nuance you pick up that could give you that<br />
extra edge.<br />
So, let’s get started.<br />
By Eugene Y. Yang,<br />
Principal Consultant<br />
KISMET Consulting, Inc.<br />
Fundamental #1:<br />
What’s a record?<br />
The Miriam-Webster Dictionary states that a record<br />
is “something that recalls or relates past events, an<br />
official document that records the acts of a public body<br />
or officer, or an authentic official copy of a document<br />
deposited with a legally designated officer.”<br />
In <strong>NIRMA</strong> TG15-2011, “Management of Electronic<br />
Records,” the Association’s position is<br />
that a record is “Information regardless<br />
of physical form or characteristics,<br />
appropriate for preservation as evidence<br />
of the organization, functions, policies,<br />
decisions, procedures, operations, or<br />
other activities of the organization.<br />
Examples of where this information<br />
may reside are: books, papers, maps, photographs,<br />
machine readable electronic files, or other documentary<br />
materials.”<br />
When it comes to managing records,<br />
in the International Standards<br />
Organization (ISO) space, ISO 15489-1,<br />
“Records Management” states that<br />
“Organizations should create and maintain<br />
authentic, reliable and useable records, and<br />
protect the integrity of those records for as long<br />
as required.”<br />
14 <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2021</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>.org <strong>Inside</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>
The biggest issue that<br />
I’ve seen with<br />
electronic records is<br />
the “what do they look<br />
like” – not in the<br />
physical sense, but<br />
what are the<br />
components that make<br />
up an electronic<br />
record.<br />
• Authentic records are those that are what they<br />
purport to be.<br />
• Reliable records are those records “whose contents<br />
can be trusted as a full and accurate representation<br />
of transactions, activities or facts.”<br />
• Integrity of a record “refers to its being complete<br />
and unaltered.”<br />
• Usable records are those that can be “located,<br />
retrieved, presented and interpreted.”<br />
We now take these definitions into the electronic<br />
environment. Unlike physical records, digital records:<br />
• Cannot be read without a computer or other<br />
machine.<br />
• Require constant maintenance of hardware and<br />
software (requiring the IT organization to support)<br />
• Are easier to transport (see 16Gbyte USB flash<br />
drives); not necessarily a good thing if they get into<br />
the wrong hands<br />
• Can be “hacked” (stolen, altered, deleted)<br />
The biggest issue that I’ve seen with electronic<br />
records is the “what do they look like” – not in the<br />
physical sense, but what are the components that make<br />
up an electronic record. The following those<br />
components:<br />
• Content: The topics or matter treated in a written<br />
work (text, data, substance material or metadata)<br />
• Context: The parts of a discourse that surround a<br />
word or passage and can throw light on its meaning<br />
(metadata, knowledge management)<br />
• Structure: Form and format<br />
• Storage: Method of storing and retrieving<br />
• Security: Access control – group, individual, as<br />
well as file-centric security, such as content rights<br />
management.<br />
A simple example is a report. The content is the<br />
information (purpose, what was found,<br />
recommendations, etc.). The context is the title, the<br />
author, the department referenced. The structure is the<br />
applied section headings or table of content. The<br />
storage might include converting the “native” file<br />
format to another file format, such as PDF, and then<br />
placing it in an electronic repository for later retrieval.<br />
Access to the document may depend on whether the<br />
native file or the PDF is exposed to users, or both…or<br />
neither.<br />
The issue with data-based applications is that a<br />
“record” in that sense is a string of alphanumeric<br />
characters that require, at the database level, a “schema”<br />
that defines the separate fields, and at the user interface<br />
level, screens, lists, or reports that make the data human<br />
-readable. The content is the alphanumeric string, the<br />
schema provides the context, and the screen form/<br />
report provides the form and format. When someone<br />
hands you a CD, DVD, or hard drive, and does not<br />
provide the database schema or the software that can<br />
read the “stuff”, you need to push back.<br />
In future columns, I intend to continue with<br />
addressing the nuclear requirements, authentication,<br />
sustainability, <strong>NIRMA</strong>’s efforts in this area, and more!<br />
Stay tuned!<br />
Eugene has been a member of <strong>NIRMA</strong> for over 34 years. At<br />
the time he joined, <strong>NIRMA</strong> had only been in existence for 11<br />
years. He would love to hear about stories and<br />
anecdotes from others, so please email him at<br />
eugene.yang@kismetconsulting.com.<br />
Back to Content | <strong>Inside</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>.org <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2021</strong> 15
Lifetime Member Profile<br />
MEET MARGIE JANNEY,<br />
CRM/NS/FED<br />
Margie Janney, CRM/NS/<br />
FED, is the Chief of the<br />
Digitization, Processing, and<br />
Records Branch in the Office of the<br />
Chief Information Officer (OCIO)<br />
at the NRC. In addition to being<br />
the NRC’s Agency Records<br />
Officer, her responsibilities include<br />
records and information policy and<br />
operations, as well as managing the<br />
Document Processing Center.<br />
Prior to her joining OCIO,<br />
Margie worked on the Yucca Mountain project as a contractor for<br />
10 years and at the NRC for 6 years.<br />
Margie has more than 30 years of experience in the<br />
information management field. She became a Certified Records<br />
Manager in 1995 and, in 1996, became the first Nuclear<br />
Information Specialist to sit for and pass the test. She became a<br />
Federal Records Specialist in 2018.<br />
Margie has been a member of <strong>NIRMA</strong> since 1992 and has<br />
held many leadership positions, including serving two terms on the<br />
Board of Directors as Treasurer. In 2015, Margie was awarded<br />
<strong>NIRMA</strong>’s Lifetime Membership award.<br />
What are the locations you have worked at<br />
and positions held?<br />
I started my first records management job in 1990,<br />
working for Koh Systems, whose contract was taken<br />
over by TRW. I was as a contractor (“Nuclear Records<br />
Manager”) for the Department of Energy’s Office of<br />
Civilian Radioactive Waste Management on the Yucca<br />
Mountain Project. Dan Graser was my Federal<br />
customer. We were working on the Licensing Support<br />
Network (LSN) in anticipation of the licensing of a high<br />
-level nuclear waste storage facility. The LSN would be<br />
the vehicle that all parties to the proceeding would<br />
submit their discovery material.<br />
Dan moved on to the NRC to work on the LSN<br />
there. A couple of years later, a bunch of us were at<br />
happy hour (Marty Cummings, Dan, me, and others).<br />
Dan told me that he needed to hire someone to write<br />
procedures for him; did I know of anyone? I blurted<br />
out, “Dan, what do you think I do?” I started working<br />
for Dan as a Federal Senior Records Analyst in 2000,<br />
writing guidance for the parties to get their electronic<br />
documents loaded onto a server and connected to the<br />
LSN that the NRC built.<br />
In 2006, I got a promotion into NRC’s Office of the<br />
Chief Information Officer, where I was the lead over<br />
Records & FOIA Privacy Branch. Over the 14+ years<br />
in OCIO, I’ve been the lead (at one point or another) of<br />
records policy, records operations, the Document<br />
Processing Center, FOIA, privacy, information<br />
collections, information quality, public meeting notices<br />
the Public Document Room, Technical Library, and the<br />
internal and external web sites.<br />
What are your Professional Affiliations?<br />
• Institute of Certified Records Managers (ICRM)<br />
• <strong>NIRMA</strong><br />
• American Council for Technology-Industry<br />
Advisory Council (ACT-IAC)<br />
When did you join <strong>NIRMA</strong>?<br />
I joined in 1992. My first symposium (yes, the<br />
annual conference was originally called that ) was San<br />
Francisco. I have maintained my membership ever<br />
since, including paying for it out of my own pocket<br />
when I occasionally wasn’t allowed to attend the<br />
conference.<br />
What are the <strong>NIRMA</strong> Leadership positions<br />
you have held?<br />
In 1995, I was the Treasurer for that year’s annual<br />
symposium, held in DC. It was sponsored by TRW and<br />
DOE. At that time, sponsorship was a big deal, and a<br />
16 <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2021</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>.org <strong>Inside</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>
lot of money was funneled into the annual conference;<br />
we had a $600,000 budget (none from DOE). Shirley<br />
Jackson, the NRC’s Chairman was our keynote speaker.<br />
From 1997-1999, I was the <strong>NIRMA</strong> Treasurer. My<br />
biggest accomplishment was getting rid of the<br />
contractor that we used to put on our annual<br />
conferences. They wanted to be reimbursed for dry<br />
cleaning and meals, even though they were provided<br />
meals at the conference!<br />
How did you get started with <strong>NIRMA</strong>?<br />
My boss, Marty Cummings, talked highly about it, so<br />
I decided to attend a conference, and I was hooked.<br />
How did being a member of <strong>NIRMA</strong> assist<br />
you with your career?<br />
I gained confidence in myself, my abilities, and my<br />
career. Hans Ebner was a mentor, and when he became<br />
ill, he passed his seat on the NQA-1 Committee to me.<br />
That was a big deal! I was writing regulations for the<br />
industry!<br />
What did you find most rewarding about<br />
your membership?<br />
The friends I’ve made. (I did enjoy the technical<br />
aspects of the conference this past year, but I really<br />
missed my friends.)<br />
In what ways were you able to help (mentor)<br />
other members?<br />
I came up with the idea of the scavenger hunt that<br />
First Time Attendees used to have to fill out to win a<br />
prize. That was a really fun way to initiate new folks<br />
into the fold.<br />
I’d like to think that I encouraged people to get their<br />
CRM, NS, and FED certifications. I know I’ve helped a<br />
lot of people understand better how the NRC works.<br />
What would you tell others looking to get<br />
involved in a <strong>NIRMA</strong> or <strong>NIRMA</strong> leadership<br />
roles?<br />
Jump in! We can use all the help we can get. It’s an<br />
association built from volunteers. Getting to know<br />
others in the same industry is priceless, and the best way<br />
to do that is by volunteering. There is never going to be<br />
a time when you’re on your own, unless you want to be.<br />
Why is it important for you to stay involved?<br />
It is so rewarding to see younger people who were<br />
just like me almost 30 years ago. It’s been a great ride so<br />
far!!!<br />
Not a Member of <strong>NIRMA</strong>?<br />
join today!<br />
Back to Content | <strong>Inside</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>.org <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2021</strong> 17
From the CRM<br />
Records Management<br />
Career — A Series of<br />
Song Lyrics<br />
T<br />
hroughout my life, I have related life’s moments to<br />
song lyrics more often than I care to admit. Often,<br />
I say it out loud and those that know me well,<br />
expect it, and may respond with their own dueling<br />
song lyric. But, for those newcomers to my world, I may<br />
get an eye roll or a wrinkled confused look. I will most<br />
likely get both responses from this readership and “it’s<br />
alright” (Traveling Wilburys). Bear with me as I relate<br />
my records and information management career to song<br />
lyrics.<br />
Phase 1 — “Mud on the Tires”<br />
I completed my MBA in 1995 and was searching for<br />
the next level in my professional life when my<br />
Department Manager at Savannah River Site (SRS)<br />
proposed a solid path to the CRM certification for those<br />
in the department who were qualified. The two in-house<br />
CRMs established study groups and the competition<br />
began. Despite a crazy work schedule and unexpected<br />
obstacles in my personal life, I remained persistent in<br />
studying for the exam and was very thrilled to pass Part<br />
6 of the exam in January 1998 to become a CRM.<br />
Joining the elite CRM group gave me the feeling that<br />
I had a “brand new Chevrolet” to try out on a dirt road.<br />
I had reached a new level in my career and I felt so<br />
professional and so ready to prove myself that I could<br />
“hardly wait to get a little mud on the tires”.<br />
I felt obligated to give back to the profession and<br />
immediately became a test grader for Part 6 and began<br />
mentoring CRM candidates. I became immersed in<br />
ARMA International leadership starting with my local<br />
ARMA Chapter serving as Chapter Treasurer, Chapter<br />
Newsletter Editor, and Chapter President. I became a<br />
regular speaker for chapters in the Mid-Atlantic Region<br />
and enjoyed visiting the chapters and their cities. As if<br />
that was not enough, I jumped into ARMA Region<br />
leadership roles including Region Coordinator, Region<br />
Treasurer, and Region Manager. This enthusiasm for the<br />
profession, then resulted in being elected to serve a<br />
By Denise L. Pickett,<br />
CRM/NS/FED, IGP<br />
three-year term on the ARMA Board of Directors.<br />
The CRM designation was the key to breaking into<br />
my next awesome role with Deloitte & Touche as<br />
Regional Records Manager. The role was so diverse and<br />
allowed me to work with and travel to so many offices<br />
(cities) across the firm. Without the CRM, I would have<br />
never been offered this role.<br />
You cannot be scared to “get a little mud on the<br />
tires” and “stake out a little piece of shore line” of your<br />
own in your professional career.<br />
Phase 2 — “Big Shot”<br />
A new role as Records Management and Document<br />
Control Manager in the Nuclear Department at Black &<br />
Veatch pushed me back into the nuclear industry and<br />
opened the door to become very active in <strong>NIRMA</strong>. I<br />
had attended <strong>NIRMA</strong> conferences while at SRS in the<br />
1990s and with company support began attending the<br />
annual <strong>NIRMA</strong> conferences again. During that first time<br />
back at a conference, I attended a study session for the<br />
CRM/Nuclear Specialist (CRM/NS) and immediately<br />
knew this was my next phase in my certification<br />
progression and my career. Mary Binkholder was the<br />
<strong>NIRMA</strong> President at that time and she said she was<br />
going to apply for and take the Nuclear Specialist<br />
examination which challenged me to do the same.<br />
I earned my NS designation the year after Mary<br />
earned hers and I felt like a “Big Shot”. I had to “prove<br />
it to the crowd” that I could be a part of the small group<br />
of active CRM/NSs. After being shocked by the low<br />
number of active Nuclear Specialists, I began<br />
challenging others to work toward this and “my friends<br />
were so knocked out” that two more active CRM/NS<br />
professionals have been added to the elite group.<br />
I have truly enjoyed the family feeling of <strong>NIRMA</strong> and<br />
being a part of the Membership & Marketing Business<br />
Unit and serving on the Board. The networking<br />
opportunities have been priceless so I invite all of you<br />
18 <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2021</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>.org <strong>Inside</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>
who are reading this to volunteer<br />
and/or attend future <strong>NIRMA</strong><br />
conferences so you can be a “Big<br />
Shot” in a great industry.<br />
Phase 3 — “The Future’s So<br />
Bright”<br />
My next phase is a slight overlap<br />
with the previous one. While at Black<br />
& Veatch and as a result of serving<br />
on the ARMA International Board of<br />
Directors, I knew the Information<br />
Governance Professional (IGP)<br />
certification would be a feather in my<br />
cap and would show that “the<br />
future’s so bright” for the profession.<br />
The ARMA President challenged<br />
each of the board members to apply<br />
and take the examination since the<br />
board was instrumental in the<br />
strategic shift in mission and vison to<br />
the IGP.<br />
I was fortunate to gain more and<br />
more electronic and digital<br />
transformation experience each year<br />
and was anxious to prove that I was<br />
knowledgeable by sitting for the IGP<br />
examination, so attaining the IGP<br />
certification was very enticing. I<br />
passed that examination and I<br />
recognized that my resume was going<br />
to shine and that was when I knew<br />
that “the future’s so bright, I gotta<br />
wear shades”.<br />
Phase 4 — Imagine Dragons<br />
“Whatever it Takes”<br />
The next phase is the pinnacle; it<br />
is the culmination of 30 years of<br />
experience as an information<br />
management professional in the<br />
federal government, nuclear industry,<br />
and accounting which led me to the<br />
role as Records Management<br />
Program Manager for the Office of<br />
Legacy Management and then to my<br />
current role of Director of Records<br />
& Information Management/Public<br />
Information Act Officer.<br />
During this phase, I felt that<br />
“Whatever it takes…Yeah, take me<br />
to the top I'm ready for…Whatever<br />
it takes…'Cause I love the adrenaline<br />
in my veins”. A new certification of<br />
Federal Specialist was introduced and<br />
I knew with my 20 years of<br />
experience with the federal<br />
government that I had to do<br />
“whatever it takes” to add that<br />
certification to my resume. I passed<br />
and this last certification has allowed<br />
me to be the only CRM/NS/FED,<br />
IGP in the profession which is very<br />
cool.<br />
The current role of Director,<br />
RIM/PIAO for a county<br />
government hospital that has a noble<br />
cause of serving as a safety net<br />
hospital for Dallas County. In many<br />
aspects it is similar to working in the<br />
federal government with the addition<br />
of electronic health records. The role<br />
allows me to set the RIM policy for<br />
the hospital and serve as the<br />
government directed Records<br />
Management Officer and Public<br />
Information Act Officer.<br />
In closing, enjoy your career as a<br />
Records Manager (or a Document<br />
Control Manager or an Information<br />
Management Manager) and<br />
remember to “Celebrate….Good<br />
Times ….Come on”. If we cannot<br />
enjoy what we do and enjoy other<br />
colleagues in the profession, then<br />
why are we doing this? “Well, it's<br />
alright (alright), we're going to the<br />
end of the line” and “I’ve got the<br />
perfect place in mind”. I look<br />
forward to sharing my successes in<br />
the development of the hospital’s<br />
information governance program<br />
with this audience as this is my<br />
”sweet dream baby”.<br />
Song References:<br />
Billy Joel – Big Shot<br />
Brad Paisley – Mud on the Tires<br />
Imagine Dragons – Whatever it<br />
Takes<br />
Kool & The Gang - Celebration<br />
Roy Orbinson – Dream Baby<br />
Timbuk 3 – The Future’s so Bright<br />
Traveling Wilburys – End of the<br />
line<br />
<strong>NIRMA</strong>’s Financial Holdings<br />
As of: February 11, <strong>2021</strong><br />
Michelle Smith<br />
<strong>NIRMA</strong> Treasurer<br />
Money Market Account $ 109,810.43<br />
Checking Account $ 18,987.12<br />
Back to Content | <strong>Inside</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>.org <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2021</strong> 19
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Professional Development<br />
Business Unit (PDBU) News<br />
Tammy Cutts, PDBU Director<br />
N<br />
ow is the time of year when<br />
the PDBU is working to get<br />
training opportunities set up<br />
for the conference, whether<br />
pre-conference workshops or inconference<br />
sessions. We’re also<br />
making sure the certification<br />
information is updated and current<br />
between ICRM and the <strong>NIRMA</strong><br />
sites for the professional<br />
certifications and special<br />
designations.<br />
But that’s the humdrum routine<br />
work done by the PDBU. We’ve<br />
also got the webinars for <strong>NIRMA</strong><br />
members lined up through the<br />
spring through our host, iBridge,<br />
LLC. We’ll be putting the webinars<br />
on hold during the summer leading<br />
up to the conference and then<br />
resuming them again in the fall.<br />
Please think about what topics or<br />
content you might have that you<br />
could share with the membership.<br />
Webinars are a great way to develop<br />
yourself, help the organization, earn<br />
credits for certification maintenance,<br />
and educate our members. I really<br />
cannot encourage<br />
you enough to get involved in<br />
presenting topics and attending the<br />
monthly webinars.<br />
If there are particular topics you<br />
would be interested in, please let me<br />
or Lou Rofrano, the PDBU codirector,<br />
know and we’ll see what we<br />
can do, either in webinars or<br />
workshops. You can reach us at:<br />
tammy.cutts@pge.com or<br />
lou@amsstoreandshred.com<br />
From the Vice-President, continued<br />
and share a <strong>NIRMA</strong> topic of interest<br />
… or a COVID-19 experience<br />
you’ve endured. We encourage a<br />
panel of members to give a joint<br />
presentation about recent<br />
experiences. Or, did you recently<br />
update/upgrade your software<br />
system and want to share the<br />
experience about what went right …<br />
or wrong? The possibilities are<br />
endless.<br />
NEW this year, the ICRM<br />
workshops will not be held during<br />
the Conference itself. The ICRM<br />
has decided to host a pre-conference<br />
VIRTUAL event to prep for the<br />
CRA, the NS, and the FED exams.<br />
Those prep classes will be fully<br />
remote to eliminate travel and are<br />
tentatively scheduled for August 2-4.<br />
This means you will not have to<br />
choose between learning how to<br />
become certified or attending a<br />
session from your peers.<br />
We have invited nearly two<br />
dozen of our exhibitor contacts<br />
about physically attending the<br />
Conference and will have an<br />
Exhibitor Hall just as we have had in<br />
past years. This year, we are inviting<br />
the first six exhibitors to sign up to<br />
give a 20-minute Spotlight session<br />
that all of us can attend prior to our<br />
Networking Reception with them at<br />
the end of the day. If you are an<br />
exhibitor and want this opportunity,<br />
please contact Sarah at<br />
nirma@nirma.org to register.<br />
We learned how to host a<br />
successful hybrid Conference last<br />
year (on the fly)! We are working to<br />
improve upon the experience and to<br />
offer more opportunities for our<br />
attendees and exhibitors in this<br />
special 45 th Anniversary year. I plan<br />
to be at the <strong>2021</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong><br />
Conference in-person in August and<br />
look forward to greeting you there.<br />
Register for<br />
the 45th<br />
Annual<br />
<strong>NIRMA</strong><br />
Conference<br />
Today.<br />
Back to Content | <strong>Inside</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>.org <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2021</strong> 21
News from the Records &<br />
Information Management<br />
Business Unit (RIMBU)<br />
RIMBU <strong>2021</strong> <strong>Spring</strong> Meeting<br />
T<br />
he RIMBU team is gearing up for our annual<br />
spring meeting on March 9th and 10th.<br />
Unfortunately, we won’t be able to get together<br />
in person this year but will host everyone<br />
virtually instead. The team will be continuing work on<br />
the Cloud computing white paper and wrapping up<br />
the creation of TG24, Procurement of Digitization<br />
Services. We’ll also be discussing needed revisions to<br />
our guidance documents that are up for review this<br />
year. There are two speakers lined up with<br />
presentations on PDF/A standard expansion and agile<br />
software management methods. As always, we’ll share<br />
valuable operating experience and benchmark with<br />
one another.<br />
Status of RIMBU Actions<br />
The following guidance documents are up for review<br />
and possible revision this year:<br />
• Technical Guide 08 - Development and<br />
Procurement Spec<br />
• Technical Guide 18 - Vendor Technical<br />
Information Program<br />
• Technical Guide 22 - Management of Electronic<br />
Vendor Technical Documents<br />
• Technical Guide 23 - Turnover of Records and<br />
Incremental Handover of Information for<br />
Technical Guide 24, Procedure<br />
of Digitization Services in final stages<br />
of development<br />
The team worked diligently on TG24 throughout<br />
the last year and the document is nearing completion.<br />
A review by the RIMBU membership was recently<br />
completed and comments will be addressed during the<br />
spring meeting. Once all comments are incorporated,<br />
the document will sent out for <strong>NIRMA</strong> membership<br />
review.<br />
By Stephanie Price, RIMBU Business Unit Director<br />
Position Paper 08, Electronic Signature<br />
Methods nearing completion<br />
Electronic signature methods is a topic that has<br />
been discussed many times over the past several years<br />
at the <strong>NIRMA</strong> conference, through benchmarking<br />
questions, and amongst the RIMBU team members.<br />
As COVID-19 has affected how all of us perform our<br />
daily work, the question of what is and is not an<br />
acceptable method of electronic signature has become<br />
a hot topic. While it is not the intention of RIMBU or<br />
<strong>NIRMA</strong> to endorse any one method, product, or<br />
software solution, it is our goal to ensure our<br />
membership has the information they need to make an<br />
informed decision on electronic signature usage within<br />
their organization.<br />
The team, led by Bill Clover (Exelon Nuclear), has<br />
worked to include information about current laws and<br />
standards, federal regulations, types of signatures, and<br />
best practices. The paper has been reviewed by both<br />
the RIMBU and greater <strong>NIRMA</strong> membership. It is<br />
currently under review and comment with the board<br />
of directors. Once approved by the board, the paper<br />
will be made available on the <strong>NIRMA</strong> website.<br />
RIMBU is excited to offer this guidance to our<br />
membership.<br />
Get involved with RIMBU<br />
New members are always welcome! RIMBU is a<br />
great opportunity to benchmark with others in the<br />
industry, share valuable operating experience, and<br />
have the opportunity to influence industry standard<br />
guidance in records management. If you’re interested<br />
in joining, please reach out to me at<br />
sjprice@southernco.com.<br />
Not receiving <strong>NIRMA</strong> Email<br />
communication? Click here &<br />
scroll to the bottom of <strong>NIRMA</strong>’s<br />
website to sign up to ensure<br />
you receive the most current<br />
information.<br />
22 <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2021</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>.org <strong>Inside</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>
MEMBERSHIP & MARKETING<br />
(M&M) Business Unit News<br />
Kathi Cole, CRM<br />
M&MBU Director<br />
e are less than 6 months away<br />
W<br />
from the <strong>2021</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong><br />
Conference, the 45 th Anniversary.<br />
Time to start really thinking about<br />
attending the conference. There are great<br />
ways to enjoy and participate in the<br />
learning and fun.<br />
“BRING-a-BUDDY” Campaign!<br />
We will again be promoting the<br />
“BRING-a-BUDDY” campaign in <strong>2021</strong>.<br />
When you register yourself and a<br />
“buddy” (a new attendee) to come to the<br />
<strong>2021</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong> conference, your names will be placed in<br />
a special drawing. Prizes are always fun! Remember to<br />
register by July 1st and receive the Early Bird Discount.<br />
The new attendee can be anyone from your<br />
organization, such as IT, your boss, procedure writers,<br />
auditors, engineers, etc.<br />
Group Discount Offered<br />
<strong>NIRMA</strong> is offering a group discount when you<br />
register for the Conference early. Purchase 3<br />
registrations from the same company, and all<br />
subsequent registrations are $625. These subsequent<br />
employees need not be part of the Records<br />
Management organization. They can be<br />
employees from any of the organizations<br />
within the same company.<br />
Free Shirt with Early Bird<br />
Registration<br />
Also, because this year is the 45 th<br />
Anniversary of <strong>NIRMA</strong>, we are offering<br />
you a free <strong>NIRMA</strong> 45 th Anniversary shirt<br />
with your Early Bird registration.<br />
We Need You!<br />
Membership & Marketing Business Unit is looking<br />
for new members to help come up with new ideas to<br />
bring new members to <strong>NIRMA</strong> as well as, new ideas of<br />
how to share everyone’s expertise with the membership.<br />
M&MBU meets the first Wednesday of every month for<br />
one hour at 1:00 PM ET, 12:00 PM CT, 11:00 AM MT,<br />
and 10:00 AM PT. Please join us. We are a fun group<br />
to work with.<br />
For additional information or questions on anything<br />
mentioned above, please contact nirma@nirma.org.<br />
J<br />
ust a reminder that the<br />
election for the <strong>NIRMA</strong><br />
Board of Directors will occur<br />
in July and we need your help<br />
in filling the two Board positions<br />
that are open for election. Please<br />
consider nominating yourself or<br />
other individuals who you<br />
considered qualified to fill these<br />
leadership positions for the<br />
Association.<br />
NOMINATIONS FOR <strong>NIRMA</strong><br />
BOARD OF DIRECTORS<br />
Factors to include in your<br />
consideration are length of time as a<br />
<strong>NIRMA</strong> member, committee<br />
activities, leadership positions held,<br />
service to <strong>NIRMA</strong>, professional<br />
qualification, and desire and ability to<br />
serve on the Board. The term is<br />
three years.<br />
Please send your nominations to<br />
the Nominating Committee<br />
members: Kathi Cole at<br />
kjccole1@yahoo.com or Jewell<br />
Yturralde at<br />
jewell.yturralde@wipp.ws by April<br />
15, <strong>2021</strong>.<br />
Kathi or Jewell will provide<br />
candidates with documents and<br />
guidance per AP02, Annual Election<br />
and Board of Directors<br />
Reorganization Process.<br />
Back to Content | <strong>Inside</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>.org <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2021</strong> 23
Leaders, policy experts,<br />
researchers—and now the Biden<br />
administration—know that tackling<br />
climate change will require energy<br />
innovation. Sometimes that means<br />
inventing new technologies in wind,<br />
solar and the next generation of<br />
nuclear reactors, but it can also<br />
mean taking advanced technologies<br />
from other fields and applying them<br />
to the energy sector.<br />
3D-printing is one innovation that<br />
is beginning to revolutionize how we<br />
think about carbon-free energy,<br />
especially nuclear.<br />
What Is 3D-Printing?<br />
3D-printing, or more formally,<br />
additive manufacturing, takes a<br />
digital design and converts it into an<br />
actual 3D object, fashioned from<br />
plastic, metal or a composite. The<br />
technology has become more<br />
popular recently and moved from<br />
labs and issues of “Popular<br />
Mechanics” to inside our own<br />
homes. Even dentists use 3Dprinters,<br />
to make crowns from<br />
advanced materials.<br />
A 3D-printer is not quite a “Star<br />
Trek” replicator, but sometimes it<br />
seems close: in industrial versions of<br />
3D-printing, a computer powers a<br />
laser or electron beam welder or<br />
other energy device to fuse a powder<br />
into a precise shape, layer by layer.<br />
3D-printing has huge advantages.<br />
It allows for precisely formed parts<br />
that are more complex than could be<br />
made by casting, molding or even<br />
machining. A part can be 3Dprinted<br />
in one continuous form,<br />
rather than assembled from multiple<br />
pieces. It’s like how the advent of<br />
plastics decades ago allowed a single,<br />
complicated part to replace many<br />
that used to be fitted together from<br />
metal or wood.<br />
More Nuclear Plants Are<br />
Using 3D-Printing to Do<br />
Their Jobs Better<br />
3D-printing is coming to nuclear<br />
energy in a big way—both for plants<br />
running now and the more advanced<br />
reactors moving from the drawing<br />
boards towards deployment.<br />
The Tennessee Valley Authority’s<br />
Browns Ferry plant will load fuel<br />
assemblies this spring with four 3Dprinted<br />
parts, made of stainless steel,<br />
fabricated by Framatome. This<br />
follows on the progress made last<br />
spring when Westinghouse Electric<br />
Co. partnered with Exelon Corp.’s<br />
Byron plant to deploy another 3Dprinted<br />
device, also within the fuel<br />
assembly. Framatome, and many<br />
others in the nuclear industry, are<br />
already working on testing and<br />
qualification efforts to deploy more<br />
complex parts.<br />
“There is a tremendous<br />
opportunity for savings,” said John<br />
Strumpell, manager of U.S. fuel<br />
research and development at<br />
Framatome. These savings can make<br />
nuclear energy more costcompetitive,<br />
speeding the transition<br />
away from fossil fuels.<br />
Strumpell and others say that<br />
advanced reactor manufacturers are<br />
eyeing 3D-printing as a way to try<br />
out designs quickly, and then rework<br />
them as needed, shortening<br />
development time and speeding<br />
their deployment to help reduce<br />
carbon emissions. This approach<br />
does more than just save time, too,<br />
as some new metal alloys developed<br />
for advanced reactors are stronger if<br />
they are fabricated though 3Dprinting<br />
than if they are produced<br />
through conventional casting.<br />
In an ambitious plan to integrate<br />
advanced manufacturing with new<br />
nuclear technology, the U.S.<br />
Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge<br />
National Laboratory is planning to<br />
build an entire reactor core with 3Dprinting<br />
by 2023.<br />
Article reprinted with permission<br />
of NEI. Read full article here.<br />
24 <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2021</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>.org <strong>Inside</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>
Advanced reactors will break the<br />
mold of what we think nuclear<br />
energy can accomplish: some will<br />
be smaller, some will use different<br />
kinds of fuel and others will do<br />
more than just make electricity.<br />
This new technology may seem like<br />
uncharted waters, but when<br />
operators, technicians and other<br />
workers start up the first reactors<br />
of the new generation, they will<br />
bring with them years of nuclear<br />
experience to run machines that<br />
have been optimized with lessons<br />
from the current fleet.<br />
While advanced reactors are<br />
often portrayed as the future of<br />
nuclear energy, it’s our current<br />
plants that have paved the way for<br />
these exciting innovations and<br />
which will be workhorses for years<br />
to come.<br />
Reactor Veterans Bring<br />
Their Expertise to New<br />
Designs<br />
Many of the workers who will<br />
operate the next generation of<br />
reactors come from a nuclear<br />
background. Even though the<br />
design of an advanced reactor may<br />
be different, the experience and<br />
instincts these operators have<br />
gained from working at the current<br />
fleet will help new plants get off to<br />
a more productive start.<br />
“They have a questioning<br />
attitude; they are always exploring<br />
what could go wrong and always<br />
understanding the notion of risk<br />
management in nuclear operations,<br />
whether it’s the oldest design or<br />
the newest design,” said Chip<br />
Pardee, the president of Terrestrial<br />
Energy USA, who is the former<br />
chief operating officer at two<br />
nuclear utilities, Exelon Corp. and<br />
the Tennessee Valley Authority.<br />
“They have respect for the<br />
technology and a bias towards<br />
conservative decision-making.”<br />
Jhansi Kandasamy, vice<br />
president of engineering at GE<br />
Hitachi Nuclear Energy, agrees.<br />
She said that the presence of<br />
industry veterans will benefit the<br />
new models—like the 300<br />
megawatt boiling water reactor her<br />
company is developing.<br />
From the beginning, a new<br />
reactor will have “people who have<br />
touched it, worked on it, and<br />
experienced it,” she said.<br />
“They’re going to be able to tell<br />
you if something doesn’t look<br />
right, because they’ve lived through<br />
it.”<br />
Experience Informs New<br />
Reactor Design<br />
Advanced reactors are designed<br />
by engineers who are fully familiar<br />
with existing plants and can use<br />
that experience to optimize the<br />
new ones, like a family building a<br />
house and wanting the kitchen just<br />
so. New reactors will be simpler to<br />
operate because of insights gained<br />
from years of operations of the<br />
current fleet.<br />
NuScale Power LLC, for<br />
example, has a very different<br />
design from the current fleet: up to<br />
12 small reactors—instead of one<br />
or two large reactors—managed<br />
from a single digital control<br />
room—instead of one full of<br />
analog switches and dials. When<br />
the company designed its control<br />
room, it brought in industry<br />
veterans who had collectively<br />
worked at more than two dozen<br />
nuclear plants.<br />
Article reprinted with permission<br />
of NEI. Read full article here.<br />
Back to Content | <strong>Inside</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>.org <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2021</strong> 25
Nuclear Must Be Part of<br />
Taxonomy, says Unions, HPC<br />
Delayed Over COVID-19<br />
Nuclear energy must be part of<br />
the European taxonomy within the<br />
action plan on financing sustainable<br />
growth, unions from Belgium,<br />
Bulgaria, Finland, France, Hungary<br />
and Romania said in a joint letter to<br />
the President of the European<br />
Commission Ursula von der Leyen.<br />
“Convinced that Nuclear<br />
Energy is essential for achieving<br />
Europe's climate goals, our<br />
organizations insist on the<br />
imperative to include Nuclear<br />
Energy in European taxonomy.<br />
This taxonomy should provide<br />
reliable information on activities<br />
and technologies contributing to<br />
sustainable goals,” the unions said<br />
in the letter.<br />
The EU taxonomy is a<br />
classification system to clearly<br />
define and establish a list of<br />
environmentally sustainable<br />
economic activities which investors<br />
can use when considering financing<br />
projects.<br />
“The EU taxonomy is an<br />
important enabler to scale up<br />
sustainable investment and to<br />
implement the European Green<br />
Deal,” the European Commission<br />
says.<br />
A Commission has left nuclear<br />
power from its recommendations<br />
on the taxonomy rules as it said it<br />
could not conclude that the<br />
industry’s value chain does not<br />
cause significant harm to other<br />
environmental objectives.<br />
Hinkley Point C start up<br />
delayed 6 mths due to<br />
Covid-19<br />
The startup for EDF’s Hinkley<br />
Point C nuclear power station, two<br />
EPR reactors with a combined<br />
capacity of 3.2 GW in construction<br />
in Somerset, UK, will be around six<br />
months later than originally planned<br />
and will cost an extra £500 million<br />
($687 million) due to COVID-19<br />
pandemic, the company said in a<br />
statement at the end of January.<br />
EDF, a French state-run utility,<br />
has come under fire for repeated<br />
project delays and cost over runs at<br />
the site, which will house Britain’s<br />
first EPR reactor when it begins<br />
operation, with its first unit<br />
expected to start electricity<br />
generation in June 2026.<br />
That date compares to the<br />
original date of end-2025 as<br />
announced in 2016.<br />
The project completion costs<br />
are now estimated in the range of<br />
£22 to £23 billion compared to<br />
£21.5 to £22.5 billion announced in<br />
EU flag outside the European<br />
headquarters in Brussels<br />
a press release September 25, 2019,<br />
EDF said.<br />
“The risk of COD (Commercial<br />
Operation Date) delay of Units 1<br />
and 2 is maintained at respectively<br />
15 and 9 months. The realisation of<br />
this risk would incur a potential<br />
additional cost in the order of £0.7<br />
bn. In this case, the IRR (internal<br />
rate of return) for EDF would be<br />
reduced by 0.3%,” EDF said.<br />
European Parliament<br />
calls for suspension of<br />
Belarus NPP<br />
A European Parliament<br />
committee has called for the<br />
suspension of operations at the<br />
Astravets Nuclear Power Plant in<br />
the Grodno Region in Belarus until<br />
all EU safety recommendations<br />
have been implemented.<br />
Article reprinted with permission of<br />
Reuters Events Nuclear.<br />
Read full article here.<br />
26 <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2021</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>.org <strong>Inside</strong> <strong>NIRMA</strong>
Register Today for the<br />
45th Annual <strong>NIRMA</strong> Conference<br />
August 9-11, <strong>2021</strong><br />
Held at the<br />
JW Marriott Resort & Spa<br />
Click here to register.