One in three large UK firms admits email chaos

Most staff are not trained in the implications of compliance

More than a third of large organisations across the UK admit that their email management system is in "complete chaos", a survey claimed today.

Some 38 per cent describe their systems as chaotic, according to figures released by the content management association AIIM. 

The survey also found that the same number of end users admitted that their company either had no policy, or they didn't know their company's policy, when it came to email archiving.

Half of the users admitted that employees do not fully understand how to access current versions of policies and procedures or other critical corporate information.

"This highlights the deeper issue of training employees to understand and cope with the implications of compliance," said the report.

Over two thirds of organisations admit that content created by employees who have then left is not actively reviewed or archived appropriately.

Only 27 per cent of organisations archive emails outside Outlook in fully searchable and traceable email or document management systems.

AIIM found that 16 per cent of companies add to the paper mountain by printing copies of important emails to file, while seven per cent delete all emails after three months and rely on back-up tapes for archive.