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Reduce Risks and Increase Efficiencies through More Effective Records Management

By Management Strategies | January 19, 2023

“It is the responsibility of all contractors and Federal employees that create or receive recorded information which contributes to the missions of an agency to preserve those records in accordance with approved record schedules.”

Records are the memory of organizations such as Federal agencies. In today’s nearly all-digital work environment, most Federal agencies are saddled with a large number of electronic records (email, video, voicemail, etc.) and some physical records that they must properly organize and store. Not all records are created equal—records designated as permanent are kept “for the life of the republic”—while temporary records are destroyed after their fiscal, legal, and/or administrative use is up. There are rules and regulations that outline how records should be managed and every Federal agency should have an approach to managing records that meets their unique needs. Your agency may be missing an opportunity to streamline processes and may even be at risk of lawsuits if it lacks a detailed plan for managing its records.  


Records Management aims to manage records across their entire lifecycle (creation or receipt, maintenance and use, disposition) with the goal of: 

  • Promoting effective file maintenance practices; 
  • Preserving records of continuing value; 
  • Removing noncurrent paper records from office space to less expensive storage facilities through either physical transport, or conversion to an electronic format; and 
  • Destroying records (both paper and electronic) of temporary value as soon as they have served the purpose for which they were created and are eligible for destruction. 

Rules and regulations for Federal records management are covered by the Federal Records Act, which dictates that agencies must create a records management office to manage the records of the agency. Agencies create records schedules to provide mandatory instructions on how to treat records when they are no longer needed for current government business. Once a record becomes inactive, obsolete, or is superseded, a records schedule provides instructions on how to handle that record (the disposition). It is the responsibility of all contractors and Federal employees that create or receive recorded information which contributes to the missions of an agency to preserve those records in accordance with approved record schedules.


Getting Started with Federal Records Management 

Management Strategies has supported several Federal records management initiatives. Our typical Federal records management support project begins with a kick-off meeting with the appropriate Federal personnel to outline goals of the effort and lay out a high-level project schedule. It is imperative in these engagements to work with the Federal personnel who have been given authority to manage records and the personnel who are producing the records that must be managed. Once we have outlined our proposed approach, we need to identify where records are stored so that we can perform a records inventory. We will work to map the inventory to existing records schedules, create a file plan to serve as a quick reference and begin the process of creating and managing a folder structure in accordance with established processes to help facilitate better records management practices moving forward.  


How Our Work Supports Federal Records Management Initiatives 

Management Strategies is proud to support Federal records management efforts across several Federal organizations including the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. If you are interested in learning more about how we can support your organization with records management, please contact us at info@managementstrategies.com

Happy Holidays from Management Strategies

By Management Strategies | December 16, 2022

Our team here at Management Strategies wishes everyone peace, health, and joy during this holiday season and throughout 2023!

Discover Powerful Microsoft Tools for Automation – Part 2 

By Management Strategies | May 25, 2022

What is Process and Task Automation? 

Process and task automation has quickly become an essential tool that enhances modern teams and organizations, especially those teams that are looking for ways to reduce time-consuming, routine, and administrative tasks. Implementing process and task automation into your organization should not require the purchase of elaborate tools or in-depth technical resources. Members of our client support teams often use automation to streamline internal business reporting processes (invoicing, financial reporting, and dashboards) as well as client support initiatives (risk reporting, project status dashboards, and document compilation and formatting). 

Process and Task Automation using Power Automate 

In addition to using Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), Management Strategies also specializes in using Power Automate, a low-code automation platform that makes it easy for developers and non-developers to automate the most repetitive and mundane processes and tasks. Automation is the key to enabling teams to focus attention on where it is needed most. Power Automate is available across desktop, web, and mobile. Some examples of what you can do with Power Automate include:  

  • Automate repeatable business processes 
  • Send automatic reminders for past due tasks 
  • Move business data between systems on a schedule 
  • Connect to more than 500 data sources or any publicly available API 
  • Automate tasks on your local computer like computing data in Excel

All it takes is a little experimentation with your first Power Automate flow and you then start to see other examples of manual processes and tasks that are perfect for automation.   

Specific Examples 

Management Strategies uses Power Automate for process and task automation across client support activities and company operations. The use of automation frees our team members to focus on value-added, high-skill activities. Some specific automations we use include: 

  • Automated Email Reminders – When an activity is not completed on time, Power Automate will send an automated email reminder.
  • Recurring Tasks in Microsoft Planner – When a Planner task is marked as recurring, Power Automate will create a new task once the original task is completed.  
  • Create Tasks from Teams Chat – When discussing a new task with a coworker on Teams, you can prompt Power Automate to run a workflow that will automatically create a task in Planner based on a specific chat message.  
  • Automatic File Backups – When Outlook receives an email with specific keywords, Power Automate will automatically save a file to a folder to serve as an automated backup. 

How Can We Help You? 

Task automation using Power Automate is a powerful tool that teams and organizations use to maximize efficiency and free up personnel to focus on more value-added activities. To discover more about process and task automation and how Management Strategies customizes our support for your team or organization, please contact us at info@managementstrategies.com

Make  Positive Professional Change Through Executive Coaching 

By Management Strategies | April 19, 2022

What is Executive Coaching? 

Executive Coaching is a term that many have heard, but few understand fully. When a leader is motivated to make a change—whether it be to change oneself, a team, or an entire organization—they may seek the support and guidance of an executive coach. The best executive coaches bring years of experience successfully navigating executives through complex changes. The typical coaching process takes place over 6-12 months but can also last multiple years. The approach is highly customized based on an individual’s goals, areas of strength and opportunities for growth. As with any change initiative, there are some keys to executive coaching success:

  • Focus on development rather than performance, 
  • A motivation to change, 
  • Management support, and  
  • Ability to prioritize the coaching.  

Management Strategies & Executive Coaching 

Our team of executive coaches provides executive coaching and leadership development services to leaders across a number of federal agencies. Our work typically involves us developing custom programs to provide senior leaders with a baseline of leadership and management knowledge and skills, while also helping them achieve the leadership and professional development goals they have established for themselves and their teams.


How Can We Help You? 

If executive coaching sounds like something you or someone in your organization could benefit from, contact us to discuss more about how we can help: info@managementstrategies.com.

Management Strategies Certified as Women-Owned Small Business in 2022

By Management Strategies | January 6, 2022

We are happy to announce that Management Strategies was recently certified as a Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Federal Contracting program. This new certification allows us to compete for WOSB set aside federal contracts and allows the government to directly award us sole-source contracts. The federal government’s goal is to award at least 5% of all federal contracting dollars to women-owned small businesses each year. 

Achieving WOSB certification is no easy feat. The eligibility requirements to qualify as a WOSB are fully defined in Title 13 Part 127 Subpart B of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). To be eligible for the WOSB Federal Contracting program, a business must: 

  • Be a small business according to SBA size standards 
  • Be at least 51% owned and controlled by women who are U.S. citizens 
  • Have women manage day-to-day operations who also make long-term decisions 

Partner with Us! 

Let us help you achieve greater business and mission success. We are an award-winning management consulting firm supporting federal agencies with strategy and management services. Learn more about our services and partnering and industry information

Happy Holidays from Management Strategies

By Management Strategies | December 17, 2021

Wishing you and your family joy, health, and cheer this holiday season and throughout 2022!

Our Best (and Easy) Strategies for Thriving Despite COVID

By Management Strategies | August 13, 2021
A few members of the Management Strategies team were able to see each other in-person in August 2021, some meeting face-to-face for the first time due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant changes in all our lives. Perhaps one of the more significant shifts has occurred in where and how we work. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics American Time Use Survey (ATUS), the percent of people working at home nearly doubled during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, rising to 42 percent. Management Strategies observed a similar shift in our workforce as several employees shifted from on-site client support to remote support. As with all significant life changes, there were challenges and opportunities to learn and improve. A few of our employees offer their pandemic lessons learned related to the workplace: 


Have a dedicated workspace

Tyler learned early in the pandemic that having a dedicated workspace at home is essential to productivity. “Your at-home workspace does not have to be an office—it could be a specific seat at a table—just make sure you have dedicated space to work that it is free from distractions. Most importantly, shut down your at-home workspace when you are done for the day. It is important to set clear boundaries between your work and home life, especially when you work from your home.” 


Be aware of local norms and protocols.

Jim discovered that although some D.C. metropolitan area neighborhoods are geographically close, norms and protocols, especially related to the COVID-19 pandemic, can change significantly from area to another. “I live and work outside of the D.C. beltway. In June 2021 when Maryland no longer required masks, I learned that masking and distancing norms differed widely by community. So even if I traveled a short distance, I needed to prepare to confirm to the norms of where I was going.”


Make time for conversations.

Brandon discovered that once his work week shifted to fully virtual, he had few opportunities for spontaneous, less formal professional conversations and opportunities to network. “My work week is often booked with Teams meetings and little time for valuable side conversations with colleagues. Whenever possible, I try to plan or attend virtual or even in-person gatherings over lunch to create more opportunities to get to know my coworkers better. 


Stick to a schedule

Even though working from home can allow for more flexibility in your workday, Rachel recommends developing and sticking to a routine so work remains properly prioritized. “From your morning routine to regular work hours, keeping a schedule will help you be more productive, accountable, and prevent burn-out from over work. Just because working from home allows for a more flexible schedule, inconsistent schedules should be the exception, not the norm.” 


Take advantage of the flexibility and prioritize mental health.

Annie learned during the COVID-19 pandemic that working from home gives her the ability to manage life in a more efficient and healthy way. “Without having to worry about a stressful commute around the D.C. metropolitan area, I am now more efficient during the workday. I can more effectively juggle critical work deadlines, enjoy more non-work hours during the day, and overall find it easier to maintain my mental health.”


If you suddenly adopted new working habits due to the COVID-19 pandemic, you can likely relate to many of our team’s lessons learned. If you have any other lessons learned that were especially helpful for you, please leave us a comment on LinkedIn.

How to Avoid the Trap of Back-to-back Meetings

By Management Strategies | July 19, 2021

Our team often hears a recurring pain-point from our clients: back-to-back meetings without breaks is exhausting and impractical. This pain-point is growing more familiar to many of us as the current pandemic requires us to work remote and meetings are scheduled to compensate for a lack of face-to-face time. When meetings are scheduled back-to-back, one meeting going over the allotted time can have a domino effect on the rest of the day’s meetings, throwing off everyone’s schedule. Even when meetings end as scheduled, often there is no transition time before the next meeting starts. Without time to reset and refocus, employees can experience fatigue and distraction setting in, which can then cause real problems for teams.  

We host many meetings and are always looking for ways to alleviate scheduling pain-points. An effective tool that many may not be aware of is the ability to automatically shorten meeting times in Microsoft Outlook to allow for more meeting transition time. You can even choose different standard meeting durations depending on the length of the meeting. The option is also available as an enterprise-wide default for organizations that want to standardize the practice of giving their employees a bit of buffer time. 

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If you use this option, meeting facilitators still need to make sure meetings end at the scheduled time, but enabling the feature will remind everyone of the importance of having a break in between calls.  

How Can We Help You? 

Could your organization use a team like ours to help coordinate activities and identify and alleviate pain points? Contact us and let us know how we can help you and your organization achieve greater business and mission success: info@managementstrategies.com

Four Signs You Should Hire a Management Consultant Now

By Management Strategies | June 16, 2021

Whether related to specific project challenges or larger program inefficiencies, Management Strategies excels at uncovering and resolving client pain-points. Let’s address some typical pain-points that our teams encounter when we are hired, as well as how we apply our expertise to uncover and address these pain-points: 


Program Management

Pain-point 1: Lack of Data 

A program manager lacks on-demand access to project data and dynamic dashboards that provide at-a-glance answers—our program management services can consolidate, streamline, and mature processes and enable transparency through custom reports and dashboards. 

Our Project Management Professionals work with clients to develop solutions that centralize or tap into existing program data and provide visually appealing, data-driven, and automated analytics that enable quick decisions, provide transparency, and eliminate roadblocks.  


Process Improvement

Pain-point 2: Inefficient Processes  

A teams’ progress is stymied by overly bureaucratic processes and decision roadblocks—process improvement can identify and eliminate “waste” in processes and help to find ways for organizations to operate more efficiently. 

Our Lean Six Sigma practitioners are trained to uncover root causes of problems and find creative solutions that eliminate waste and increase efficiency.  


Business Transformation

Pain-point 3: Disconnected Stakeholders 

A Chief Information Officer (CIO) learns that their customers are not supporting or adopting the new IT initiatives/policies that the agency is rolling out organizational change management (OCM) can help articulate the new initiative’s value to the organization, increase stakeholder buy-in, and reduce resistance to change. 

Our Prosci®-certified practitioners are skilled at assessing agency stakeholder needs and designing custom strategies and plans for winning their trust and commitment. 


Organizational Change Management

Pain-point 4: Outdated Structures 

An agency leader determines that outdated organizational structures and lack of information sharing due to disparate IT systems is slowing mission execution—business transformation can streamline business operations and identify an integrated technology solution. 

Our business transformation experts draw on their deep, collective experience designing and delivering comprehensive transformation initiatives across multiple Federal agencies. 


How Can We Help You? 

Do any of these pain points resonate with you? Contact us and let us know how we can help you and your organization achieve greater business and mission success: info@managementstrategies.com

Memorial Day : Remember and Honor Those Who Have Sacrificed

By Management Strategies | May 31, 2021
Today we recognize our nation’s heroes on Memorial Day and we ask you to join us as we remember and honor those who courageously sacrificed their lives. From everyone here at Management Strategies, we thank you!



| Department of Defense | Veterans Affairs | US Army | US Navy | US Marines | US Coast Guard | US Space Force |

About Us

Management Strategies is an award-winning management consulting firm with 15 years of experience helping federal agencies address complex business challenges and manage mission critical programs.

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Management Strategies

11921 Freedom Drive, Suite 550, Reston, VA 20190