Access's Governance Award Signals a New Era for Supply Chain Compliance

PEABODY, Mass. – November 24, 2025 – In an industry increasingly defined by data, an award chosen not by a panel of judges but by frontline users offers a potent signal of market direction. Access, a global provider of integrated information management solutions, was recently named ‘best information governance company’ in the 2025 KMWorld Readers’ Choice Awards. While such accolades are common in the tech world, this particular recognition, rooted in reader validation, speaks volumes about a seismic shift occurring within enterprise operations and the digital supply chains that power them. It underscores that information governance is no longer a back-office function relegated to dusty archives but a strategic imperative for navigating risk, ensuring compliance, and enabling innovation.

This award arrives at a critical juncture. The landscape of data regulation has become a treacherous minefield for businesses of all sizes. The days of treating compliance as a checkbox exercise are definitively over, replaced by an era of aggressive enforcement and ever-expanding legal frameworks that demand proactive, technology-driven governance strategies.

The New Imperative: Navigating a Regulatory Minefield

The pressure on organizations to manage their information properly has never been greater. Regulatory bodies across the globe are intensifying their scrutiny, armed with new rules and the authority to levy crippling fines. Enforcement of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is expected to reach new heights in 2026, with a specific focus on cross-border data transfers and the governance surrounding artificial intelligence systems. For supply chain operators with global footprints, this means that a single misstep in handling customer or partner data can have cascading financial and reputational consequences.

Stateside, the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) has introduced formidable new requirements that take full effect in the coming year. As of 2026, many businesses will face mandatory annual cybersecurity audits and be required to conduct comprehensive risk assessments for any data processing activities deemed high-risk. Furthermore, new rules governing Automated Decision-Making Technology (ADMT) grant consumers the right to opt-out of AI-driven profiling, a change that directly impacts everything from logistics optimization to dynamic pricing models. Similar pressures exist in specialized sectors, with HIPAA governing health information and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) demanding continuous, real-time verification of financial data integrity—a far cry from the static reports of the past.

“The regulatory environment continues to evolve quickly. As privacy concerns grow, having a comprehensive information governance program becomes ever more critical for businesses,” noted Tony Skarupa, CEO at Access, in a recent statement. His comment reflects a growing consensus in boardrooms everywhere: information governance is now a core component of risk management. The award from KMWorld readers suggests that companies are actively seeking partners who can provide a lifeline in these turbulent regulatory waters.

Beyond the Filing Cabinet: The Shift to Integrated Governance

For decades, records management was synonymous with physical storage—rows of cardboard boxes in a secure warehouse. The digital revolution added a new layer, but often in a siloed fashion, creating a fractured landscape of physical records, legacy databases, cloud storage, and application data. The recognition of Access points to the market’s maturation beyond these fragmented solutions. The future, as signaled by the practitioners voting in the KMWorld awards, lies in integrated information management.

This modern approach treats information as a fluid asset, managing it holistically from creation to secure destruction, regardless of format. It involves a suite of interconnected services: archival storage for physical documents, high-volume scanning and digitization, cloud-based digital records retention, and robust policy management software. This integration is vital for breaking down the data silos that hinder efficiency and create security blind spots.

Emerging technologies, particularly AI and machine learning, are the engine of this new paradigm. According to industry analysts, AI is revolutionizing governance by automating the painstaking work of data classification, applying retention policies, and detecting anomalies that could signal a breach or compliance failure. Instead of reacting to incidents, AI-powered governance allows organizations to proactively manage risk in real time. This integrated, tech-forward model is what separates modern information governance from its archival predecessor, transforming it from a cost center into a source of operational intelligence.

A Vote of Confidence from the Front Lines

Perhaps the most telling aspect of the KMWorld award is its origin. A ‘Readers’ Choice’ award serves as a powerful endorsement from the very people who grapple with information overload, inefficient retrieval systems, and the daily pressure of compliance. It suggests that Access's solutions are not just theoretically sound but practically effective. For IT managers, compliance officers, and knowledge managers, a solution that works as advertised and simplifies their complex reality is the ultimate measure of value.

This user-centric validation is crucial in a market flooded with technology platforms promising transformation. The award indicates that the company's approach—combining services for both physical and digital records under one governance umbrella—is resonating with a user base that lives with the consequences of a disconnected strategy. It’s a vote for practicality and effectiveness, highlighting a solution that helps organizations find the right information, secure it properly, and dispose of it defensibly.

Information Governance as a Foundation for Innovation

Ultimately, the story of information governance in 2025 is not just about avoiding penalties. It has become a crucial enabler of competitive advantage and innovation, a theme central to the evolution of modern supply chains. As organizations rush to deploy AI and advanced analytics to optimize logistics, forecast demand, and personalize customer experiences, they are discovering a fundamental truth: the quality of AI output is entirely dependent on the quality and governance of the input data.

Leading industry associations like AIIM now stress that a strong foundation in information governance is an absolute prerequisite for building trustworthy and effective AI systems. Without it, companies risk deploying biased algorithms, making decisions based on flawed data, and exposing themselves to new vectors of risk. In this context, robust governance ceases to be a defensive measure and becomes an offensive strategy. It is the disciplined framework that allows a company to innovate with speed and confidence.

The recognition of a firm like Access by industry practitioners is more than a simple award; it is a barometer of change. It shows that businesses are prioritizing comprehensive, lifecycle-based strategies for managing their most critical asset. In the fast-moving world of supply chain and logistics, where data-driven decisions determine winners and losers, building a foundation of trusted, well-governed information is no longer optional—it is the essential first step toward a resilient and innovative future.