Records retention and records management are very important principles in dealing with corporate information. Records management being the overall guide book for employees on to how to store and classify information. It is also about proper management of that information including legal holds (don’t destroy if litigation is in process), access to information and records retention.
Records retention is basically an information destruction plan based on business or legal requirements. A business doesn’t necessarily want the burden of securing confidential, but outdated information for ever – ie. former patient records. Creating a records management policy and records retention schedule requires a lot of effort and yet the actual deletion of records is a very difficult step to take. Here are some thoughts on how to feel better about pulling the trigger.
First, you need to get comfortable…
In an old paper based world, notification of new information meant extra copies of the document were placed on the desks of teammates. Otherwise, it required a hunch and a trip to the file cabinet or the random perusing of co-worker’s desks. In fact, it was probably not known that something new was available until it was a surprise – learned from a customer or worse yet, from the boss who somehow knew the facts.
Ifyou can’t determine need, then cost, as a factor, is irrelevant. If there is need, it is clear that cost impacts the decision and the expected return must outweigh the cost. It is a fairly simple concept but establishing need is not so simple.
I heard a story about how there is a push to bring the “Hipster” crowd to Eau Claire Wisconsin, a family oriented, affordable, city of 150,000+ in Northern Wisconsin. My first response was that with current technology, people can choose to live wherever they want, so why not Eau Claire. Having this opportunity is not a new concept and in fact, people working remotely is very commonplace already. 
file naming conventions, was too good to pass up. The political conventions are all about delivering a consistent, patterned message. Naming conventions are all about consistent, patterned file names. 
What is the cost of a lost document? There are two components to the cost regardless of the document being either lost or just misplaced. 
the new contract. When does it make sense to automate that process?
A technology issue that companies deal with on a regular basis is using one application for managing active or working documents and a separate application for the archived or final documents. Active being defined as documents in the creation or working stage and final being final or executed.
IRS Publication 4837, otherwise known as “Achieving Quality Examinations through Effective Planning, Execution and Resolution” published by the IRS Large Business and International Division, indicates that it would be wise to have supporting documents readily available when audited. Because you want to defend your position and you really don’t want the cost of responding to the audit to be greater than the potential tax impact.
In a past era processes were set in stone. Assembly lines were created and they ran for three shifts a day year after year. Big mainframes were programmed and some of those programs still run today. Change was slow and methodical for both consumers and businesses.