Article Treasure Cove

The answer for this question within document management is easy: “A document becomes a record when the description of the document’s content may be found on the company’s official records retention schedule.” To be more definite, “A original document becomes an official record when the content of a document matches words on the company’s official records retention schedule.” Note that a copy of an official record is named an unofficial record.

Note the words, “original,” “official,” and “copy.” Ah, for the tough decisions of a records manager. Now you can begin to see the challenges of being a records manager. For example, if the official record (original) is deleted, the copy becomes the official record and should be appropriately protected and saved. But what if the original is deleted and there were 10 copies made. One of those 10 copies is the original, but which one? In the perfect situation, the records manager keeps track of all electronic and physical records. Ideally, the records manager must be able to contact those individuals that own known copies when the original is deleted.

Complicated? Yes, it is. And I know of no records manager who has ever been able to successfully keep to the paper trial of a document from creation to use and to disposition. Now it is possible to control these documents and records closely if the records manager has a huge staff, if the company is small, and if the funds are unlimited.

Is there way to declare a document a record within document management? Of course, many people will call a document a record when the content has legal, fiscal, operational, historical, or business merit, but this is too obscure for me. With this means, too many records managers have a tendency to declare all documents as records and be done with it. And lo and behold, now you understand why there are often thousands upon thousands “extra” records being stored offsite or even onsite. You may ask why? Because now when the file cabinets get full, all documents, records, and unofficial records are stored offsite. If you agree with the first method that a document is only considered a record when it can be found on the records retention schedule, then the only record that should concern you is the original document. All others must be given a short life and deleted.

So, in document management documents only become records when they meet two key demands: (1) content fits descriptions on the company’s official records retention schedule; and (2) the documents are originals. All other documents are copies and can be destroyed when they are no longer referenced for some time.

Tags: document management, document management for business, document management for online business, document management software, suitable document management