Retention scheduling

Guidelines for effective recordkeeping and records management processes are explicitly outlined in ISO 15489, which can assist organisations with a variety of business tasks and aspects, including safety management, data privacy protection, and continuous enhancement initiatives. However, ISO 9001 makes it very clear that records should be "retained" and documents must be "maintained." But for how long should each record be kept, and how do you calculate that time? First of all, what exactly is retention scheduling?

Well all records have a lifecycle and the life span may be as short as a few hours as is the case with some transient records or may be as long as forever as is the case with records of enduring historical value. The record's lifecycle is determined through the analysis of the three primary needs i.e. legal, fiscal and administrative, and secondary needs as evidential, historical and informational.

Retention scheduling is the process of defining how long different types of data or records should be retained within an organisation. It involves establishing guidelines for the retention and disposal of information based on legal requirements, business needs, and other relevant factors. This helps organizations manage their data efficiently, comply with regulations, and ensure that information is retained only for as long as necessary. Regularly updating retention schedules is essential to adapt to changes in regulations or business practices.

This process helps organizations manage data effectively, comply with regulations, and reduce unnecessary storage costs. However there are different factors that influence retention schedules and these include legal requirements, business needs, and data sensitivity. So it's important to regularly review and update these schedules to ensure that information is kept for an appropriate duration and disposed of responsibly when no longer needed.

In addition, a retention schedule may indicate a legal or regulatory citation that mandates a specific retention, how long the records should be maintained active on-site, how long they may need to be retained off-site when inactive, and whether the records are vital. It also shows the trigger period when these records should be disposed of, something that you are required to do under legislation such as the National Records and Archives Act, 2001. Thus, it's essential for every organisation that creates records to have one for easy administration of their records and information.