Defining Record Retention Times - Is 5 years long enough?

Lily,

Management better start working on that contingency plan, or update it. I don't think a customer cares what you do as long as the record retention timetables are being met. Just the facts of life and business!

Good luck!

ASD...

Hi
Thank you for the response I had. It help me to define a specific retention time for our quality records.

Quote:
Originally posted by Jim:
"In our case - we select retention timeframes according to the importance of the document."

First, I identify a huge list of quality records, then one by one, distinguised the importance of each records. I aslo seek the help of our MR to find out what are records to be disposed. And finally I eased out the pain what should be left in our retention area.

Quote:
Originally posted by Jim:
"Some are kept 5 years - some are kept for 3 some are "Archived" to computer files every year (which reduces the ammount of space needed)"

I agree with the above quote by Jim, I also identify some documents that need to be archive for five years and some are three years life span. However, with regards to the computer files, how would be able to identify the archived files?
We made a program in Access. A database on how we could ease the pain of finding the records on a huge list, different boxes...

Quote:
Originally posted by Al Dyer:
Management better start working on that contingency plan, or update it. I don't think a customer cares what you do as long as the record retention timetables are being met. Just the facts of life and business!

How about if one of our customer requires us to keep the record for as long as ten years, how are we going to deal with it???
Do we need to specify the retention time for that specific customer, saying that we are keeping their records for ten years???
Thanks in advance,
Raffy
[email protected]

Keep your documents in accordance to:
1- Legal requirements
2- As required by contract or other devices
3- Potential for litigation
4- Frequency / need of referencing
5- As you see fit to do so

Remember, they're your documents. You decide what to do with them and when to do it.

Raffy, you posted"

How about if one of our customer requires us to keep the record for as long as ten years, how are we going to deal with it???
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Even if such a situation was not part of contract review the company is in a hard place. It has to weight the benefits of meeting customer requirements or dumping the customer.

If the customer is say, 50% of sales I would think the company would bend over backwards. If it is a now and again customer that generates say, .5% of sales the company needs to decide if it is worth the effort to meet their requirements.

With the electronic processes available today I think that retention times are basically a non-issue. A 20 gig hard drive to store records costs about $150.00 and in tandum with a scanner, the sky is the limit.

Good luck!

One way to reduce space of records is to put them on a disk. I have heard of companies that do that on a full time basis. Document compression can also save space ( use one form for 2-3 records. this is helpful especially if they are related.) As far as retention times that is up to you. We have records that are only kept one month and employee records are kept 1 year after termination( we have several that have been here 25 years). A few questions that I would ask is:
1. What purpose will this record serve if I keep it 5 years and how can it help me.
2. What are the legal implications of this record?
3. Is this also a record for osha, accounting,etc
One last word, set your retention times as minimum times

We're storing as much as possible electronically. With our current network back-up system, we keep on site the 'recoverable' back up for 2 weeks, and send the monthly tape back-up off site for storage. It doesn't take up much room (smaller than VCR tape) and is readily accessible.

The year was 1971. I was working in a hospital as an EEG technician. Back then, an EEG was a paper tracing. Paper. A very long (often 50 to 150 feet long) paper tracing. No computer links. No video displays. With medical retention requirements for records we had built up a room 10" x 8' completely. I remember researching a 'solution' which was rejected - a company routinely did this with printouts from large companies - they had a machine which took these long, long printouts and fed them into a 'burster' which tore each sheet at the perforation, photo'ed it and then spit it out. They even shredded originals upon request. You ended up with one or more microfiche or you could go with roll microfilms.

How things have changed... There are now so many options that it's amazing.

I think the most important thing, you should analyze (after five years of operation, if all records you have are the records you need, some records are posible aren`t necesary or you can integrate with other. In this way you minimize the work of administration of them, reduce space and optimize an improve your system.
Regards
Arte

Record Storage

Hello All,

I have started storing all Records electronically. Any records that are created as hard copy are scanned and saved in the appropriate file. This system is backed up on CD monthly, All CD's will be archived on our server so if I need to see a record from a specific date all I do is type in the date and file name and my archive will tell me which disc that record is on.

I have stated minimum retention times in my procedures with no referance to maintaining a disposition of records. I see nothing in 9K2K that requires me to maintain a record showing the destruction of records As long as my records are retained for the stated minimums. Why would anyone care if I decide to keep my CD archive for 10 years.

If anyone sees a problem with my logic let me know...


Regards,


Curt

The way I read ISO92K section 4.2.4 it says that there shall be a procedure to account for the disposition (disposal) of records. It doesn't say how, when, or why, but the process must be defined/documented in a procedure.

I guess you could say that we retain all records for 20 years!

MHO from a TS guy