recordmanagement

Record management is a structured approach to controlling an organization’s records from creation or receipt through lifecycle completion. It covers both physical and digital records, including documents, emails, databases, images, audio, and video. The aim is to ensure information is accurate, accessible, protected, and retained or disposed of in a timely and compliant manner.

Key activities include capture and classification, metadata management, indexing, storage, and controlled access. Retention scheduling determines how long records are kept and when they should be disposed of or transferred to archives. Appraisal, disposition, and archival processes balance operational needs with legal, regulatory, and historical considerations. Lifecycle management seeks to maximize usefulness while minimizing risk and cost.

Standards and frameworks provide guidance for consistent practices. International standards such as ISO 15489 define principles, roles, and processes for records management, while the ISO 30300 family describes management-system requirements. Organizations may also reference sector-specific regulations and standards, as well as established practices from professional bodies. Electronic records management systems (ERMS), document management systems (DMS), and broader enterprise content management (ECM) platforms are commonly used to automate classification, retention, security, and retrieval.

Governance involves policy development, assigning roles such as records managers and system owners, and implementing access controls, authentication, and privacy protections. Compliance considerations include data protection laws (for example, GDPR, HIPAA) and industry regulations, as well as e-discovery and legal hold readiness.

Challenges include digitization, data migration, format obsolescence, and ensuring consistent metadata. Benefits of effective record management include improved compliance, risk reduction, operational efficiency, accountability, and preservation of valuable information for decision making and historical record.