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October 2009: In This Issue
- Records Retention Starter Kit »
- Top 3 Reasons for Records Retention »
- How TAB Can Help You with Records Retention »
- What Your Colleagues are Downloading »
Dear Records Manager,
Identifying standard retention periods for your organization's records is not always simple, but it is critical to the success of your RM program in terms of compliance, efficiency and risk management.
And because it is critical, we created a Records Retention Starter Kit. This is an essential tool for records management professionals who want to start developing and applying a records retention schedule. We hope you find it useful!
If you want to find out more about what we've covered here, or have suggestions for future issues, please get in touch!
Regards,
TAB
 What's the simplest way to make sure your RM program is compliant and efficient?
The answer is to know which regulatory requirements pertain to your organization, and then ask the right questions before applying them to your records.
Sound intimidating? It doesn't have to be. We've put together this great tool for those of you who are getting started with records retention.
The resource is a summary of some important requirement facts you need to know, as well as critical questions you need to consider in addressing them. Together, these facts and questions will help you start to develop a records retention schedule and apply retention periods to actual paper and electronic records.
We'll cover:
- Transitory records
- Tax laws and audits
- Specific tax requirements
- Employment records
- Labor laws
- Workplace safety laws
- Environmental liabilities
- Technical standards
- Legally specific retention triggers
- Meeting business requirements
Get this great resource here!
2. Three Reasons You Need to Get Records Retention Right
 Getting people in your organization interested in records retention can be an uphill battle, but for your RM program to be successful, you need buy-in. To help you communicate the importance of accurate retention schedules, we've put together 3 great benefits of doing it right. They are:
1) Cost Savings
Implementing a sound records retention program can reduce storage costs by up to one-third or more. By providing an approved timeline for the disposal of records at an appropriate time, a schedule will help ensure you aren't keeping anything you don't need, saving you money and space. This also applies to your offsite storage costs as well: with the right retention schedule in place you won't be paying to send and store files unnecessarily!
2) Better Access to Information
The right retention schedule will make it easier for your people to get the information they need, when they need it. Reducing the size of your active collection helps facilitate and accelerate the day-to-day retrieval of records.
3) Compliance & Risk Management
When you have a records retention schedule in place, it helps minimize the risks and liabilities that can be associated with document retention. Established records retention methods can insure that you meet all legal and administrative requirements and limit your exposure to litigation and its scope of discovery.
3. How TAB Can Help You with your Records Retention Schedule
 So what would a consulting engagement to help you get your retention schedule in order look like? Here's a thumbnail sketch of what we do:
- Start with extensive legal research into the legal requirements that pertain to your business activities and resulting records
- Evaluate legal citations and operational requirements
- Apply retention periods to activities identified in your functional classification system
- Retention schedule is then mapped to the classification system, allowing us to identify all your records
- Comprehensive programs simultaneously developed outlining everything from:
- duplication and dispersal requirements
- storage and access restrictions
- eventual destruction of records no longer deemed vital as outlined by a retention schedule
If you'd like our help in developing a retention strategy and schedule that will identify the records that need to be kept, how they should be stored, and when you can legally dispose of them, get in touch.
4. What Your Colleagues are Downloading
 Want to know what your colleagues are reading?
These are some of our most popular recent downloads:
File Retrieval Assessment Tool
Struggling with lost files or long retrieval times? This tool can help!
We've worked with hundreds of organizations over the past 50 years to help them solve their file retrieval problems, and we've used that experience to develop this useful tool.
Answering these questions will help you identify the root causes of any retrieval challenges you may be facing, and get you thinking about potential solutions and what those might look like for your organization.
You can walk through this diagnostic tool on your own - or call one of our records management experts to help.
You can download it here.
How to Switch to Electronic Documents for Efficiency and Space Savings
Thinking of converting paper documents to electronic format? Using imaging to save real estate? Need to be more efficient with fewer staff? Then your RM program has to be ready.
Answering the questions in this tool will help you:
- Ensure your imaged documents meet record-keeping requirements
- Understand how your existing RM program can support an imaging and retention program
- Understand which records, once scanned, can be destroyed and which must be retained
This is an invaluable resource for anyone who is thinking of enhancing their records management capabilities with an imaging program, and you can download it here!
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