Intro
Quick high-level look at the lifecycle from documents for beginners. Learn the basics in under 3 minutes!
Documents
Documents are digital or physical files created or received by an organization as part of its everyday business operations.
These can include emails, memos, reports, presentations, spreadsheets, or any other types of content.
Documents used for collaboration, communication, and sharing information. These are your working documents.
Records
At some point, the document is no longer needed for active use, such as when a project ends. This means the document will transition to a different stage as a record.
A Record Manager tags each document with retention labels, either manually or through automation.
The documents are then moved into a secure repository, where they are locked and stored for the duration of their retention period.
During this time, no one collaborates on these documents.
Disposition
After the retention period ends, records are destroyed in an End of Life event.
Some records undergo a disposition review before destruction.
Alternatively, records can be moved to archive storage after their retention period ends.
Final Note
Records are documents recognized for their lasting value and importance.
They serve as proof of past activities and must follow retention policies to meet legal, regulatory, and organizational requirements.
While some organizations may call all types of files "records" even when they are in the document stage, there is usually a difference between active, working documents and those formally declared as records.
Watch YouTube video:
Comments