Controlling files and records.
WHAT THEY PROVIDE
One place documents live Version control Access control Search Retention and disposal
WHY VERSION CONTROL MATTERS MOST
Documents circulated by attachment produce several versions, and nobody knows which is current.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH
That the system holds the authoritative copy.
WHAT THAT REQUIRES
Links shared rather than attachments.
WHAT METADATA PROVIDES
Finding documents by attribute rather than by remembering where they were placed.
WHAT TO DEFINE
A small set of attributes, applied consistently.
WHY SMALL
Extensive metadata is not completed, and becomes unreliable.
WHAT RETENTION POLICIES MUST ADDRESS
How long each type is kept When it is destroyed What must be preserved for legal reasons
WHY DESTRUCTION MATTERS
Keeping everything indefinitely creates cost and exposure.
WHAT LEGAL HOLD MEANS
Suspending destruction when litigation is anticipated.
WHAT ACCESS CONTROL SHOULD ENFORCE
Permission by role and by document type.
WHAT TO LOG
Access to sensitive documents, and downloads.
WHAT TO PLAN
Migration of existing files, which is substantial.
WHAT TO AVOID
Moving everything without review.
WHY
It transfers disorder into a new system.
