Document Retention and Archival

What is Document Retention and Archival?

Document retention is the process in which files and documents are retained within a formal document management system. Organizations often create document retention policies, or have to adhere to regulatory requirements, that include how a document should be stored and the naming conventions that should be used when a document resides within the system. Documents can include business documents, financial records, engineering documents (e.g., CAD files, etc.), personnel records, insurance documents, and much more.

Retention policies typically include a period for which the document is no longer acceptable and must be obsoleted, archived, deleted, or destroyed.  Most frequently, document management systems simply archive applicable documents, which includes, but is not limited to:  changing a document’s status, moving the location of the document, removing the document and any associated data from the system, changing document ownership, and notifying appropriate entities of any of the changes. (Physical archiving of paper documents has a different context but may be done in a similar manner.)

Secure Document Repository

ImageSite and Engine-Box (the Cloud version of ImageSite) provide organizations with a document repository in which they can securely store, organize, and retrieve files. Both systems come equipped with state-of-art access control and authentication technology, and support various identity providers for single sign-on (SSO), such as Azure, AWS, Google, Okta, and OneLogin. Organizations even have the option to include additional security measures such as Multi-factor Authentication (MFA).

Engine-Box is backed by commercial-grade security provided by AWS, to ensure files and documents are secure. Files located within the system utilize AES encryption protocols to ensure the secure storage of files and database information, while files in transit are secured using SSL connections.

Read More: Security and Access Control

File Deletion and Restoration

Once a decision is made, either manually or through automated retention policies, to delete or archive a file the system removes the document from the active search and view functionality for most users.  Deleted files, however, can still be viewed by Administrators, and, if needed, the status of the files can be restored back to an active status.  To completely remove deleted files, they are purged from the system.  This can be done either manually by the System Administrator or automatically by the system, as established in system settings.

Retrieving Archived Files

Archived files include associated metadata files allowing for the retrieval and restoration of the files.  Archived files can be saved on network disk, offline disk, or on removable storage.  Files can be selected by ImageSite by System Administrators and restored, with their associated metadata, to their original project/folder.

Benefits

Additional EDMS Features