Larry, Steve, Dwight, Peter, Alex, Sasha, et. al.,

 

This was in response to my bosses question "what if we re-used deleted
records series numbers" question. Thank you all for your responding as
it confirmed my own thought process and added some good insight.  I've
summarized my findings below, hopefully for the benefit of others.  Have
a great Friday.

 

Jim 

________________________________________________________________________
_______

 

Responses from the RM Listserv (RECMGMT-L)

In general, a bad idea and discouraged practice.

 

*         Although no records may be located in storage or on the floor
as recorded, it doesn't mean that the series has not been mentioned or
referenced it in other documents/records.  If a lingering reference is
discovered, or if someone decides at a later date to look for those
records, what they find will be completely unrelated and they'll have no
understanding of why. 

 

*         Numbers are infinitum; why bring up a possible conflict in the
future?  The potential confusion could be dangerous. 

 

*         There is no way of knowing for sure that the records no longer
exist i.e. may be squirreled away without any notation in any known
system of record.

 

*         ISO 23081-1:2006(E), Information and documentation -- Records
management processes -- Metadata for records -- Part 1: Principles, 

o    8.4.10.2: "Records management metadata are as much subject to
authenticity rules or criteria as the records to which they are linked
in order to make them trustworthy. <snip> An important element for
ensuring authenticity of metadata and proper metadata management over
time is the requirement that captured metadata be fixed." 

o    5.2.3, "Metadata after record capture", ...In the case of
disposition of records, either by transfer of custody or ownership, or
by destruction, some metadata about them may still be needed to account
for their existence, management, and disposition."  

 

*         If you reuse record series numbers, you effectively destroy
evidence the of the original record series existence.  

 
*         Reusing previous numbers is the same as not listing of codes
in Accounting.

 

Recommended practice:

 

*         Mark the series (leaving its title unchanged) as "Retired from
Use" and include the date and document the reason.  Update schedule to
state XXXXX "Series Retired from use on MM/DD/YYYY and state reason re:
all records met required retention and dispositioned".  By doing this,
there is no chance of a claim of spoliation in the future for not being
able to produce records, or by producing records that are completely
unrelated to the referenced subject matter.

 

*         At the very least a change management process should be
implemented to capture the record series prior to the change, the new
record series, and why the change was made in the first place.

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jim Mullen, Company Records Specialist - Engineering
Spirit Aerosystems Inc.
Tech. Services & Process Config., Data & Records
Building 2-352E, M/C K32-02, Column L-15
(316) 526-0069
[log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>  
http://engpdirim-upd.web.spiritaero.com/EngPDI-RIM.htm
<http://engpdirim-upd.web.spiritaero.com/EngPDI-RIM.htm> 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

 


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