Hi Todd,
Most Records Retention Schedules are built around record categories that
include a variety of documents/forms etc that are retained for specific
business needs/purposes and/or legal requirements.  An RRS is not usually
built around individual documents or you will have thousands of RRS codes.

I assume you are referring to forms that have been completed and provide
some evidence of work completed.  Each form completed is then a document
belonging to a record category.  In a departmental RRS you would include
that record category (and form) under the department RRS that maintains the
form as a record for their needs and purposes.  If another department
retains the same exact form in the same exact type record category it
may be classified as a copy; but if the form or record category serves a
different purpose it may be listed under a different record category
(combined with other documents) that provide evidence of work completed
that is different from other record categories in other departments.
Sounds complicated?  Yes, that is why many organizations have converted to
a functional or process-based RRS.

In a functional or process based RRS you would include that record category
(and form) and assign the responsible function/process as the "owner" of
the official completed form.  Keep in mind that it is not unusual for
individual documents or forms to be used to document different business
needs and purposes - or even different legal requirements.  In electronic
record keeping these documents/forms can be tagged with multiple RRS codes
as required if only one copy is retained.

Access to blank forms is an inventory and distribution issue that is not
included in an RRS.  And, your forms matrix is a great reference tool and
should be used and retained for reference purposes.

Mary

Mary W. Haider, MBA, CRM
Records & Information Manager and Consultant
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865-983-1371

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