Document archiving requires knowledge, because without it we can at most somewhat manage the chaos in the company. However, if we want to create a professional, functional archive that will help us perform daily duties and comply with the law, we will need to remember several very important principles. From this article you will learn what the most important rules are about.
Documentation archiving – the most important principles
- accuracy – the key to proper archiving
Precision during organizing is an obvious matter, but in the case of such an activity as document archiving it is definitely worth emphasizing. This is because every mistake, even the smallest one, can cost us quite a lot here. For example – if we assign files to the wrong category, in the future we may have serious problems finding a document quickly.
- patience, or why it’s better not to rush
Organizing documents is quite tedious work, especially if we have fairly substantial collections. Haste is inadvisable during such work. Experience often makes it possible to carry out this stage faster. However, this does not change the fact that if document archiving is in our plans, it would be good to reserve some time for it.
- knowledge of regulations
This is also an important matter. After all, document archiving also serves to fulfill legal obligations. One of the most important activities here is assigning retention periods to files. In this way, you can clearly determine how long given documentation should occupy space in our archive. When this period comes to an end, these files should be disposed of. It should be noted here that retention periods differ depending on what documentation we are dealing with and when the employment relationship was established. For example, if the employment relationship began before January 1, 2019 and we do not complete formalities that could shorten the retention period, we must keep the files for as long as 50 years.
Document archiving – what stages does it consist of?
In addition to the previously mentioned duties, we must also make sure that organizing includes all the most important stages. Assigning retention periods is only one of them. Document archiving makes sense only when it is performed comprehensively. Specialists professionally dealing with this type of services, e.g. Rhenus, can offer clients precise and comprehensive handling of their collections.
Such assistance includes, among others, qualifying files to the appropriate category, developing documentation and assigning appropriate markings to it. To manage all collections, you should clearly define an action plan and use aids such as boxes, binders or folders.
Security principle
Document archiving concerns files that often contain sensitive data that cannot be released to the outside. It is extremely important to comply with GDPR during such work. The process must therefore be carried out in a place to which unauthorized persons do not have access. Proper archiving carried out by specialized companies is a guarantee that the information contained in our documents will be carefully guarded, and that all the previously mentioned principles will be observed.