Feedback we received following our 2024 Summer survey suggested that we should do a special blog on transitory records; what are they and when should we get rid of them?
Transitory records are information, or data, that have various forms (e.g. reports, emails, chat message, documents etc.) that have short-term usefulness. It is possible that a chat message can lead to the creation of a record, but chat records aren’t usually as important. Let me provide a couple of examples of a transitory record:
- A presentation draft. Drafts are important in the creation stage, but once the presentation is finalized, drafts are no longer necessary. They have been superseded by the final version and are obsolete, which means they can be disposed of. They should also be removed because having numerous drafts around can be confusing, especially if your unit doesn’t have a trusted naming convention. Dispose of drafts once the final has been produced.
- An invite for ice-cream. The invite is a non-UBC record but still important so you know when the meetup is going to happen and who will be there. The invite and any associated email can be discarded anytime.
- Information needed to develop a record. Sometimes you need information from someone to create a record, like a colleague might sent you some background information to help you create a proposal or write a report. The proposal or report is the record, but background information sent to you is transitory and should be destroyed when it is no longer necessary. Dispose of preparatory material once the record has been produced.
- Non-OPR. If you have been CC’d on an email for information only and the main recipient is responsible for the subject of the email (in this case, not you), that email can be deleted when it is no longer needed. Don’t keep records that you are not responsible for managing.
Destroying transitory records one at a time is a waste of it! Lots of people we heard from said they understood the importance of records management but finding time was challenging. Within systems with semi-automated retention, such as Outlook (default folders trash, RSSfeeds & Junk) and in MSTeams, transitory records like Chat are destroyed after 90 days. This retention action happens completely behind the scenes but currently the scope for this type of hands-off automated destruction limited. There is, however, a way to automate retention in other Outlook folders that can be set up by the user. See this blog which will take you through the steps to set up your own automated retention in Outlook. Remember, always store email that others need to see centrally and follow the UBC retention schedules for the folders you set up in Outlook.
Further reading:
Collaboration Tools: When to Create a Record?
Understanding Records Management