Records management is the systematic administration of documents and information throughout their entire life cycle. This includes creation, storage, use and, finally, destruction or archiving. The aim is to ensure that important information is processed efficiently, securely and transparently in order to guarantee transparency and legal certainty.

Objectives

The aim of records management is to systematically manage information and documents to ensure their integrity, availability and security. It includes the capture, classification, storage and protection of records throughout their entire lifecycle.

Important objectives are:

1. Compliance: Ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory requirements (e.g. General Data Protection Regulation, Archive Act)
2. Efficiency: Optimising workflows by making information easy to find.
3. Security: Protecting sensitive data from unauthorised access and loss.
4. Cost efficiency: Reduction of storage costs and improved resource utilisation.
5. Knowledge retention: Retention of important information for future generations and to support decision-making processes.

Overall, records management serves to improve the organisation and use of information within an institution.

Advantages for employees and organisations

For employees:

- Less time spent searching for information
- Access to documents from anywhere
- Better familiarisation of new employees through clear filing structures
- Facilitated representation in the event of colleagues being absent

For organisations:

- Faster information search
- Avoidance of duplicates
- Less paper consumption (more sustainable and lower CO2 emissions)
- Compliance with legal storage requirements
- Quick access to evidence in legal cases
- Independent access to information
- Greater transparency, continuity and legal certainty