It's more important than ever to retain records, but it's a mistake to save everything. If you do, the data will grow so quickly that it will be impossible to manage. To manage records effectively, make sure to involve every department, and ensure that retention policies are current. A comprehensive records retention policy identifies each record type and any regulations governing that type of record, as well as defining the record's retention period. Define records broadly to include emails, text messages, IMs, toll tag records, building access records, video surveillance files, time-clock data and early versions of documents that were "deleted" from a PC's hard drive. Also, assign the responsibility of records management to one staffer. By doing so, you'll ensure that compliance receives the day-to-day attention it deserves. Other advice includes separating backup archives from record retention archives, managing data formats and media, and monitoring supplier compliance. Finally, delete data completely and stop all deletions immediately when facing legal action.

Learn more about effective records management:
- read the article at Computerworld

ALSO:
- read this on why email retention is more than just common sense
- and this on why data retention isn't something to ignore