Navigating Record Series

On the Record Series tab, Access Unify | Lifecycle makes it easy to review both high-level and detailed information for each record series in your retention schedule. This topic provides an overview of the sections of the Record Series tab.

bookmarks This Knowledge Base topic includes the following sections:

 

You will learn the composition of a record series which includes your retention policy, your organization’s content type examples, and the supporting regulatory citations. We will also look at private comments and the audit trail of changes. This will allow you to manage and navigate through a defensible retention schedule.

 

Length: 3 minutes.

 

To view the details of a record series, double-click the record series or select the record series in the grid and click View Detail. The Record Series Details page displays.

 

On the Record Series Details page you can add, edit, copy, merge, delete, and inactivate a record series to reflect internal changes, work changes, new product lines, and new jurisdictions. You can also create an record series exception.

 

 

The left pane displays the record series' retention policy and the supporting metadata.

 

For example, the Authority drop-down field specifies the basis for the retention duration.

 

The table below describes some retention rule fields for a record series. You can also configure some fields, like Retention, on the View or Change Records Schedule Options page.

 

Field Description

Metadata

Each record series is identified by a Code, and described by a Name, and Description.

Record Series Type

The Record Series Type field indicates if a record series is a standard Global record series or is an exception record series for a specific jurisdiction. Global is the default.

Departments

You can specify the Departments or other business units that are relevant to the record series.

Status

The Status field is an optional selection field that indicates the current state of a record series. For example, the status of a record series could be Inactive.

 

Status can be used to determine which record series are visible to the Access Unify | Lifecycle Employee Portal users or to indicate an internal procedure.

 

The status date and time displays next to the status value on the record series. You can also display this information in the Last Status Change field on Records Series page grid.

Retention

The Retention field is the baseline retention period or global retention period within the schedule.

On the View or Change Records Schedule page you have the option to display either a single, free-text Retention field or separate duration and units fields.

Exceptions

You can specify multiple Exceptions which is especially useful in a global schedule.

Authority

The Authority field categorizes the type of authority driving the retention period: Regulatory Requirement, Statute of Limitation, Business Need, Contract / Consent, Public Interest, or Best Practice.

 

This field relates to the collaborative Status field and the Private Comments.

Disposition Action

The Disposition Action field indicates the correct behavior at the end of the retention period: Destroy, Review, or Transfer.

 

For more information about the fields, the glossary includes common field names, definitions, and examples.

 

 

The Content Types section lists the types of records governed by the record series. Content types allow individuals within your organization to find the correct record series and retention period without needing to know the name of the record series.

 

You can also add content types for the record series.

 

 

To view an example of Content Types, hover your cursor over the image.

 

The Mapped Citations section displays the record-keeping requirements for the record series.

 

The Mapped Citations section makes it simple for you to see which citations are relevant to each record series. This allows you to monitor citations over time, identify which citations drive the retention period, and determine citations that are highly relevant to your schedule.

 

Mapped citations are classified from most relevant to least relevant. Defining citations are the most recent citations. Once you mark a mapped citation as defining the citation will always sort to the top regardless of the retention period.

 

 

To view an example of mapped citations, hover your cursor over the image. In this example, there are 15 mapped citations specific to human resources. Of the 15 citations, two have been selected as the defining requirement that are driving the retention rules.

 

The table below describes the Mapped Citations section features.

Feature Description

Manage Mappings

Mapping supports a key functionality of Access Unify | Lifecycle: Linking record series to citations. For example, if there's a new record series, you can easily map the record series to citations.

 

For example, your organization now does business in Canada. Our Research team or you can map a new record series to citations to Canadian record keeping laws.

 

TIP: The Access Unify | Lifecycle Research team maps citations to record series. But you can also map a citation to record series.

 

  1. Click Manage Mappings. The Citation Mapping page displays a grid of citations that you can map to the record series.

  2. You can enter a search term and click Filter to filter the grid.

  3. You can click Auto Suggest. The Citation Mapping page grid displays citations with retention requirements, does not display repealed citations, and includes filters you apply to the grid.

  4. You can Remove Filters, Edit Columns, and select a View.

  5. You can filter and sort columns in the grid.

  6. Any citations that are already selected are already mapped to the record series. To remove a mapping (unmap), deselect the citation in the grid.

  7. Select the citations that apply to the record series.

  8. Click Save Mappings. A confirmation page displays.

  9. Click Yes.

 

Unmap Citations

If a citation no longer applies to the record series, you can select the citation, and then click Unmap Citations.

Show Only Flagged

Click the Show Only Flagged button to review changes to citations. Then you can determine and document if the changes affect record retention.

Filter Mapped Citations

You can enter a term in the Filter Mapped Citations field to narrow down the mapped citations that display. Once a filter is applied, a filter icon displays next to the Mapped Citations heading to indicate that you are viewing a filtered list of mapped items.

Grid

A warning icon displays for repealed citations:

 

A yellow flag icon displays if at least one mapped citation is flagged for review. When the Access Research team updates citations in the database, Access Unify | Lifecycle flags the citations for review.

 

You can also click the flag icon to flag a mapped citation for review. You can also click the icon to indicate that the mapped citation has been reviewed. The icon will turn gray.

 

The Defining column indicates if a citation is driving the retention period or used to support the retention period. For example, there may be 45 relevant citations mapped to a record series, but only a few are marked as Defining.

 

 

Attestations is a paid feature that helps large international organizations ensure that their records all over the world reflect their corporate records retention policy.

 

For example, a records manager works with assistants across the globe. The records manager can request their assistants to attest that they will apply the corporate retention policy for record series in their jurisdiction.

 

Security Groups let organizations control the record series that Access Unify | Lifecycle users can edit. For example, a Security Group of record coordinators in Argentina can attest that they apply the corporate records retention policy for records in Argentina.

 

The table below describes the Attestations features.

Feature Description

Request Attestation

Users with roles that allow full control of the Record Series tab, like a Records Manager, can start the process of confirming that a jurisdiction is correct for a record series.

 

  1. On the Record Series tab, select the record series, and then click the Request Attestation button.

  2. Click the Request Attestation button.

  3. On the Request Attestation page, select All Jurisdictions or specific jurisdictions for the record series and click Submit. The Attestation section of the Record Series Details page displays the jurisdiction(s).

 

TIP: The Attestation Requested field on the Record Series grid displays jurisdictions that are pending confirmation that the jurisdictions apply to a record series.

 

Attestations Section

The Attestations section lets you view and manage the jurisdiction(s) for a record series.

 

  • On the Record Series tab, select the record series, and then click View.

 

Change Status

Users with roles that allow full control of the Record Series tab, like a Records Manager Assistant, can change the status of an attestation. Basically, do they agree to apply the corporate retention policy or not?

 

The Attestation Status is configured by a Access Unify | Lifecycle administrator and could be Requested, In Review, Accepted, etc.

 

  1. On the Record Series tab, select the record series, and then click View.

  2. In the Attestations section, select the jurisdiction, and then click Change Status.

  3. Select the new Attestation Status. For example, if a Records Manager Assistant selects Completed, they agree to apply the corporate retention policy to records in their jurisdiction.

 

Remove Attestations

Users with roles that allow full control of the Record Series tab can remove attestations from a record series.

 

  1. On the Record Series tab, select the record series, and then click View.

  2. In the Attestations section, select the jurisdiction, and then click Remove Attestations.

 

Filter Attestations

You can enter a term in the Filter Attestations field to narrow down the Attestations that display. Once a filter is applied, a filter icon displays next to the Attestations heading to indicate that you are viewing a filtered list of jurisdictions.

 

If the cross reference feature is enabled, a cross reference can link to another record series, a web site, or a note. For example, a cross reference can be a link to a page on the Corporate portal that describes how audit records are managed.

 

Private Comments provide a secure for authorized team members (for example, Collaborators) to raise concerns or suggest improvements to the records retention schedule.

 

Private Comments also serve as transparent documentation for auditors, justifying any non-standard retention periods. For example, you can enter comments requesting to retain records beyond the stipulated 7 years.

 

Private comments include the following features:

  • You can enter a new comment about the record series or change to the record series, and then click Save Comment.

  • The most recent comment on displays first.

  • After you have added your comment, you can edit or delete your own comment.

 

The Comments section on the Dashboard also lists comments for record series. To stay up-to-date on private comments, you can also subscribe for monthly or quarterly email notifications on comment updates.

 

The Audit Trail displays a history of changes to the record series including the date, the user, and the action.

 

Navigating between record series is simple in Access Unify | Lifecycle. You can quickly scroll through records without leaving the detail view or you can go back to the Record Series tab to filter and sort information, show and hide columns, generate reports, and customize views for your specific needs.

 

  • To return to the Record Series tab, you can click the up arrow.
  • You can collapse and expand each section.
  • You can navigate through the detail pages by using the left and right arrows.

 

You can customize the look and feel of the grid view and details page. For example, you can show or hide the Jurisdiction field on the Record Series Details page. To enable or disable Record Series features, click the gear icon in the lower, right corner of the Record Series grid.

 

 

To view the gear icon to enable or disable record series configuration options, hover your cursor over the image.