Records Digitization and File Management Training Course

Participants can inventory record holdings and prioritise digitization using documented criteria.

• Records inventory fields: series, owner, format, volume, location and condition
• Sampling methods for estimating page counts, document types and indexing effort
• Prioritisation matrix using business value, risk, demand and physical condition
• Identify duplicate, transitory and non-record material before scanning begins
• Risk-register entries for confidential, vital, fragile and high-demand records
• Digitization business case costs, benefits, assumptions and decision criteria

Participants can plan a controlled digitization programme from scope through acceptance.

• Define scope boundaries, record series, service levels and acceptance criteria
• Work breakdown structure for preparation, scanning, indexing and quality assurance
• RACI matrix for business owners, vendors, records staff and IT
• Batch identifiers linking physical files, images, metadata and exceptions
• Pilot design testing volumes, equipment settings, workflows and retrieval
• Implementation roadmap with dependencies, milestones, resources and governance

Participants can prepare paper records for scanning while maintaining physical control.

• Document preparation removes staples, repairs tears and separates document types
• Barcode separator sheets identify files, documents and indexing boundaries
• Chain-of-custody logs record transfer, custody, location and return status
• Exception handling for fragile, oversized, bound and restricted materials
• Batch reconciliation compares files received, scanned, returned and outstanding
• Secure staging areas protect records awaiting preparation and scanning

Participants can specify image capture settings suited to record value and use.

• Resolution selection: 200, 300 and 400 ppi use cases
• Colour modes compared: bitonal, grayscale and colour image capture
• File formats TIFF, PDF/A and JPEG assessed for records requirements
• Duplex scanning settings capture reverse-side annotations and attachments
• Scanner calibration, maintenance logs and test targets support consistency
• Image compression balances storage requirements against legibility and evidence

Participants can evaluate OCR outputs and specify controls for searchable records.

• OCR workflow converts image text into searchable machine-readable content
• Recognition accuracy affected by fonts, skew, contrast and handwriting
• Zonal OCR extracts defined fields from structured forms and invoices
• Confidence thresholds route uncertain characters for human verification
• Searchable PDF creation preserves images while adding an OCR text layer
• OCR exception logs record failures, corrections and recurring document issues

Participants can establish quality checks for complete, usable and correctly indexed scans.

• Quality assurance plan defines sampling rates, tolerances and corrective actions
• Image inspection checks skew, clipping, contrast, orientation and legibility
• Completeness verification compares scanned pages against original document counts
• Index validation confirms identifiers, dates, names and classification values
• Statistical sampling distinguishes acceptable batches from batches requiring rework
• Nonconformance reports document defects, root causes, correction and approval

Participants can design metadata profiles that support reliable retrieval and control.

• Metadata categories: descriptive, administrative, technical, rights and preservation metadata
• Dublin Core elements adapted for business records discovery requirements
• Mandatory, conditional and optional fields defined through a metadata profile
• Controlled vocabularies standardise department names, document types and status values
• Data-quality rules prevent invalid dates, duplicate identifiers and missing fields
• Metadata inheritance reduces repetitive entry within folders and record series

Participants can build a business-based classification scheme and usable file plan.

• Functional classification groups records by business function, activity and transaction
• File plan hierarchy links functions, activities, record series and folders
• Classification codes use controlled structures without ambiguous local abbreviations
• File titles express subject, entity, period and document purpose
• Cross-references connect related records without creating duplicate authoritative copies
• Version control distinguishes drafts, superseded records and final approved copies

Participants can apply consistent naming and folder rules to shared digital repositories.

• File naming syntax orders date, subject, identifier, version and status
• ISO 8601 dates support chronological sorting across file repositories
• Character restrictions prevent errors during migration, export and system integration
• Folder structures reflect approved classification rather than personal preferences
• Naming convention examples cover contracts, case files, invoices and projects
• Periodic folder audits identify duplicates, orphan files and inconsistent titles

Participants can define operating controls for shared drives and electronic repositories.

• Shared-drive governance assigns ownership, access rules and review responsibilities
• Electronic document and records management system capture requirements defined
• Check-in and check-out controls prevent conflicting document edits
• Audit trails record creation, access, changes, transfers and disposition actions
• Repository permissions apply least-privilege access and segregation-of-duties principles
• User procedures address filing, retrieval, revisions and exception escalation

Participants can apply access and handling controls to sensitive digital records.

• Access classification identifies public, internal, confidential and restricted records
• Role-based access control assigns permissions through defined job responsibilities
• Privacy impact assessment identifies personal-data collection, use and disclosure risks
• Redaction procedures remove protected information from releasable record copies
• Encryption controls protect records during transfer, storage and backup
• Access review schedules detect excessive permissions and inactive user accounts

Participants can create retention rules and document defensible disposition decisions.

• Retention schedule fields define series, trigger event, period and disposition
• Business, legal, fiscal and historical values inform retention decisions
• Trigger events include contract expiry, case closure and employee separation
• Disposition authorities approve destruction, transfer or permanent preservation actions
• Destruction certificates document scope, approval, method and completion date
• Legal holds suspend normal disposition when disputes or investigations arise

Participants can capture and manage born-digital records outside paper-based workflows.

• Email records identified by business content, decisions, commitments and evidence
• Mailbox folders do not replace approved classification and retention controls
• Capture rules preserve attachments, threads, recipients and transmission metadata
• Collaboration-platform records require ownership, export and retention decisions
• Digital signatures and timestamps support evidential value for approved records
• Personal storage locations create risks of loss, access failure and duplication

Participants can plan preservation measures for records requiring long-term accessibility.

• OAIS reference model defines ingest, archival storage, data management and access
• Preservation formats reduce dependency on proprietary software and obsolete systems
• Fixity checks use checksums to detect unintended file alteration
• Storage redundancy protects master files against media failure and disasters
• Format migration plans address obsolete codecs, applications and file formats
• Preservation metadata records provenance, technical characteristics and management actions

Participants can plan controlled movement of records between repositories and formats.

• Migration inventory identifies source systems, volumes, metadata and dependencies
• Data mapping aligns legacy fields with target metadata and classification values
• Transformation rules standardise dates, codes, titles and controlled vocabulary values
• Migration validation reconciles record counts, files, metadata and access permissions
• Decommissioning criteria confirm retrieval, retention and audit requirements remain met
• Rollback plans protect records when migration defects exceed agreed thresholds

Participants can prepare practical requirements for digitization vendors and repository suppliers.

• Statement of work defines volumes, specifications, quality targets and deliverables
• Vendor due diligence reviews security, capacity, references and subcontracting arrangements
• Service-level measures cover turnaround, accuracy, availability and incident response
• Acceptance testing confirms image quality, metadata accuracy and retrieval performance
• Pricing models compare per-page, per-file, fixed-price and managed-service approaches
• Exit provisions require data return, deletion evidence and migration cooperation

Participants can monitor file-management performance and improve records controls over time.

• Key performance indicators measure retrieval time, indexing accuracy and backlog volumes
• Internal audit tests policy compliance, access controls and disposition evidence
• File-plan review identifies obsolete categories, gaps and duplicate structures
• Root-cause analysis investigates recurring filing, scanning and metadata errors
• Corrective action plans assign owners, deadlines, evidence and follow-up checks
• Management reports communicate risks, performance trends and required decisions

Participants can prepare adoption measures that make new filing controls part of daily work.

• Stakeholder analysis identifies affected teams, concerns, influence and support needs
• Change-impact assessment compares current filing habits with target procedures
• Role-based training addresses filers, approvers, administrators and records managers
• Quick-reference guides show file naming, metadata entry and retrieval steps
• Communications plan explains policy changes, deadlines, support channels and consequences
• Adoption metrics track trained users, compliant filing and unresolved exceptions

Participants can build, review and present a complete digitization and file-management implementation pack for a defined record collection.

• Define a target record collection, business purpose and control requirements
• Complete records inventory, risk assessment and digitization prioritisation matrix
• Specify preparation, scanning, OCR, indexing and quality-assurance workflow controls
• Build classification scheme, file plan, metadata profile and naming convention
• Set retention rules, access controls, legal-hold process and audit measures
• Present implementation roadmap, governance roles, costs, risks and success metrics