Event Based Retention. For many organizations, it's a painful approach to managing records because of the frequency of the retention periods. Wendy McLain and her team at Valero set out to evaluate their existing Records Retention Schedule (RRS) and analyze the Event Based Retention (EBR) periods. Considering trigger dates, and the volume of records affected by EBR periods, they were able to determine which of several recommended practices were most suitable for their unique records management environment. Find out how they performed the analysis and implemented the desired changes.

1. EVENT BASED RETENTION
Wendy McLain Ashley McKay Minjeong Song

2. Defining Event Based Retention
“Event Based Retention is defined as the
process by which the disposition of records,
irrespective of format, is linked to the
occurrence of a particular trigger event, such
as an account closure or employee separation,
rather than simply to the passage of time.”
(Event-Based Retention Guide, Iron Mountain)

3. Project Overview
The Pitch Student Analysis Lessons

4. The Project Pitch
• What is Event-Based Retention?
• Why is it challenging to manage?
• How Does this help RIMS?
• Why is it an important project for
an intern?

5. Project Overview
The Pitch Student Analysis Lessons

6. RIMS Internship Opportunity
Identify Institutions
• Graduate level Records
Management programs
or courses
• 100% online delivery
• Proximity
http://armaedfoundation.org/collegiate-directory/

7. Capstone – Student’s Perspective
What is Capstone?
• Professional Experience Project:
fieldwork-based project under
the guidance of a field
supervisor from the
organization sponsoring
student’s project
What students get from it
• Real world experience
• Exposure to organizational
culture

8. Project Overview
The Pitch Student Analysis Lessons

9. Project Milestones
Task Percent Complete Estimated
Completion
Provide results of RRS data
analysis
100% 2/28/18
Summarize findings and
recommendations
100% 3/14/18
Propose an implementation plan 50% 4/04/18
Implement approved changes 0% 7/31/18

10. Project Deliverables
• Analysis of RRS to identify:
- Retention instructions
- EBR periods
- Trigger date source
• Annotated bibliography of key articles used to support
recommendations
• Recommendations for which practices would best fit
• Draft project plan for implementing recommendations
• Final Report / Presentation

11. Method of Analysis
Convert RRS to
spreadsheet
Flag variation in
instruction
wording
Flag EBR in period
and instructions
Flag
inconsistencies
between period
and instruction
Standardize
wording of
retention
instructions
Classify EBRs into
groups based on
recommended
practices from
literature
Convert known
business process
durations from
EBR to year-based
retention
Discover trigger
date sources

12. Findings – Retention Instruction
• Found 71 variations of retention instructions:
– Retain record for 3 years after the record is final and used for the
purpose for which it was created.
– Retain record for 12 years after the transaction is complete, or after
the record is final and used for the purpose for which it was created.
• Preliminary recommendations are to define terms,
standardize phrasing and reduce the number of variations
– Retain record for x years after the record is final and used for the
purpose for which it was created.

13. Retention Instruction Example
• X% of Retention Instructions follow the pattern:
– Retain record for # years after the record is final and used for the
purpose for which it was created.
• Y% of Retention Instructions deviate from the pattern:
– Retain record for # years after the transaction is complete, or after
the record is final and used for the purpose for which it was created.
– solicited bid or proposal was received.
– effective date of the contract.
– termination date of the contract.

14. Findings – EBR Periods
• Found 39 specific EBR periods
(out of 143 class codes)
• Found 3 retention instructions
that allude to EBR periods
• Student's preliminary
recommendation to reduce 9 of
the known EBR periods

15. Findings – Trigger Date Source
• For the 30 EBR periods under review
– 11 trigger events are known and “automated” with a documented
date source
– 8 are “manual” meaning the trigger dates should be manually
inputted in ECM system in order to start the retention clock
– 1 is “hybrid” meaning that within the class code, there are record
types both of which trigger events are either “automated” or should
be inputted “manual”
– 10 are still “unknown” and under investigation as they may not have
records in ECM system yet

16. Project Overview
The Pitch Student Analysis Lessons

17. Re-Thinking Event Based Retention
• All retention/disposition is event
based… but if the event date is known
at the time the records enter RIMS
control, those are “easy” or defined.
• This project was created to gain
clarification on future events
unknown at the time RIMS begins
stewardship of the record.

18. Impact to EBR Electronic Record
Volume
0
500,000
1,000,000
1,500,000
2,000,000
2,500,000
3,000,000
3,500,000
4,000,000
4,500,000
5,000,000
Current After analysis
Count of electronic records
60% shift to Time-Based
Retention

19. Lessons Learned
• Iterative process
• Requires collaboration to
obtain necessary data
• Creative approaches can meet
business needs while keeping
integrity of RM program

20. References
• Corey, T. (2016). Minimizing the Use of Trigger Events to Increase
Records Retention Compliance. Information Management Journal,
50(4), 29-31.
• Iron Mountain. (2016). Event-Based Retention Guide. Retrieved
from
http://www.ironmountain.com/resources/whitepapers/e/event-
based-retention-guide
• Trombley, S. (2016). Beat the Clock in the Event-Based Retention
Countdown. Information Management Journal, 50(5), 27-29.

21. THANK YOU