Records Management
Records Management is a systematic approach to creating, organizing, maintaining, and disposing of records throughout their lifecycle to ensure legal compliance, operational efficiency, and information governance. It involves policies, procedures, and technologies for managing both physical and digital records, such as documents, emails, and databases, to meet regulatory requirements and business needs. This discipline helps organizations control information risks, reduce storage costs, and preserve valuable knowledge.
Developers should learn Records Management when building or maintaining systems that handle sensitive, regulated, or long-term data, such as in healthcare, finance, legal, or government applications, to ensure compliance with laws like GDPR, HIPAA, or Sarbanes-Oxley. It is crucial for implementing features like data retention policies, audit trails, and secure disposal, which prevent legal penalties and enhance data integrity. In agile or DevOps environments, integrating records management principles early can streamline documentation and reduce technical debt.