CRM Records Lifecycle Management 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When applying a retention schedule, a 'trigger event' approach means the retention period starts when:
- The record is physically filed
- A specific event such as contract expiration occurs (Correct answer)
- The fiscal year ends
- The record is digitized
Correct answer: A specific event such as contract expiration occurs
Trigger-event retention ties the start of the retention clock to a meaningful business event rather than a fixed calendar date.
Question 2: Which disposition method is most appropriate for records containing sensitive personal information?
- Recycling in ordinary paper bins
- Cross-cut shredding or secure destruction (Correct answer)
- Open-bin incineration without documentation
- Donation to a public library
Correct answer: Cross-cut shredding or secure destruction
Sensitive records must be destroyed in a manner that prevents reconstruction, and the destruction should be documented for compliance.
Question 3: An organization's records continuum model differs from the lifecycle model primarily in that it:
- Eliminates the need for retention schedules
- Views records as existing in multiple simultaneous dimensions rather than sequential phases (Correct answer)
- Focuses only on digital records
- Replaces archival appraisal with automated classification
Correct answer: Views records as existing in multiple simultaneous dimensions rather than sequential phases
The continuum model, developed in Australia, treats records as having plural, overlapping dimensions (creation, capture, organization, pluralization) rather than linear phases.
Question 4: What is the primary purpose of a records inventory?
- To assign monetary value to records
- To identify what records exist, where they are, and their retention requirements (Correct answer)
- To purge all obsolete records immediately
- To create backup copies of all records
Correct answer: To identify what records exist, where they are, and their retention requirements
A records inventory is the foundation for building retention schedules and managing the lifecycle of all record series.
Question 5: The principle of 'original order' in archival management means:
- Records must be digitized before archiving
- The arrangement established by the creator should be preserved (Correct answer)
- Oldest records are stored first
- Records are alphabetized by creator name
Correct answer: The arrangement established by the creator should be preserved
Original order preserves the creator's filing arrangement, maintaining context and evidential value of the records.
Question 6: Which factor most directly influences the frequency of transferring records from active to semi-active storage?
- The color-coding system used for folders
- The volume of records and reference activity rates (Correct answer)
- The number of filing cabinets available
- The physical size of individual documents
Correct answer: The volume of records and reference activity rates
Records should move to semi-active storage when reference drops below a threshold that justifies prime office space costs.
Question 7: A 'records series' is best defined as:
- A single document in a filing system
- A group of related records arranged under a single filing system or kept together as a unit (Correct answer)
- All records created in a single calendar year
- A digital folder structure on a shared drive
Correct answer: A group of related records arranged under a single filing system or kept together as a unit
A records series is the basic unit for retention scheduling — a group of related records with the same function, form, and retention period.
CRM Records Lifecycle Management 3
When applying a retention schedule, a 'trigger event' approach means the retention period starts when: