The AODocs Retention Module is a feature of the AODocs Document Management Platform, included in the AODocs Application Platform license level. It lets you automate the retention and disposal of the documents stored in your AODocs libraries.
Automatically generated table of contents
The retention policy schema
Each retention policy defined by your company or organization is associated with a retention policy. This is used to apply all the characteristics of the retention policy.
You can upload your retention policies to the AODocs Retention Module with a CSV file or create them manually in the interface.
Note: You can't upload retention policies based on property values. You must create them manually in the interface.
The schema of the retention policy is defined below:
| Column name | Type of value | Comment |
| Policy code | String | Forms part of the retention ID (see note below). Must have a value. Provides the value of the Retention ID property in your AODocs document. |
| Country | String | Forms part of the retention ID (see note below). Must have a value. Provides the value of the Retention ID property. |
| Function | String | A meaningful label depending on your business case, for example, "Administration". Can be empty. Has no corresponding property. |
| Sub Function | String | A meaningful label depending on your business case, for example, "General Administration". Can be empty. Has no corresponding property. |
| Record category | String | A meaningful label depending on your business case, for example, "Taxes". Can be empty. Provides the value of the Record Category property. |
| Custom Offset | Integer |
Defines the custom offset. If the retention method is Creation date or Last modification date, you can define a custom offset. If left blank, the basic offset is used. If the retention method is Custom event, the basic offset is used and you can't define a custom offset. |
| Retention time | Integer | Number of years before documents are deleted after entering the retention period. Must have a value. Note: You can set the value as "-1" to prevent documents from ever being deleted. Provides the value of the Retention Time property. |
| Event | String |
Defines how the Event Date property is filled in. Learn more: Create retention properties in your AODocs library. Possible values:
Must have a value. |
| Event label | String |
Defines a date property to use to define the Event date property. Enter the prefix of the required date property. For example, if you want your property named "Signature date" to define the Event date property, enter "Signature". To use Event label, you must enter a string other than "Creation date", "Last modification date" or "Not Classified" in the Event field. Can be empty. |
| Description | String | A meaningful description depending on your business case. Can be empty. Has no corresponding property. |
Notes:
– The Policy code and the Country form a unique identification code called the retention ID. In the example below, the retention ID is ADM156-US. You can't upload two retention policies with the same retention ID.
– If required, you can use different names for the columns in your CSV file, but you must include all columns in the order indicated.Example of a retention policy (CSV format)
Example of a retention policy (table format)
You can access a template of the retention policy as a Google Spreadsheet.
Add retention policies to the AODocs Retention App
All the existing retention policies on your domain are listed in the Retention policies tab.
When you have added a retention policies to the AODocs Retention Module, you can assign it to libraries on your domain.
Note: To add and manage retention policies in a library, you must be an AODocs super administrator or a Retention super administrator.
Upload retention policies
Use this method for retention policies assigned to the root level or folders in your library.
1. In the Retention policies tab, click Upload retention policies.
2. In the dialog, select your CSV file containing one or more retention policies and then click Open.
A dialog opens to confirm that the retention policy was added to the AODocs Retention Module.
The retention policies you imported are now displayed in the Retention policies tab.
If the CSV file does not comply to the required schema, the retention policies aren't uploaded and the information dialog displays the invalid lines. In the example below, a column is missing from the CSV file, so no retention policies could be uploaded.
If the CSV file complies to the required schema but one of your retention policies is missing a required field, such as the Country, the correctly formatted retention policies are uploaded and the information dialog displays the invalid lines.
Note: You can delete retention policies that are not assigned to an AODocs library. Learn more: Delete retention policies.
Create retention policies manually
Use this method for any type of retention policy.
1. In the Retention policies tab, click Create retention policy.
2. Under Identification, fill in the fields according to the retention policy schema, then click Next.
Note: The Policy code and Country form fields are mandatory.
3. Under Setup, choose the retention method:
- Creation date: the document enters the retention period on the creation date + custom offset.
- Last modification date: the document enters the retention period on the last modification date + custom offset. Each time a user edits the document, the Event date and Target destruction date are updated when the weekly batch process runs.
Note: Only manual updates are taken into account. Any modification of document by the system is ignored by the AODocs Retention Module.
- Not classified
-
Custom event: for example, to set up a retention policy based on property values with an Event date property defined by a date property:
- Select Custom event.
- In the Event field, enter a string other than "Creation date", "Last modification date" or "Not Classified" to indicate that the Event date property is not calculated according to the document creation date.
- In the Secondary label field, enter the prefix of the date property you want to use to define the Event date property. Learn more: Create retention properties in your AODocs library. For example: if you want your property named "Signature date" to define the Event date property, enter "Signature". If you want to use your property named "Start date", enter "Start".
4. Click Next.
5. If required, under Options:
- use the switch to deactivate your retention policy – by default it's active
- enter one or more property names and values
Notes:
– To enter a category hierarchy in the Value field, use the format: H1>H2>H3. For example: USA>Illinois>Chicago.
– To define a boolean, enter True or False in the Value field.
When a document has these values defined, the retention policy will be activated for this document.
Tip: Use the Add and Remove buttons to add or remove properties in your list.
6. Click Create.
The retention policy you created is displayed in the Retention policies tab. If you added properties under Options, a checkmark is displayed in the Metadata based column.
Export your list of retention policies
To export a list of your retention policy, click Download retention policies.
A CSV file is downloaded. It lists all your retention policies, including those that have been deactivated or that aren't yet assigned to libraries.