Where do you stand on this question? Read Experts Question ‘Keep Everything’ Philosophy & you might change sides!
"’If you keep everything, you are saying, in effect, that all information is created equal, which it isn’t,’" says Julie Gable of Pennsylvania-based Gable Consulting, an independent consultant specializing in electronic records management issues.
"The solution is to establish a valid records retention program, part of which is a retention schedule based on the legal, regulatory and statutory needs [PDF link] that also addresses any business need for information beyond that timeframe. That may be more time-intensive today, and certainly more immediate trouble than ‘just store it all somewhere.’ But in the long run, a smart approach to record-keeping could save companies a fortune and possibly even assist in compliance matters. In fact, clear-cut policies on record expiration and deletion could save a ton of trouble down the line."