invent!ory ULTRA  2010 Help

Index

How Record Retention Works in ULTRA  

What is Record Retention? For legal and regulatory reasons, many companies must keep records on file for a long time, e.g., mortgages/loans, deposit agreements, invoices, etc. The time period can vary but the normal statute of limitations is around seven years. The volume of records retained can number in the thousands of boxes, so automation of this function is critical. 

 

ULTRA 2010’s record retention functions (right) are found in the Main Menu under “Supplies.” Use these three menu items to manage your record retention as easily as you do supplies.

 

Functions of ULTRA’s Record Retention

 

  • Track retained records to their warehouse shelf location
  • Monitor records nearing their “destroy date”  
  • “Check out” records from storage temporarily
  • Save all email correspondence regarding the record
  • Mark records as “Destroyed.” They however remain in the database for “auditability. ”
  • Archive “Destroyed” records

 

 

 

Note: Use the above Dashboard function to:   

  • Sort, view, edit, and print retained records on any field
  • Print out sorted reports for Active, To-Be-Destroyed, and  Checked Out records

.

What a “Retained Record” Looks Like

 

What we call a “retained record” is usually a box of documents stored in a shelf in a warehouse.

 

ULTRA assigns to  each “retained record”:

 

  • an EMAIL textbox to save key emails

 

  • a UNIQUE BOX ID 

 

  • various DATA FIELDS to clearly identify the box

 

  • Special DATE FIELDS and CHECKBOXES

 

 

Email Textbox:  Multiple emails between you and the departments sending the box to storage can be cut-and-pasted here to summarize activity over a box’s lifetime.

 

The email text box can hold up to 64K of data and you can update it simply by copying new text to the last line of the textbox.

 

Box ID/Name: Usually composed of box locator field to help find the box in the warehouse.

 

For example, AR12S01L0P01 means “Warehouse A, Rack 12, Shelf 01, Level 01, Position 01.”

 

Special Date Fields:  Date FROM/TO, Date PICKED UP, Destroy Date, “Checked Out” Date (left) allow the manager to control the flow and lifecycle of the retained records

 

“Destroyed” Checkbox: Once a record has been destroyed, the manager marks it by checking the “Destroyed” check box and then archiving the record. Archiving keeps the record on file although it is given a new Box ID (its old ID with an “X” prefix) 

 

“Checked Out “ Checkbox: If a department borrows a box of retained records from storage,  you click the “Checked Out?” box and enter the date and borrower.

 

A Record Retention “Walk-Through”

 

In this part, we will follow the steps a NEW BOX OF RECORDS undergoes in its life cycle:

 

·        the EMAIL REQUEST to put a box into record retention,

·         ADDING IT to ULTRA

·        “CHECKING OUT” a box for review,

·        RETURNING a “checked-out” box,

·        DESTROY DATE actions

·        FINAL ARCHIVING of a “destroyed” record.

 

Step 1: Email Request Received

 

What You Do:

 

  1. Add a new BOX ID record to ULTRA   (below)

 

 

 

 

Step 2: Add New Box ID to ULTRA

 

What You Do:

 

  1. Click Main Menu|Supplies| Add Record for Retention
  2. Copy the Accounting Dept’s email (above) and paste it into the ULTRA Email text box (below).
  3. Then enter the information (below) for the new Box and click SAVE.

 

Note: Each field shows the max number of characters (“chars”) it will accept.

 

 

 

Note: The grey list box ((bottom of “Add” screen) accumulates each new Box ID record you add. This helps you keep track of your additions if you are

mass-inputting new records. Alternatively, you may sort your Dashboard by Date Picked Up to see what records have been added.

 

Step 3: Edit a Box When It Is “Checked-Out”

 

Two days later, the Accounting Department emails you. It seems it needs the box back for further research.

 

What You Do:

 

1. Click Main Menu|Supplies| Edit Retained Record 

2. Copy the Accounting Dept’s new email (above) and paste it at the bottom of the ULTRA Email text box.

3. Click the “Checked Out?” box and enter the date and borrower.

4. Click the “SAVE” button and then the “EXIT” button

 

 

 

5.  Click Main Menu|Supplies| Dashboard: View / Edit / Print Reports 

6.  In the “View / Print Options” section, click Show “CHECKED OUT” Only

 

 

The Dashboard here shows only the checked out records on file.

 

Step 4: Edit a Returned Box

 

Two days later, the Accounting Department delivers the Box ID AR12S01L01P01 back to Purchasing.

 

What You Do:

 

1. Click Main Menu|Supplies| Edit Retained Record 

2. “FETCH” it by selecting it from the listbox and clicking it (below)

 

 

3. In the grey “CHECKED OUT STATUS” area, unclick the “Checked Out?” box.

 

4. The Date Checked Out and Borrower fields are reset.

 

4. Click the “SAVE” button and then the “EXIT” button

 

Step 5: DESTROY DATE Actions

 

You can monitor which records are nearing their DESTROY DATE by using the Dashboard’s View / Print Options function. There are three time periods you can review DESTROY DATE items: Within 60 days, This Year, Last Year.

 

                                        

What You Do:

 

1. Click Main Menu|Supplies| Dashboard: View / Edit / Print Reports

 

2. In the “View / Print Options” section, click “Show DESTROY DATE in 60 Days.”

 

TO PRINT:

 

Click the “Print” button (below) to print the report of those records that to be destroyed  in 60 days.

 

As you can see, there is only one such item.

 

Note: You will be able to preview the report in the Crystal Report window just as you do with all other ULTRA reports. (see below).

Step 6: Marking the Record “Destroyed” and Archiving It

 

It is now June and you consult your “Destroy Date in 60 days” report (right) to learn that this record is due to be destroyed.

 

You pull the box from storage and call your “Shred-it” recycling service to schedule a pickup and recycle it.

 

 

What You Do:

 

1. Click Main Menu|Supplies| Edit Retained Record 

 

2. “FETCH” it by selecting it from the listbox.

 

At this point, the “ARCHIVE DESTROYED RECORD” button is still greyed. It will not be enabled until you click the “Destroyed?” box.

 

4. Now click the “Destroyed?” checkbox.

 

Now the “ARCHIVE DESTROYED RECORD” button is enabled (right) but the Box ID, Destroy Date, and “Destroyed?” fields have been greyed.

 

 

4. Enter the “Shred-it” invoice # in that field (if you use this recycling service to shred your old documents).

 

6. Notice that when you clicked the “ARCHIVE DESTROYED RECORD” button, an “X” prefix was added to the Box ID field.

 

Note: This “’X’ prefix archiving” protocol lets you reuse the original box ID again for a new record.

 

Remember, when you destroy a box, the shelf space location (encoded in the Box ID) is now freed up.

 

The archived record doesn’t go away; it stays on the database so you can run reports in the Dashboard to show “All Destroyed” records. This is necessary for auditability down the road

 

 

 

 

And if you accidentally hit the ARCHIVE DESTROYED RECORD button again, don’t worry—you will get this message.

 

ULTRA won’t let you archive a record more than once.

 

Summary:

As you can see, ULTRA’s record retention approach is simple and direct, yet contains all the functions necessary to manage a large record retention function. And since it exists within the ULTRA software you already know, you don’t have to spend big bucks for a new software package and schedule costly training to learn it.

Copyright 2012 Koehler Software, Inc.