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Records Management native inheritance + v10.4 Workflow "Set Records Management Properties"

Records Management Workflow Version 10
Updated August 19, 2020
posted on March 25, 2019

While working on a demo presentation,  I discovered some things I'd like to share that may save somebody else the "time" it's taken me to figure out.

Records Management provides "native" inheritance of Retention Policy details down three levels from the Records Series.  There's the Record Series folder level, then the Record folder, then the document. 

If you try to go four levels deep:
- Record Series (Cemetery Records)
- Record Folder (Board Hearing Files)
- Folder (Year)
- Document (Hearing minutes) 
     the fourth level does NOT inherit any Retention Policy details. 

You can have multiple levels of Record Series nested, but as long as the "document" is no more than 3 levels from a Record Series folder, it will automatically inherit the retention policy.

BUT, with the recent addition to Workflow 10.4 of the "Set Records Management Properties" object, the Filing Date, Cutoff, and Retention Schedule CAN be added to fourth level folders or further.  Each of these three Records Management details requires a separate object in the WF.  Choose from the dropdown for the single activity to set.



This new WF feature to add automatic Retention Policy details to 4th level (or lower level) documents or folders provides more possibilities for folder structure design than previously available.

Note: with the introduction of version 10.4.1 and Flexible Records Management (end of May 2019??), where Record Folders will be able to be created anywhere in the Repository, this 3-level native inheritance limitation will probably not be a constraint.
 

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replied on June 17, 2019

I have installed the 10.4.1.147 update on the Windows Client.  Still NOT getting inheritance past the third level:
- Record Series Folder
- Record Folder
- Document
If I try to create a Record folder within the second level Record Folder, it does not inherit the cutoff/retention schedule.
My understanding is that there is no limit on the levels of inheritance.  But that's not what I am seeing. 
It appears that I CANNOT create a Record Folder within a Record Folder. 
Can you please explain what is normal operation?

 

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replied on June 18, 2019

After a consultation webinar with Francisca, normal operation appears to be that the way to achieve multiple levels past 3 is to use a Record Series within a Record Series, rather than Folders within a Record Series.
- Record Series
   - Record Series
     - Record Series
       - Record Folder
         - Documents

Note: A Record Series may contain a Record Series OR a Record Folder BUT NOT BOTH.

From a Record Series folder, you have two levels - the Record Folder, and Documents that will inherit automatically. 

Any folder within a RECORD folder will not inherit cutoff/retention.  But you can assign cutoff/retention manually or by using the Workflow set Records Management properties activity.

Can someone please confirm/correct my findings?

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replied on June 18, 2019 • Show version history

Hi Bruce,

The Record Series method does work, I suppose, but it's not taking advantage of Flexible Records Management inheritance and still requires that everything is funneled through a Record Series. 

There should be no issue with RM inheritance through as many layers as needed. There was a display issue in the Windows Client (just the Windows Client, it wasn't present in the web client) in the original 10.4.0 release, but that's been addressed in 10.4.1. There were never any data issues with this in the repository itself. 

Have you specifically been looking at the retention rules on the child folders, or records? Folders are just going to be containing the records and will simply automatically follow the retention rules of their parents up the three, but will not necessarily display in a pure inheritance standpoint. The records within those folders should show that they are being governed by the inherited rules. 

Note that a folder with no rules directly on it (that is not specifically a Record Series or Record Folder) has no meaning in Records Management, it's just a collection of records. So if it has no rules directly on it, it will inherit parent rules through it into child folders and records but will not, itself, show RM properties. Only if you explicitly override will it display it's own new properties. You will see the rules on the source and on any child records (no matter how many levels) since that is what matters. 

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replied on June 19, 2019

Thanks for the good explanation, and I see exactly what you're talking about with the regular folders under a Record folder not having any RM properties, but PASSING THROUGH the RM properties to records contained in the regular folder.   The regular folders "...will not necessarily display in a pure inheritance standpoint" - they show NO RM properties.  I see the records within those folders show as (Inherited) for the cutoff and retention schedule descriptions when viewing their Records Management Properties.  

When you folks create an updated CPP Course for Records Management, I recommend you make this structure an important point in the training!

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replied on March 25, 2019

That doesn't sound quite right. Documents inherit from the parent record folder, no matter how many levels deep underneath it. That's not new to 10.4. "Regular" folders have no retention info in Laserfiche, documents always inherit from the record folder.

Flexible RM allows you to set retention directly on documents outside of a records series. Flexible Records Managment is part of the 10.4 release, no need to wait until 10.4.1.

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View 9 previous replies
replied on March 25, 2019

Miruna, thanks for looking at this.  Here's a short screen-capture of what I'm seeing:  https://www.screencast.com/t/ptTp6gPm9x9

I'm only seeing inheritance to the 3rd level, whether folder or document.

When you say "Regular" folders, I'm understanding that to be any folder that is NOT under a Record Folder. 

Thanks for your help!

 


 

 

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replied on March 26, 2019

Hm, let me look into it some more. Currently it looks like a bug as record folders are not supposed to exist in other record folders, just in record series.

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replied on March 26, 2019

I was just on a Consultation Webinar with Jeremy Setty, and he's seeing the same issue, and was going to check further.  Thanks for your help!

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replied on March 29, 2019

To close off this thread:

There are some UI bugs in the desktop Client that make it look like the 3rd level folder inherits its RM properties from the 2nd level folder when, in fact, it does not. We will be addressing these for 10.4.1, due out mid-May. We will also add more validation on the server side, so it is no longer possible to get into the situation caused by these UI bugs (where an entry can have a filing date but not cutoff instructions).

There are no Workflow implications, though Workflow made it easier to get into a weird state. The server fix will address that too.

Note that the web client's behavior is correct and reflects the Laserfiche Server's data.

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replied on March 29, 2019

I appreciate the update and encouraging news to resolve these issues. Thanks for your able assistance!

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replied on August 12, 2020

I am looking for documentation, class, video, etc.  assistance in setting up a Flexible RM repository.  Any suggestions? 

 

Thank you, 

Traci Faught

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replied on August 12, 2020

Traci, you'll need to ask Laserfiche if they've created anything on this topic...

 

 

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replied on August 12, 2020

Thank you for the response, I sent an email to LF and I am waiting for their reply. 

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replied on August 12, 2020

A quick explanation from what I've implemented for a customer - instead of using "shortcuts" like in the Transparent Records Management method, you simply declare a folder to be a Record, and assign the RM attributes to it.  Those attributes are inherited down the folder structure.  

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replied on August 12, 2020

That is what I understand also. There is quite a bit of front loading for this system; workflow, folder structure, etc.  I was hoping for a tutorial of how it is designed in LF and best practices. 

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replied on August 18, 2020

Traci, has Laserfiche responded at all to your request??

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replied on August 19, 2020

Not yet, I have a couple of requests in. Thank you for checking back!

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Flexible Records Management

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