Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - 26
BUL
C.J. BURTON
Winning the Battle of the (Paper)
I
Effective
strategies
for
addressing
document
retention
needs
26
ENGINEERING INC.
n this age of the "digital business," paper
documents might seem almost quaint-especially to younger professionals.
But the fact is, many organizations-especially
engineering and design firms-still rely on huge
volumes of paperwork along with their ever-growing stores of electronic files. And the management
and retention of all these documents is a critical legal
and administrative issue for professional firms.
The basic questions seem simple: How long do I keep
this paper/email/file/record, and what is the best method
to store it? But the process of document retention can be
challenging, especially if there are no guidelines in place.
Engineering firms need to create and maintain a comprehensive strategy.
As with many other types of businesses, engineering
firms are experiencing an unprecedented rise in the volume of information they must handle.
"With modern engineering firms generating an
incredible amount of hard copy and electronic information in the form of email, reports, letters, calculations,
plans, field documentation, etc., it is extremely important that firms adopt a document retention policy that
JULY / AUGUST 2017
is specific to their own operations and needs," says Jim
Messmore, chairman, ACEC Risk Management Committee and senior vice president of Hanson Professional
Services.
"It is necessary not only for the practical management
of the documents but also from a risk management perspective," Messmore says.
Design and construction projects typically involve
copious amounts of paper and electronic records that
are generated traditionally but also through increasingly
varied means of communication, including cloud-based
communication, emails, text messaging, voicemails and
even social media, says Patricia Harris, special counsel
at Zetlin & De Chiara, which advises engineering and
design firms on document retention policies.
A document retention policy should be thorough,
experts say, but it doesn't need to be complex.
"It is important that a document retention strategy be
easy to follow and comprehensive," says Theodore Levin,
a partner with the law firm Morris Polich & Purdy
and also a member of the ACEC Risk Management
Committee.
A good policy will cover basic information and lay
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Engineering Inc - July/August 2017
Engineering Inc - July/august 2017
Contents
From Acec to You
Market Watch
Legislative Action
Working on a Cure
Year of Engagement
Employment Recovery
Brand Perception
Digital Documentation
Pli Market Remains Strong
Standing Tall
Mcmahon Power
Guest Column
Mergers and Acquisitions
Members in the News
Business Insights
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - Intro
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - Engineering Inc - July/august 2017
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - Cover2
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - T1
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - T2
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - T3
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - T4
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - T5
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - T6
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - T7
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - T8
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - Contents
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - 2
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - 3
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - From Acec to You
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - 5
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - Market Watch
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - 7
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - Legislative Action
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - 9
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - Working on a Cure
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - 11
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - 12
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - 13
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - Year of Engagement
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - 15
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - 16
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - 17
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - Employment Recovery
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - 19
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - 20
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - 21
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - Brand Perception
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - 23
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - 24
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - 25
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - Digital Documentation
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - 27
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - 28
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - 29
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - 30
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - Pli Market Remains Strong
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - 32
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - 33
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - 34
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - Standing Tall
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - 36
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - 37
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - 38
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - 39
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - Mcmahon Power
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - 41
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - 42
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - 43
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - Guest Column
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - 45
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - Mergers and Acquisitions
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - 47
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - 48
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - Members in the News
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - 50
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - 51
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - Business Insights
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - Cover3
Engineering Inc - July/August 2017 - Cover4
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