Methods and systems for group data management and classification

• US 20090228525A1
• Filed: 06/27/2008
• Published: 09/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Iron Mountain Incorporated
• Original Assignee: UBS Ag
• Inventors: Fridrich, Anna C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,131,683 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for retaining and managing global records of an organization. In one implementation, a method is provided for retaining global records of an organization. The method may include storing, in a memory device, at least one arrangement of data items classified according to a hierarchical classification structure providing a normalization scheme for classifying the data items, the data items comprising global data of an organization and a retention schedule corresponding to the global data. Additionally, the method may include retaining the data items according to the retention schedule, wherein the retention schedule comprises a plurality of retention rules including a global retention rule defining a first duration for retaining the data items consistent with a set of predetermined requirements, and at least one exception rule for retaining at least one data item for a second duration.

Claims

1. A method for global data management, comprising:

storing, in a memory device, at least one arrangement of data items classified according to a hierarchical classification structure providing a normalization scheme for classifying the data items, the data items comprising global data of an organization and a retention schedule corresponding to the global data; and

retaining the data items according to the retention schedule, wherein the retention schedule comprises a plurality of retention rules including a global retention rule defining a first duration for retaining the data items consistent with a set of predetermined requirements, and at least one exception rule for retaining at least one data item for a second duration,

wherein the data items are retained in the memory device until at least the expiration of the first duration and wherein specific data items are retained until expiration of the second duration if the at least one exception rule applies to the specific data items.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the hierarchical classification structure comprises:

a function layer defining a business of the organization;

an activity layer defining business processes of the function layer; and

a record series layer defining the global data produced by the business processes, wherein the retention schedule is assigned to the global data in the record series layer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of predetermined requirements includes at least one of a local jurisdictional requirement, a business requirement, and a legal requirement.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the retention schedule further comprises a first trigger event that defines, when triggered, a start date of the first duration that is associated with the global retention rule, and a second trigger event that defines, when triggered, a start date of the second duration, associated with the at least one exception rule.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the retention schedule further comprises:

tracing, based on source data, the global retention rule and the at least one exception rule to at least one of a local jurisdictional law, a business requirement, and a global legal requirement.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising at least one of adding new data items, deleting existing data items, and updating the retention schedule and the source data.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising reclassifying the data items according to the hierarchical classification structure and modifications made to the data items or the retention schedule stored in the memory device.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising storing a log of the modifications in the memory device to track the modifications made to the data items or the retention schedule.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising using one of the classifications of data items, meta data associated with the plurality of rules, and jurisdictions applicable to data items, as search criteria to search for data items retained in the memory device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first duration is less than, equal to, or greater than the second duration.

11. An apparatus for global data management comprising:

a memory device, storing at least one arrangement of data items classified according to a hierarchical classification structure providing a normalization scheme for classifying the data items, the data items comprising global data of an organization and a retention schedule corresponding to the global data; and

a data processor, coupled to the memory device, causing the memory device to retain the data items according to the retention schedule, wherein the retention schedule comprises a plurality of retention rules including a global retention rule defining a first duration for retaining the data items consistent with a set of predetermined requirements, and at least one exception rule for retaining at least one data item for a second duration,

wherein the data items are retained in the memory device until at least the expiration of the first duration and wherein specific data items are retained until expiration of the second duration if the at least one exception rule applies to the specific data items.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the hierarchical classification structure comprises:

a function layer defining a business of the organization;

an activity layer defining business processes of the function layer; and

a record series layer defining the global data produced by the business processes, wherein the data processor assigns the retention schedule to the global data, in the record series layer.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the set of predetermined requirements includes at least one of a local jurisdictional requirement, a business requirement, and a legal requirement.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the retention schedule further comprises a first trigger event that defines, when triggered, a start date of the first duration that is associated with the global retention rule, and a second trigger event that defines, when triggered, a start date of the second duration that is associated with the at least one exception rule.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the retention schedule further comprises:

tracing, based on source data, the global retention rule and the at least one exception rule to at least one of a local jurisdictional law, a business requirement, and a global legal requirement.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the data processor causes the memory device to perform at least one of adding new data items, deleting existing data items, and updating the retention schedule and the source data.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising reclassifying the data items according to the hierarchical classification structure and modifications made to the data items or the retention schedule stored in the memory device.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising storing a log of the modifications in the memory device to track the modifications made to the data items or the retention schedule.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the first duration is less than, equal to, or greater than the second duration.

20. An apparatus for global data management comprising:

a memory device storing data items comprising global data of an organization and a retention schedule corresponding to the global data, wherein the retention schedule comprises a plurality of retention rules including a global retention rule for retaining the data items to expiration of a first duration, and at least one exception rule for retaining specific data items to expiration of a second duration, if the at least one exception rule applies to the specific data items; and

a data processor, coupled to the memory device, performing the steps of;

sending an electronic notification to a user device upon completion of at least one of the first duration and the second duration to indicate that the data items will be deleted if a response from the user device is not received within a predetermined period of time; and

deleting the one or more expired data items and the corresponding retention schedule from the memory device, when a response to the electronic notification is not received within the predetermined period of time.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the retention schedule further comprises a first trigger event that defines, when triggered, a start date of the first duration that is associated with the global retention rule, and a second trigger event that defines, when triggered, a start date of the second duration that is associated with the at least one exception rule.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the data processor causes the memory device to perform at least one of adding new data items, deleting existing data items, and updating the retention schedule stored in the memory device,

25. A computer program product, tangibly embodied in a computer-readable storage medium, including instructions for execution by a processor for performing a method for global data management, the method comprising:

storing, in a memory device, at least one arrangement of data items classified according to a hierarchical classification structure providing a normalization scheme for classifying the data items, the data items comprising global data of an organization and a retention schedule corresponding to the global data; and

retaining the data items according to the retention schedule, wherein the retention schedule comprises a plurality of retention rules including a global retention rule defining a first duration for retaining the data items consistent with a set of predetermined requirements, and at least one exception rule for retaining at least one data item for a second duration,

wherein the data items are retained in the memory device until at least the expiration of the first duration and wherein specific data items are retained until expiration of the second duration if the at least one exception rule applies to the specific data items.

23. The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising reclassifying the data items according to the hierarchical classification structure and modifications made to the data items or the retention schedule stored in the memory device.

24. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising storing a log of the modifications in the memory device to track the modifications made to the data items or the retention schedule.

26. A method for global data management, comprising:

storing at least one arrangement of information classified according to a hierarchical classification structure providing a normalization scheme for classifying the information, the information comprising records of an organization and a retention schedule corresponding to the records; and

retaining the information according to the retention schedule, wherein the retention schedule comprises a plurality of retention rules including a global retention rule defining a first duration for retaining the information consistent with a set of predetermined requirements, and at least one exception rule for retaining at least one record for a second duration,

wherein the information is retained until at least the expiration of the first duration and wherein specific records are retained until expiration of the second duration if the at least one exception rule applies to the specific records.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the records comprise at least one of paper or electronic documents.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the first duration is less than, equal to, or greater than the second duration.