A question that is often asked late: What do we do with the files of those who no longer visit us? The answer is not technical, but rather a combination of systemic commitment, professional responsibility, and internal policy – and the role of the system is to carefully implement and document what it decides.
We will not suggest a specific retention period; This is a matter to be resolved with your legal advisor and professional authority.
What does buyer need to check?
The system distinguishes between three different cases: Is active Is used daily, andArchived Is saved without operational access, andIs corrupted Has been permanently removed by a documented decision. Mixing them up — or supporting only two — leaves you with two bad choices: keeping everything forever, or deleting it irreversibly.
Data, authority and responsibility questions
- Does the system support archiving as a state independent of deletion?
- What changes when you archive: Do they disappear from worklists and operational reports?
- Who can view the archive? Is his knowledge recorded?
- Is it possible to restrict access to a specific file without archiving it — for a sensitive case, for example?
- Who has the authority for final destruction? Does it require dual accreditation?
- Does a trace remain that a file was destroyed, when and by whom, even after its content has been destroyed?
- How is the client’s request to destroy his data implemented? What are its limits according to your other obligations?
Required documents and tests
- Archived a file: has it disappeared from the playlists and is still recoverable with validity?
- Open an archived file: Is it logged?
- Request Destruction: Are you requesting high authority, reason and approval?
- After destruction: Is there a record of the operation left without its content?
- Request the provider’s retention policy for data in its systems.
What are general promises not enough for?
- “Any file can be deleted”: Easy deletion problem no feature. Ask about controls, not about capabilities.
- “We keep everything forever”: Is not a neutral option — unjustified retention accumulates liability.
- Mixing archive with deletion: Ask about the difference in practice, not in name.
- Ignore effect: Destruction without a record means you cannot prove what happened upon any review.
Next step to review requirements
Decide on a retention policy with your advisor, then ask for it to be implemented in the onboarding. See Controls and retention durations page.
Discuss your project requirements
We set three file states in your policy: Archived, Restricted, and Destroyed — with permissions, permissions, and trace preserved.