What is business documentation? How to organize the workflow.

The classification of business documentation is a legal obligation for public administrations. Classification is a legal obligation, but it is, above all, a vital necessity for any organization, whether public or private. No one classifies a document only when the file is closed, but also – and especially – to find it later and thus make it available. Need an opinion or advice?

The main advantages of a strict classification: guarantee transparency and the right to access documents (in accordance with the Law on the Publicity of Administrative Acts). To increase the efficiency of management and storage of information and knowledge (saving time, quality of work, information exchange, continuity of service, archiving). Facilitate decision making. Protect confidential and sensitive information (risk management).

How is the business process documentation going? First of all, it is important to indicate that documentation can intervene at any time, from the document production phase to its final save phase. Obviously, the sooner the rating is guaranteed, the better the documents will be managed and stored efficiently. In principle, the administration does not classify its documents / archives in order to facilitate subsequent consultations of researchers, but more for itself in order to fulfill its tasks. The classification of current documents (dynamic and semi-dynamic archives) by the archive producer is fundamental. We are talking about the original classification. This original classification – as long as it exists and is consistent – must be maintained throughout the entire life cycle, since it reflects the activities (workflow) of the archive producer.

These documents are at the stage of administrative use and are classified at the time of their production for immediate or medium term use; rating “active”, new documents are constantly being added.

Documents that have lost administrative value are unambiguously classified. It is at this stage that they will be sorted based on the recommendations of the State Archive for sorting; some of them can be eliminated or transferred to the center or archive.

Rating should be methodical and rigorous. It cannot be improvised. The principles and methods of classification are valid both for current archives and for intermediate and final archives. These recommendations relate to the classification of dynamic and semi-dynamic archives, since it is at this level that the responsibility lies with the producer of the archives.

Electronic document management (EDM): solution or mirage? Electronic document management systems are sometimes perceived as a wonderful solution to problems with the filing of documents. In fact, the intelligent processing of digital information follows the same rules and principles as the processing of paper documents. The big difference, of course, is the technology used. GED is not a panacea. On the other hand, the installation of the GED system will provide an opportunity to think about methods and develop filing procedures for both paper and electronic documents (or for any other medium).

The classification plan should be prepared by the administration, ideally in collaboration with the archive. This is primarily the work of the administration itself. The plan should be developed by someone who is familiar with the service.

Find out what is there: to develop a classification plan, you can, of course, draw inspiration from systems that exist somewhere in such institutions or inside. There may be registration systems developed by one employee for his / her personal use; among these impromptu systems one can find excellent ones, even if they are often partial).

A custom-made plan should primarily meet the specific needs of the organization for which it was developed, and people who have to use it; artificially “flattening” the plan is dangerous.

Conduct a preliminary survey on the organization of services, functions, tasks or events: think about work processes; identify all actions and arrange these actions relative to each other in the form of a tree structure. Then study all types of documents prepared to perform these various functions and tasks. Attract staff: this implies a minimum of human investment and a change in mentality. Note. The ideal option is to develop a ranking plan for the entire organization. But we can start by developing service classification plans.