Advanced Document and Archive Management Training Course – Kuala Lumpur, 5–16 Sep 2027

Document and Archive Management is a 2-week advanced training course for records officers, archivists, office managers and document controllers, and each participant leaves with a records control plan for their own department. Growing volumes of digital and paper records now carry legal, operational and historical weight, so weak control exposes organisations to loss, delay and dispute. Jupiter Prime Training runs this course on document and archive management for people who hold the organisational memory.

Why Document and Archive Management Matters Now

Three forces are reshaping document and archive management. Digital transformation moves work into shared drives, collaboration platforms and electronic systems, where records multiply without clear ownership. Auditors, courts and regulators expect organisations to produce authentic records quickly and to show that disposal followed approved rules. Privacy expectations also demand tighter access control over personal and sensitive files. Organisations that manage records well retrieve evidence in minutes, reduce storage costs and protect their history; those that do not face lost files and indefensible destruction. The course rests on ISO 15489-1:2016, the international standard setting records management concepts and principles.

Who Gains Most from Document and Archive Management

• Records officers who maintain file plans, registers and retention schedules for their units
• Archivists who appraise, arrange and preserve records of enduring value
• Office managers who oversee filing practices, storage space and document flows
• Document controllers who manage versions, approvals and distribution of controlled documents
• Information officers who configure electronic repositories and metadata rules

Departments that send records staff together with the managers who own their filing systems gain most, because they can agree one file plan and retention schedule on return.

Document and Archive Management Capabilities

Participants move from ad hoc filing and storage to a controlled records regime that can be defended at audit and used every day.

• Design function-based classification schemes and file plans — department heads and records owners
• Build retention schedules with clear trigger events and disposal steps — legal and audit stakeholders
• Specify EDMS requirements, workflows and metadata rules — system owners and IT teams
• Apply digitisation and preservation methods to priority collections — archive and continuity decisions
• Assess access permissions and security classifications for sensitive records — privacy and information security leads
• Test records practice through audits and performance metrics — senior managers and auditors

Key Document and Archive Management Terms

• Record — Information created or received as evidence of a business activity and kept for operational, legal or historical purposes.
• File plan — A structured list of record categories, codes and titles that tells staff where each record is filed.
• Retention schedule — An approved document stating how long each class of records is kept and what happens to it afterwards.
• Metadata — Structured data describing a record's content, context and structure, used for retrieval, control and preservation.
• Appraisal — The process of evaluating records to decide how long they are kept and which hold enduring archival value.
• Electronic document management system (EDMS) — Software that captures, stores, versions, secures and tracks electronic documents across their lifecycle.

Document and Archive Management Day by Day

Day 1: Records as Organisational Evidence

• Records Versus Documents and Information Assets — Defining What Must Be Kept
• ISO 15489-1 Concepts and Principles — Shaping the Records Policy
• Authenticity, Reliability, Integrity and Usability — Trustworthy Record Characteristics
• Business Activity Analysis — Linking Records to Functions and Processes
• Records Maturity Self-Assessment — Setting Improvement Priorities

Day 2: The Document Lifecycle

• Creation and Capture Rules — Deciding When a Document Becomes a Record
• Version Control and Draft Handling — Preventing Conflicting Copies
• Active, Semi-Active and Inactive Stages — Matching Storage to Use
• Records Continuum Thinking — Managing Digital and Paper Together
• Lifecycle Process Maps — Assigning Owners at Each Stage

Day 3: Classification Schemes and File Plans

• Function-Based Business Classification Schemes — Consistent Filing Across Units
• File Plan Hierarchies and Coding — Fast Retrieval of Records
• Controlled Vocabularies and Thesauri — Uniform Titling and Indexing
• Naming Conventions for Electronic Files — Searchable Shared Repositories
• Classification Testing With Real Records — Refining Scheme Structure

Day 4: Retention Schedules and Disposal Authority

• Retention Requirement Analysis — Legal, Operational and Historical Value
• Retention Schedule Drafting and Approval — Defined Keep Periods
• Trigger Events and Retention Periods — Calculating Disposal Dates
• Destruction Methods and Certificates — Secure, Documented Disposal
• Legal Holds and Disposal Suspension — Protecting Records During Disputes

Day 5: Archives Appraisal and Preservation

• Archival Appraisal Criteria — Selecting Records of Enduring Value
• Transfer Procedures to Archive Storage — Accountable Handover
• Archival Arrangement and Description — Finding Aids for Researchers
• Storage Environment and Media Care — Long-Term Physical Preservation
• Digital Preservation and Format Migration — Readable Records Over Time

Day 6: Electronic Document Management Systems

• EDMS Functional Requirements — Specifying System Capability
• Repository Structure and Workflow Design — Routing Approvals and Reviews
• Check-In, Check-Out and Audit Trails — Accountable Editing
• Integration With Email and Collaboration Platforms — Capturing Records at Source
• EDMS Selection and Migration Planning — Moving Legacy Content Safely

Day 7: Digitisation and Metadata

• Digitisation Project Scoping — Choosing Collections to Scan
• Scanning Quality Standards and Image Checks — Usable Digital Surrogates
• Optical Character Recognition and Indexing — Text-Searchable Archives
• Metadata Schemas and Mandatory Elements — Context and Retrieval
• Metadata Capture Rules for Users — Consistent Record Description

Day 8: Access Control and Information Security

• Security Classification Levels — Restricting Sensitive Records
• Role-Based Access Permissions — Matching Rights to Duties
• Personal Data in Records — Privacy-Aware Handling and Release
• Vital Records Identification — Business Continuity After Disruption
• Disaster Recovery for Archives — Salvage and Restoration Plans

Day 9: Records Audit and Performance

• Records Audit Planning and Sampling — Testing Policy in Practice
• Compliance Checks Against Retention Schedules — Evidence of Control
• Records Management Metrics — Retrieval Time, Backlog and Storage Use
• Gap Reports and Corrective Actions — Prioritising Fixes
• Records Training and Awareness Plans — Changing Staff Filing Habits

Day 10: Practising the Records Control Plan

• File Plan Draft for a Live Department — Applying Classification Schemes
• Retention Schedule Extract With Disposal Steps — Applying Retention Rules
• EDMS and Metadata Configuration Outline — Applying System Requirements
• Access and Audit Checklist — Applying Security and Review Methods
• Records Control Plan — Presentation and Peer Critique

Applying Document and Archive Management After the Course

• Draft a function-based file plan for one department and test it with a sample of current records, adjusting categories where staff hesitate.
• Run a retention review of one storage area against the schedule, documenting records due for transfer, disposal or legal hold.

Document and Archive Management Questions (FAQ)

What is document and archive management, and why does it matter now?

Document and archive management is the control of records from creation to disposal or permanent preservation. It matters now because digital records multiply quickly and organisations must produce authentic evidence, protect personal data and justify every destruction decision.

Which roles gain most from document and archive management training?

Records officers, archivists, office managers and document controllers gain most. In sectors such as healthcare, energy, construction and public services, these roles keep the files on which audits, contracts and service continuity depend.

How does document and archive management training differ from a document control course?

It covers the full records lifecycle, including classification, retention, archives and preservation, rather than only versioning and approval of controlled documents. You also work on EDMS design, digitisation, access control and records audit.

What do you bring back from document and archive management training?

You bring back a records control plan with a draft file plan, a retention schedule extract, metadata and EDMS requirements, and an access and audit checklist for your own department.

Document and Archive Management: The Way Forward

The records control plan combines a file plan, retention rules, metadata requirements and an audit checklist for one department. Its first use is deciding how current shared-drive and paper records are classified and how long they are kept. Records officers apply it daily and managers approve it. After the first audit, the retention periods and access rules deserve review against real retrieval requests.