What Records Management does is allows automated control over items in a list and documents in a library (often refered to as just items below). It has some similar features to a workflow, but is managed by list/library administrators instead of SharePoint admins. For example, if a certain kind of item should be protected from modification for 1 year after it’s created and then it should be deleted, a library administrator can use Records Management to accomplish that.
How to manually declare/undelcare as a record:
- If the following doesn’t work, make sure manual declaration is enabled on the list/library (see below).
- Declare Record: Select the item and click Declare Record in the ribbon.
- Undeclare Record: Click the drop-down menu on the item title field and select Compliance Details. Now, click Undeclare Record under Record Status.
- Record Restrictions: At the Site collection level (not list or library), items can be protected against edit and/or delete or none.
- Roles: Select who can declare and undeclare records. Choose from list contributors (list permissions: edit), list administrators (list permissions: manage list), or policy actions.
List/Library Settings (List/Library Settings > Record Declaration Settings):
- Allow or deny manual declaration. Still possible via policy actions regardless of this setting.
- Can automatically declare as a record any new items added to the list/library.
Once an item is declared as a record the Library/List Settings > Information management policy settings are in effect:
- Settings can be applied according to the list/library and its folders, or defer to the polices set for Site Content Types. If using Site Content Types, my instinct is to create new Content Types instead of modifying the policies on any default site content types... it’d be bad if I setup a policy on the “Document” content type which in turn unintentionally started deleting stuff elsewhere on the site.
- Retention performs actions on items after a select amount of time passes, e.g.: send to recycle bin, permanently delete, start a workflow, declare as a record, etc. Note: Retention policies can be set on non-records and records independently.
- Auditing tracks what happens to a document while is is declared a record, e.g.: viewing, editing, copying, deleting, etc. Note: To view the audit log, open the Compliance Details found on the contextual menu on the item’s title field.
- Barcodes can be required. SharePoint doesn’t automatically generate a barcode, but users can be prompted to add one.
- Labeling can be required and either specified within sharepoint or manually entered by the user.
I’ve found these articles particularly helpful in getting started:
Configuring In Place Records Mangement on microsoft.com
Introducing Records Management in SharePoint 2010 on msdn.com
Introduction to the Records Center on microsoft.com
