Make a document inventory before automating cleanup

The decision to improve

A cleanup agent should first show what is stored, who owns it and why it remains useful. Starting with automatic deletion makes mistakes difficult to reverse. Create a read-only inventory and let responsible staff decide what needs a separate retention review.

A practical starting record

Record folder, file owner, document category, last update, access group and any hold instruction. A completed project folder can contain working drafts and records with different purposes. An old modification date does not establish that a document is disposable. Keep unknown ownership visible.

Review and tool fit

Use a consistent category list and a decision column. The inventory is a proposal, not a legal retention schedule. Staff obtain appropriate guidance for record types before authorizing removal. Confirm your storage tool can export metadata without giving the inventory process access to every file body.

Excel supports dropdown lists; the workflow described is a proposal. Microsoft: create a dropdown list

Measure the real value

Measure time spent locating owners and reviewing duplicate working copies. Include staff classification time and false duplicate matches. Compare the value with setup, scan charges and support. Pilot one non-sensitive folder and keep the initial workflow entirely read-only.

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This guide applies across Canada. We provide remote AI consulting for businesses in Vancouver; it does not describe a local client or a staffed office.

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