Creating Record Series, Record Folders, and Records

Records in Laserfiche are stored within record series (which contain the rules by which records will be governed) and record folders (which contain records that are at the same life cycle stage). When implementing records management, you will first need to create and configure record series, and then create record folders and records within them.

Record Series

A record series includes information about the cutoff and retention instructions that will govern the records within it. While individual records and record folders can have different instructions, in general a record series will contain documents that follow the same rules.

To create a record series

  1. Open the root folder of your repository, or open an existing record series.

    2. Note: Record series can only be created under the root folder or under another record series. Also, a record series cannot be created within a record series if a record folder already exists within the parent record series.

  2. Click the More button (The More button, three vertical dots.) and point to Record Actions, then select Create Record Series.
  3. Optional: In the Code option, enter a record series code.
  4. In the Name text box, enter a record series name.
  5. Optional: Set any or all of the following additional properties:
    • In the Description option, enter a description.
    • Select the Permanent records option if the record series will contain permanent records.
    • Under Cutoff Instruction, select the desired cutoff instruction (must be created in repository administration before it can be applied here).
    • Under Retention Schedule, select the desired retention schedule (must be created in repository administration before it can be applied here).
    • Under Vital Records, choose if the records contained in the record series will be marked as vital. If so, select one of the following:
      • Review cycle: Select the cycle that will determine when the records need to be reviewed. (Only cycles that have already been created can be selected. See Cycle Definitions for more information.)
      • Review interval: Specify the interval after which the records need to be reviewed. Select Day(s) or Month(s) and specify the number of days or months.
    • In the Disposition Authority text box, specify a disposition authority.
  6. Click OK to create the record series.

To modify record series properties

  • Select the record series. In the right-hand pane, select the Records tab. Click Edit properties and make your changes, then click Save.

Record Folders

Any folder created in or moved into a record series is automatically a record folder. No further actions are required. (See Creating Folders and Moving Documents and Folders for more information.) 

Record folders can only exist immediately within record series. A folder created within a record folder will be a regular folder.

When a record folder is first created, Laserfiche will set default records management properties using the values of the record folder's parent. These values are retained unless explicitly changed on the individual record folder, and they are not affected by any subsequent changes made to the parent's properties. If a life cycle property is set directly on a record folder, that property will take precedence.

To modify record folder properties

  • Select the record folder. In the right-hand pane, select the Records tab. Click Edit properties and make your changes, then click Save.

Records

Any document created in or moved into a record folder, or a record folder's subfolders, is automatically a record. This is the case regardless of how the document arrives in the folder, whether it is scanned, imported, or moved from elsewhere in the repository. No further actions are required to make the record part of that record folder or series. (See Adding Documents and Folders and Moving Documents and Folders for more information.)

By default, a record will inherit record properties from its parent record folder. Although an individual record cannot have a different cutoff instruction or vital status than its parent folder, you can assign a different retention schedule for individual records, if your regulatory compliance requires it.

Tip: Record properties can be set on individual records, but setting and maintaining properties on the record series and/or record folder is recommended, unless regulatory compliance requires otherwise. Setting record properties on the record folder or record series level will help you keep your record management consistent and streamline administrative tasks.

To modify record properties

  • Select the record. In the right-hand pane, select the Records tab. Click Edit properties and make your changes, then click Save.