Important information on business transactions, be it daily or annually, usually needs to be kept organized, tracked, stored, and accessed by the organization for regular or future compliance or use. These types of information, called “records”, are essential to meet the informational needs of those who constitute the group – be it members or leaders of an organization like cooperatives.

Therefore, to highlight the importance of proper maintenance, filing, and storage of documents and records, NATCCO developed this module to provide the cooperative a few important guidelines and measures in records management.  This module introduces general topics on concepts and practices in records management, setting-up a system for archiving records, and preventive and protective measures to secure records. Sample record disposition forms, including a simple working archiving system such as the 5S approach (seiri/ sort, seiton/ set in order, seiso/ shine, seiketsu/ standardize, shitsuke/ sustain), are also stipulated for the appreciation of groups who wish to manage their cooperative’s records conscientiously.