Implementing Retention Across Structured and Unstructured Systems

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DESCRIPTION

Retention only works when you apply it where information actually lives. This session shows you how to operationalize a retention schedule across both structured systems (HRIS, ERP, CRM) and unstructured platforms (Microsoft 365, collaboration tools, shared drives) so policy becomes execution—consistently and defensibly.
You’ll see the full lifecycle of implementation: preparing your legal holds; translating policy into system-ready rules; resolving real-world constraints (scope gaps, trigger mismatches, data dependencies) in platforms like Workday and Microsoft 365; and designing defensible deletion with chain-of-custody logging, fixity (hashes/checksums), and auditability. The session also looks ahead to what’s next—moving beyond data lineage to provenance, building organizational ontologies and knowledge graphs to scale classification and legal controls, and where AI can reliably assist (and where it cannot).
Grounded in current regulatory drivers (e.g., GDPR enforcement and emerging e-archiving expectations in the EU, with examples from Belgium and Japan), this session equips IG, RIM, privacy, and data governance teams to reduce risk first, then cost—while building toward automation that works across both structured and unstructured environments.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Upon completing this session, attendees should be able to:

1. Identify the key challenges in applying retention policies across both structured and unstructured systems.
2. Design and implement defensible deletion processes that align with legal and organizational requirements.
3. Integrate retention schedules with existing systems to ensure consistent application of rules across platforms.
4. Evaluate and adjust retention strategies to maintain compliance and operational efficiency.
5. Utilize tools and techniques to monitor and manage data retention as part of everyday business processes.

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