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Business Classification Schemes (BCS)
Business classification is the process that helps organisation describe, organise and control information. In it's broadest sense, classification groups "like" things together. Records classification is the process by which records are categorised or grouped into retrieval units. There are a number of different classification schemes that can be used:
1. Numeric - by number
2. Chronological - by date
3. Colour-coded
4. Alphabetical - by broad subject
5. Business Function/Activity
ISO 15489 Standard recommends that records should be grouped together according to the type of business function activity to which they are related. This is known as the Business Function Activity Classification Scheme or Keyword Classification for short.
Controlling organisational language:
In order to aid classification and thereby retrieval of business records it is important to control the terms used within an organisation. Without doing this, different people will use different terms which mean the same thing. Controlling organisational language is achieved with the use of a records management thesaurus. It should have well-developed scope notes for all functional and subject terms. The scope notes should not only define the function and subject but also relate to the business processes associated with the subject and its documentation. It should also provide direction in relation to the workflow associated with the documents when required. In addition, a records management thesaurus must provide a broad range of entry or lead-in terms to support the novice user.
Records Classification Scheme / File Plan:
A records classification scheme is a classification tool presented in a hierarchical structure. It is sometimes referred to as a file plan or record plan. Stemming from an organisation's business classification scheme, it is a tool for classifying records and other business information, based on the business activities that generate records in a particular organisational setting. When applied to a business information system it can facilitate the capture, titling, retrieval, maintenance and disposal of records and other corporate information.
Often a business classification scheme is depicted as a directory or folder structure. It can provide classification to two, three, and sometimes four levels. Terms are allocated according to established rules or conventions. The components of the records classification scheme are displayed hierarchically in the order, or ranking, of function - activity - topic - subtopic. Records classification scheme applications range from simple folder utilisation to applications with relatively sophisticated navigation options. (1)
How we can help you:
With over 40 years of combined experience in the fields of records and information management we have a wealth of experience you can draw upon to create the tools required by your organisation to aid in the classification and indexing of your business records.
Each business classification scheme (BCS) creates is unique for your particular industry. We understand how difficult it can be to fit a generic structure into a subject specialised organisation, which is why we never provide a generic solution to your problem.
If you would like more information on how we can help you, please contact our offices on 08 9335 2533 or email consulting@iea.com.au. We look forward to hearing from you.
(1) National Archives of Australia, Overview of Classification Tools - July 2003 p12.
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