Document retention and deletion workflows

Purpose

1.1. Ensure all animal shelter records (adoption, medical, volunteer, incident reports, donor details) are retained for legally defined periods and securely deleted when retention limits expire.
1.2. Automate compliance across jurisdictions, minimize legal risk, and uphold data privacy requirements.
1.3. Streamline review processes, maintain audit trails, and prevent accidental/unauthorized document destruction.
1.4. Support scheduled, metadata-driven, and event-based retention/deletion per regulatory, funding, and insurance mandates.

Trigger Conditions

2.1. Record reaches end-of-retention period (metadata or timestamp match).
2.2. Change in record status (adoption finalized, animal deceased, volunteer exited).
2.3. Annual/monthly compliance audit scheduled.
2.4. Regulatory policy update received or system admin action.
2.5. Manual trigger from compliance officer.

Platform Variants

3.1. SharePoint
• Feature: Retention Labels & Policies; automate file expiration/deletion.
• Sample: Configure ‘AnimalRecord Retention Label’ with 7-year policy, auto-delete upon expiry.

3.2. Google Workspace
• Feature: Google Vault; retention rules for Drive/Docs/Gmail.
• Sample: 3-year custom retention rule, followed by auto-deletion.

3.3. Box
• Feature: Automated Retention Policies in Box Governance.
• Sample: Adopted-pets folder, 5-year retention, purge on expiry.

3.4. Dropbox Business
• Feature: File Expiration API; scheduled auto-deletion.
• Sample: POST /2/files/delete_v2 upon timestamp match.

3.5. OneDrive for Business
• Feature: Retention Policies via Microsoft Purview.
• Sample: Set a policy on “Volunteer Docs” folder, 2 years, trigger deletion.

3.6. AWS S3
• Feature: S3 Object Lifecycle Management.
• Sample: JSON rule to transition and delete ‘incident-reports’ after 8 years.

3.7. Azure Blob Storage
• Feature: Lifecycle Management Policy.
• Sample: Delete blobs tagged ‘temporary’ after 365 days.

3.8. Zoho WorkDrive
• Feature: Retention Policy configuration.
• Sample: “Grants” workspace, 4 years auto-delete policy.

3.9. Salesforce
• Feature: Data Retention Policy via Platform Events or Apex Triggers.
• Sample: Trigger auto-erase on record age ≥ 7 years.

3.10. DocuSign
• Feature: Envelope purge/retention rules.
• Sample: Set to purge adoption contracts after legal tenure.

3.11. Monday.com
• Feature: Automations; delete/archive item after set date.
• Sample: Auto-archive ‘Foster App’ pulse after 1 year.

3.12. NetDocuments
• Feature: Document Retention Policies API.
• Sample: 6-year rule for volunteer agreements.

3.13. Egnyte
• Feature: Automated Lifecycle Management.
• Sample: Trigger move then delete on consent forms post 4 years.

3.14. Slack
• Feature: Message Retention settings (API available).
• Sample: Auto-delete private channel logs after 90 days.

3.15. M-Files
• Feature: Metadata-driven Retention & Deletion Workflows.
• Sample: Archive ‘Animal Intake’ class after retention.

3.16. iManage
• Feature: Work10 Retention Policies.
• Sample: Delete closed adoption dossiers after 5 years.

3.17. SAP Document Management
• Feature: Record Lifecycle Service; retention schedule.
• Sample: Configure per-document-type schedule for deletion.

3.18. Smartsheet
• Feature: Automated Workflows for row/archive deletion.
• Sample: Weekly deletion automation for “Old Foster Cases”.

3.19. HubSpot
• Feature: GDPR Tools—Data Retention Workflows.
• Sample: Automate suppression or deletion of inactive contacts.

3.20. Clio Manage
• Feature: Document Management Retention Policies.
• Sample: Set to purge closed legal case files post-7 years.

3.21. Laserfiche
• Feature: Records Management; cutoff and disposition schedules.
• Sample: Auto-initiate cutoff on “Incident Report” after due date.

3.22. Alfresco
• Feature: Records Management—Disposition Actions.
• Sample: Auto-delete “Adopted Animals” files post-retention.

3.23. Oracle Content Management
• Feature: Retention Policies and Scheduled Purge APIs.
• Sample: REST API rule for 3-year deletion of donor data.

3.24. Dropbox Sign
• Feature: Document Expiry Automation.
• Sample: Auto-delete signed agreements after compliance period.

3.25. Trello
• Feature: Power-Ups/Automation for archival & deletion.
• Sample: Scheduled card deletion after board inactivity.

Benefits

4.1. Reduce human error and inconsistency in sensitive data handling.
4.2. Strengthen regulatory compliance, reducing legal and financial exposure.
4.3. Minimize storage costs and improve system performance.
4.4. Assure stakeholders, funders, and regulators of strict data stewardship.
4.5. Enhance ability to audit document management processes at any time.