Picture the scene. It’s approaching Friday lunch, you’re contemplating what you’re going to order at the weekly team lunch when your manager appears in the doorway: “I need a copy of the approval to release the Request for Quote for project x.” Your eyes go wide and beads of sweat start to form. You know you’ve seen it but no matter what combination of search words you use, you cannot find it; “if only I’d saved it!”

It’s experiencing moments like these that really hammer home the importance of accurate record keeping. Not only is record keeping an accepted practice throughout industry, but some records are also required to be kept by law. Organisation and archival of records won’t only make your life easier, it may save you!

Record keeping within the procurement industry is something that is embedded into personnel right from the word go. It should be possible to reconstruct the process taken from the records saved. For Queensland Government, the Queensland Procurement Policy (QPP) outlines the mandated framework for procurement processes undertaken throughout government. Many private organisations (especially publicly listed) maintain similar practices, all of which centre around integrity, probity and accountability. It is imperative to maintain transparency throughout the process and have all phases and documents available at short notice for auditing. Maintaining a robust records management system during all stages of a procurement process is the best way to ensure defensibility of decisions made during the procurement activity.

So, how do you make sure that your records management is up to scratch? The first step is creating a records management policy document to illustrate the requirements at all stages of the process and how to do it. This will include the creation of standardised naming conventions to maintain clarity and ease of location of documents when you’re looking for them. It is also imperative to implement a version control system both within documents and their file names. Once you’re confident that the records management document has adequately encompassed your process, it is essential that it is clearly communicated to your staff. This may require briefing sessions or one-on-one discussions to make sure that it is comprehended. If one team member doesn’t maintain the process, it can start to crumble. Above all else, it is essential to undertake frequent internal review and auditing processes to assess the effectiveness of the system.

No one likes misplacing information or having to search for something they need in a rush. Effective records keeping processes will not only make your life easier, they will make sure that you’re covered in the event someone needs to verify something (and will save you looking silly in the moment!)