Guidelines for records retention

Answer:
ISO 9001:2015 does not specify any particular retention period for records. I have four rules that I follow to guide decisions about retention periods:

1. Is it required by law? If required by law, we have to keep records as long as law determines (as a minimum);
2. Is it required by a contract with customers? If required by a contract, we have to keep records as long as the contract determines (as a minimum);
3. Is it useful to track changes or evolution along time? If that is the case, I recommend keeping records for 4 years to ensure that the organizations keep a memory that always includes the totality of the 3-years certification cycle;
4. All other records can be kept for one year.

The following material will provide you information about documented information control:

- ISO 9001 – New approach to document and record control in ISO 9001:2015 - https://advisera.com/9001academy/blog/2015/06/30/new-approach-to-document-and-record-control-in-iso-90012015/
- free online training ISO 9001:2015 Foundations Course - https://advisera.com/training/iso-9001-foundations-course/
- book - Discover ISO 9001:2015 Through Practical Examples - https://advisera.com/books/discover-iso-9001-2015-through-practical-examples/