Retention File Audit and Storage Cost Review (Retention)

Retention File Audit and Storage Cost Review (Retention)

1. 01

   Pull a storage consumption report per client account before the quarterly review meeting

   Segment by active project folders, archived deliverables, and signed contract repositories so the client sees where bytes actually sit. Accounts on lifetime-purchase storage plans behave differently from subscription seats, so flag which model each client is on.

2. 02

   Flag every file older than the contractual retention window for disposition

   Most agency master service agreements specify 12 to 36 months of post-engagement retention. Anything past that window is a liability with no delivery value.

3. 03

   Confirm signed agreements remain retrievable with intact audit trails

   Deleting a working draft is routine; deleting the executed copy with its signature certificate is not. Verify the audit trail exports cleanly before any purge runs.

4. 04

   Test one restore from cold or archived storage per client

   A backup that has never been restored is an assumption, not a control. Restore a single contract PDF and time how long it takes to reach the account lead.

5. 05

   Reconcile seat counts against the client roster actually using the platform

   Offboarded client contacts often keep paid seats for months. Reclaiming three to five dormant seats per account frequently covers the cost of the audit itself.

6. 06

   Document the retention decision in writing and route it to the client for acknowledgment

   A one-page disposition memo protects the agency if a client later asks why a two-year-old asset is gone. Silence is the expensive outcome, not deletion.

7. 07

   Set the next review date and assign a named owner

   Quarterly cadence works for most retainers; compliance-heavy accounts may need monthly. Put the date in the account plan, not in someone's calendar memory.