Defensible Electronic Communication Disposition Under Variable Retention Rules

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Solution Overview

Problem

Large enterprises face challenges in managing the archiving and deletion of electronic communications due to varying retention periods based on geographic location and individual regulatory status, leading to high storage costs and operational misappropriation risks.

Innovation Solution

A fully automated system that determines, on an individual communication basis, whether to delete or retain electronic communications by considering geographic location and sender/recipient status, applying applicable rules and policies, and initiating the deletion process.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If all electronic communications are retained indefinitely in archive, then compliance with varying geographic and individual retention requirements is ensured, but storage costs escalate and operational misappropriation risks increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecompliance with retention requirementsVSAvoidstorage costs

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary analysis of retention requirements for each e-communication before the retention period expires. It identifies the applicable retention period based on geographic location and individual regulatory status, schedules the deletion accordingly, and executes the deletion automatically. This preliminary action ensures compliance while avoiding indefinite retention and associated costs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If all electronic communications are retained indefinitely in archive, then compliance with varying geographic and individual retention requirements is ensured, but operational misappropriation risks increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecompliance with retention requirementsVSAvoidoperational misappropriation risks

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system proactively identifies and deletes e-communications whose retention period has expired, preventing them from remaining in the archive indefinitely. By automatically removing outdated communications before they can be misappropriated, the system eliminates the harmful effect of operational misappropriation while maintaining compliance with retention requirements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Adaptability or versatility

If manual processes are used to determine deletion of electronic communications, then flexibility in handling varying retention requirements is maintained, but productivity and automation are reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehandling varying retention requirementsVSAvoiddeletion processing volume

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically determines the retention period for each e-communication by analyzing its metadata (geographic location, individual regulatory status) and applies the appropriate retention rules without human intervention. This self-service capability enables the system to handle varying retention requirements adaptively while processing millions of communications at scale, achieving both versatility and high productivity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts retention parameters based on the specific characteristics of each e-communication, such as geographic location and individual regulatory status. By changing retention parameters automatically rather than using fixed manual processes, the system maintains adaptability to varying requirements while enabling automated high-volume processing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

4Productivity

If high-volume archiving is handled by third-party entities, then archiving capability is sufficient, but additional storage costs are incurred

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvearchiving capabilityVSAvoidstorage costs

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary identification and scheduling of deletions for e-communications that have exceeded their retention periods. By proactively removing unnecessary communications before they consume additional storage space, the system reduces the total volume of archived data and associated storage costs while maintaining sufficient archiving capability for compliant communications.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS12406094B2Defensible regulated electronic communication disposition system

Publication Date: 2025.09.02 BANK OF AMERICA CORP

AI summary

A fully-automated, defensible and highly-scalable system for disposition decisioning and, where applicable deleting previously archived electronic communications. In this regard, the present invention is capable of determining, on an individual e-communication basis, whether an e-communication should be deleted/purged from archive or retained in archive taking into account applicable rules and policies based on the geographic location from which the e-communication was sent, received or posted, as well as, based on the status on the sender/poster and/or recipient.