VPRS 8948 Central Registry Correspondence Files, Single Number System

Full description

This series consists of correspondence files created under a single number file registration system developed and implemented with the introduction in 1987 of an automated records management system to the State Electricity Commission of Victoria (SECV) known as RMS. RMS was introduced into the Central Records Registry of the SECV replacing the multiple number filing system (VPRS 8897) which had been in operation since 1971. The RMS system and the single number system were progressively employed by other records centres throughout SECV.

This series contains files created and maintained by the Central Registry. Following the break-up of the SECV into separate businesses in 1994 the Central Registry became the registry for National Electricity and continued to be responsible for the majority of corporate files of the former SECV. Records management in the new businesses was not the responsibility of the Central Registry and any files that had been held in the Central Registry that were required by the new businesses were transferred to them. The RMS system continued as the records management system used by the National Electricity registry. Copies of relevant RMS data were provided to the separate business enterprises for their reference.

RMS was an automated system designed to streamline the identification, location and tracing of files and documents using Status software, a free text indexing and retrieval software package, which provided free text search and retrieval facilities. Effectively, separate databases were created in RMS for each registry in the SECV that used the system. The file numbering system (see below) allowed up to ninety-nine department codes each of which, generally, applied to a single registry. By 1994 there were thirty-five department codes in use. Central registry had, or acquired, responsibility for files created in only four departments with the codes 13 (personnel or human resources directorate), 30 (treasury group), 31 (general finance) and the core corporate records with code 33 (general management records or corporate files).

It should be noted that not all files with these codes have been transferred to PROV. Some have been retained by National Electricity for ongoing reference and others were transferred to the new businesses for their use.

Note that no complete RMS database has been transferred to PROV. Partial data relating to the records in this series was downloaded and used to produce the consignment details.