Interpretation and Application of the "ERP System Electronic File Archiving and Electronic File Management Specification" (DA/T 104-2024) - A New Bridge for Standardized Management of Enterprise Data Assets

With the revision of the Archives Law of the People's Republic of China and the deepening of the digital economy, how to transform the data generated by the core business system of enterprises into national archives resources with long-term preservation value and legal voucher effectiveness has become an urgent strategic and compliance issue. In this context, the National Archives Administration issued the "ERP System Electronic Document Archiving and Electronic Archive Management Specification" (DA/T 104-2024, hereinafter referred to as the "Specification"), which was officially implemented in 2024, providing an authoritative path for enterprises to transform complex business data into standardized and reliable data assets. This is no longer just a technical standard for archives, but a bridge connecting the dynamic operation of enterprises with the management of national static archivesStrategic BridgeThis marks a new stage in enterprise data governance that balances business efficiency with legal archiving requirements.

The core idea of the "Specification" is to systematically solve electronic files in the ERP environment“How to form, when to archive, and how to manage”The full lifecycle issue. Traditionally, ERP systems have been designed as business operation platforms with the primary goal of supporting real-time transactions and efficient processes. However, there has been insufficient consideration for long-term data storage, format independence, metadata integrity, and legal evidence. Archive management, on the other hand, focuses on the long-term fidelity, orderly organization, and reliable utilization of information, and there are natural differences between the two in terms of goals, methods, and cycles. The introduction of the "Norms" is aimed at bridging this gap. It requires and guides enterprises to embed the thinking and technical requirements of archive management in the planning, design, implementation, and daily operation of ERP systems. This means that enterprises need to move the control point of archive management forward to the formation end of business data, ensuring that electronic files and their metadata that meet archiving requirements are synchronously captured or generated while business occurs, achievingBusiness is archiving "The concept is to ensure the authenticity, completeness, availability, and security of archives at the source.

From the specific content interpretation, the "Norms" outline a clear and operable management and technical framework for enterprises. The main points are reflected in three aspects:One is the standardization of management processesIt clarifies the responsibilities, processes, and requirements for the entire process from electronic file generation, processing, archiving, storage to utilization, emphasizes the indispensability of the archiving link, and requires the establishment of an archiving program that integrates with ERP business processes.The second is the business definition of the scope of archivingWe did not adopt a simple "one size fits all" approach, but instead guided enterprises to analyze and determine the scope of electronic files with preservation value based on the core business modules in the ERP system (such as finance, procurement, sales, production, human resources, etc.), such as important approval forms, vouchers, contracts, reports, etc., so that archiving work closely aligns with the core value activities of the enterprise.The third is the systematic nature of technical requirementsSpecific functional requirements have been put forward for ERP systems, such as supporting structured and standardized encapsulation of archived electronic files, being able to capture and bind metadata sufficient to explain business background, correlation relationships, and operation traces, having secure, stable, and automatic data transmission interface capabilities to archive management systems, and ensuring the long-term readability and tamper resistance of archived information. These requirements drive the evolution of ERP systems from a pure business engine to one that simultaneously possesses compliance archiving output capabilitiesTrusted data source。

The profound value of applying the 'Norms' to corporate practice lies in building a framework for enterprisesFrom business data to compliance assets, and then to strategic resourcesThe promotion pathway. At the compliance level, it directly responds to the mandatory requirements of laws and regulations for single set filing management of electronic accounting vouchers, electronic contracts, electronic personnel files, etc., helping enterprises systematically avoid legal and audit risks. At the operational level, standardized archiving promotes the quality improvement and structural optimization of data within the ERP system. The archiving process itself is a high-quality data governance that helps enhance the overall data-driven decision-making capabilities of the enterprise. At the strategic level, standardized management of electronic archives constitutes a valuable and legally certified data asset for enterprises. They are not only historical records, but also a reliable cornerstone for future data analysis, knowledge mining, business traceability, and digital transformation. For example, standardized archiving of historical procurement and quality data can become a treasure trove of analysis for optimizing supply chain and product design; Complete personnel file data can provide long-term insights for organizational development and talent strategy.

Therefore, the release and implementation of DA/T 104-2024 will bring more than just an additional compliance checklist to enterprises. It is aAction blueprintGuide enterprises to re-examine and plan the role of their ERP systems throughout the entire data lifecycle. Successfully integrating the 'Norms' into the enterprise architecture means that in addition to enjoying the operational efficiency brought by ERP, the enterprise has also established a long-term mechanism that is in line with the national archives management system and can continuously accumulate and increase core data assets. The construction of this new bridge will help enterprises not only "run fast" in the digital economy era, but also "run steadily, remember and use effectively", truly achieving the unity of business operation and knowledge inheritance, short-term efficiency and long-term value.