ISO 15489 and ISO 16175 Explained in Plain English

Written By Tim Magill

When people hear “ISO 15489” or “ISO 16175,” they often assume these standards apply only to records managers or archivists.

They do not…..

These standards define how organisations must control information if they want to operate defensibly in regulated environments.

Let’s simplify them.

What is ISO 15489?

ISO 15489 is the global standard for records management.
At its core, it asks three simple questions:

  • Can You Prove a Record Is Authentic?

  • Can You Prove It Has Not Been Altered Improperly?

  • Can You Prove It Has Been Retained or Destroyed According to Policy?

It is about trust in information.

What is ISO 16175?

ISO 16175 focuses on the functional requirements for electronic records systems.
It defines what digital platforms must be capable of doing, including:

  • Capturing Records Reliably

  • Preserving Metadata

  • Enforcing Retention and Disposition

  • Protecting Against Unauthorised Alteration

It moves from policy theory to system design.

Why This Matters Beyond Records Managers

These standards are not about archives.

They directly affect:

  • Police Case Management Systems

  • Financial Services Documentation

  • Regulatory Reporting Environments

  • HR and Onboarding Platforms

  • Investigation and Enforcement Systems

If operational systems cannot demonstrate compliance with these principles, the organisation is exposed — regardless of how modern the front-end interface looks.

In today’s environment, records governance is not a back-office discipline. It is a board-level control mechanism.

The Operational Impact

ISO-aligned systems must:

  • Preserve Audit Trails Automatically

  • Enforce Classification Consistently

  • Prevent Silent Deletion

  • Apply Retention Policies Without Manual Intervention

This affects how applications are architected — not just how documents are stored.

At CaelumOne Solutions Corporation, we have long viewed compliance standards not as optional overlays, but as architectural requirements. Being “standards-aligned by design” means governance is embedded into ingestion, metadata, retention, and audit control — not bolted on later.

In regulated industries, compliance cannot rely on policy manuals alone. It must be embedded into the system itself.

That is what ISO 15489 and ISO 16175 are really about.

For further information or a no-obligation demonstration of the CaelumOne DMS-ECM Software Platform please email us at c1sales@caelumone.com.

Tim Magill
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