File Plan
A classification scheme that organizes an organization's records into categories and links each category to its retention and disposition rules.
A file plan is the organizing framework that defines how an organization’s records are classified and where they belong. It lays out the categories (often called record series or classes) into which records are filed and connects each category to its retention schedule — so that classifying a record also determines how long it is kept and how it is ultimately disposed of.
In an electronic records management system, the file plan is the backbone: records are captured and assigned to file-plan categories (increasingly with auto-classification), which then drives retention, access, and disposition automatically. A clear, well-maintained file plan makes records findable and ensures consistent treatment; a confusing one undermines the whole program.