The background to the Records Continuum Model, developed by Frank Upward in Australia, is presented, briefly outlining the work of Peter Scott and Ian Maclean whose work on the 'Commonwealth Records Series (CRS) System laid the groundwork for the new theoretical model of the Records Continuum. The paper explores professional and archival issues raised by the digital environment and notes that Upward's work supports Nordic archivists argument that archival description and management must begin earlier in the business workflow.