A preventative maintenance program requires adequate records to be successful. Keeping records can save your system money and can be accomplished with existing personnel. Intended for those involved in the management of cable systems, this paper discusses why records are important, lists six ground rules to be aware of before beginning a record keeping program, and presents a three-tiered system of record keeping for trunk lines that can be adapted to meet the needs of most any system. Sample forms are included for you to use in your own system.