I don't think that trip reports should get an ID number for the reason that we do not maintain them. We create trip reports on a standard template and place those reports in our repository that everyone has access to view and not modify. I am just looking for a best practice out there? Thank you.

Form identification numbers or serial numbers?

I'm not sure my understanding of a "trip report" is the same as yours.

In my understanding it is the record of an employee's off-site movement on behalf of the organization (for any specific purpose.)

Depending upon the number of reports and the number of different individuals involved, some sort of organization seems to be necessary. For a few per year, they might have no identification other than content and date of trip, then be filed in a single folder in chronological order, regardless of identity of person making the trip. More reports and more individuals might mean separate sub folders for each trip taker, also in chronological order.

If by "ID number" you are referring to the blank form used by the trip taker to record information and data, I can categorically say there is no requirement to assign an ID number to any document or form. The original purpose for organizations to assign numbers to documents was for ease of storage and retrieval of hard copies. This was necessary ONLY when there were a large number of documents. Otherwise, documents could be stored in folders alphabetically by name or topic.

Modern computer systems make numbering unnecessary because electronic retrieval can find a document wherever it may be stored by searching on key words, dates, authors, etc. Your post indicates you already use this method, so I see no need (need is different from requirement - requirement is mandatory, need is convenience) to add convenience by adding redundant ID numbers.

FWIW - We use the form identification number only to commonize (and control) the format. As far as serialization, we merely use the date of the trip or contact (we also "file" by customer).

A trip is a trip. What's the big deal? Something or someone went somewhere, so why worry about telling trips apart through some type of unique identification tool?

A trip is a trip. What's the big deal? Something or someone went somewhere, so why worry about telling trips apart through some type of unique identification tool?Written like the true road warrior you are, Randy!

As I hinted in my post earlier, the amount of detail and organization of trip reports varies by company and traveler and the purpose of the trip. Some trips are fraught with legal ramifications (investigating field failures, fraud investigations) and others are fraught with business ramifications (if a contract is won or lost, should the knowledge learned go into the corporate pool for reference before the next trip?)

Even routine travel may need to be documented for tax puposes.

Everything hinges on the number of trips and travelers, regardless of the purpose or ramifications, in deciding whether forms require generic document/form number or whether each individual trip report needs a unique identifier keyed to traveler and the specific purpose of the trip. A small number can be kept in one or several file folders. A large number of trip reports may require special numbering to aid in audit tracking.

I don't think that trip reports should get an ID number for the reason that we do not maintain them. We create trip reports on a standard template and place those reports in our repository that everyone has access to view and not modify. I am just looking for a best practice out there? Thank you.
I see no need to have an ID number on anything. Too many times I've heard that documents need a title and document ID number. I know in ISO 9001, or ISO 14001, or ISO/TS16949, there is no requirement for either a name or a number. With that stated, unless you have a specific requirement from somewhere else, then if it makes sense to give numbers, then give numbers, if it doesn't make sense, then don't give an ID number. It is up to you.

Our trip reports are very important with the content of either legal investigation or simple R&D work down else where. We have one repository located on our intranet and we organize them by date but when someone wants to reference the document they use a ID number to simply identify the report. It is up to the reader to find that information using that ID number. Our ID numbers are completely un-intelligent so you would have to go the single source to find the information. That has been our problem which we are currently fixing, single source of the information. Within our company, people have been storing info with the same title but different info within each document. So we have been successfully maintaining, with little work, a single source of the information. We have taught our guys that once they have submitted the document to the repository to delete if from their computer because the retention schedule is maintained on the site and the information if viewable to people who have access. I have talked to much. Thank you everyone for your input and I will take everything in with consideration.

Does anyone have an example of a trip report so I can see what should be included in one? I was just recently sent to look at several fabricators for potential business but was told not to do our on-site audit at this time just do a trip report instead.

Just write where you went
when
purpose of trip
who contacted
what you reviewed
your evaluations
discussions
summary
conclusions

Actually you did an audit, just not a formal one. You went to find out information to apply to your needs, expectations and what were the results.