I would be very interested in knowing how some companies are controlling their types of documents. We are small engineering firm, growing fast and moving into production. The 3 types of documents that I need to manage are:

1. Most simple is our internal Procedures, work instructions, etc...we are going to have these on our intranet, probably numbered according to ISO clauses for high level docs, then by department after that....should not be a big problem.

2. Our Product related documents - these will be managed and controlled using Configuration Management techniques (and eventually some software tool)....these are design docs, drawings, specs, meeting minutes, etc...very product and project related.

3. Our internal design, intellectual property documents, technical memos, etc. (may be just another project in the CM tool). Really this is just everyday work - that may or may not become part of a project/product....I suppose I am talking about Knowledge Management here...

Currently we just have a database that creates a unique number for an author, with some basic info collected - assuming all doc numbers used are initially not approved. When this new document gets approved I am currently just controlling these manually (with some in-house database, spredsheet). I obviously am going to need to control these using a more powerful tool. I am debating how to move forward with this....we are looking for a CM software tool, but am not sure what kind to get or even if one tool is enough....we develop hardware and software, so having a tool that controls software revision, check-in, check out, etc is required, but we also need to control a full techincal data package for our products. Then I am fighting how to control CAD models - i.e. how often to save the models when a part changes? That may be a topic for another day :ko:

Sorry for a long post...just wanted to give you all an idea of where I am coming from.

Sorry for a long post...just wanted to give you all an idea of where I am coming from.
Good thinking, and don't feel sorry about a long post... but be ready for long replys ;) .

Anyway: We have been on about this subject before. Have you had a look in the Documentation and Forms (http://elsmar.com/Forums/forumdisplay.php?f=16) forum?

A selection of similar threads:

Needed: Advice on Document Control Software (http://elsmar.com/Forums/showthread.php?t=3979)
Document Control (http://elsmar.com/Forums/showthread.php?t=6104)
Document Control Software (http://elsmar.com/Forums/showthread.php?t=5597)
Paperless Doumentation System (http://elsmar.com/Forums/showthread.php?t=7075)
Document Control and Distribution - How to save paper? (http://elsmar.com/Forums/showthread.php?t=5584)

I hope they will provide you with some of the information you need, but keep the questions coming it they don't. :D

/Claes

I would be very interested in knowing how some companies are controlling their types of documents. We are small engineering firm, growing fast and moving into production. The 3 types of documents that I need to manage are:

. . .

Then I am fighting how to control CAD models - i.e. how often to save the models when a part changes? That may be a topic for another day :ko:

Sorry for a long post...just wanted to give you all an idea of where I am coming from.Excellent suggestion from Claes to search the forums for background material.

I love to discuss Configuration Management and Document Control.

Despite what others may write of the virtues of creating your own system with patchworks of Word, CAD, and Excel. I definitely believe in NOT reinventing the wheel.

One post you might read for a little background is
http://elsmar.com/Forums/showpost.php?p=60449&postcount=15

We did not re-invent the wheel. On our Intranet system we have different drives that are assigned specific rights. All my quality documents are on the Q (for quality) drive, everyone has access, but I am the only person with change rights. Same system in engineering, Testing, Manufacturing etc. It is very easy to assisgn access, read rights, changes rights etc.

This methods also makes it east to back up all data.

Cindy

I'm with Cindy on this one. In past experiences I have used a "canned" software package (Pilgrim), a homegrown software package (Lotus Notes-based), and the simple Novell ring-based system that Cindy has described. I have found that they all work well, but for me the method that Cindy described is the simplest, easiest to use, least expensive and provides adequate controls. :bigwave:

With this method you can then access the documents via the intranet/ring, or you can create individual functional organization-based Webpages that provide links to the ring-based documents. :bigwave:

I have used some of the programs out there and find them to be limiting. With our system, I can access what ever I need from any computer. During audit, I can log on as myself and have access to documents that are not public to the company, or simply access any public quality document. No special training was need either which was a plus. If an operator needed a quality system document, he would need training on the program. Most everyone if familiar with microsoft, therefore training was mostly related to the Quality System itself and not software.

Cindy

Thanks for the feedback folks - sorry for not searching first - I am well aware of how much of a sin that is- I honestly just forgot about the option.

Having said that and searched a bit, I still did not find quite what I am looking for. I am with Cindy and ddhartma on controlling the QMS procedures, forms, etc using basic Office software, on an intranet - no problems there.

However, I am completely with Wes on not recreating the wheel for the Configuration Management based documents. I've worked with home grown CM systems that start off OK, but then grow to be too hard to control and maintain. My problem is that I seem to going down that path anyway!!! I was hoping someone may have experience with a small relatively inexpensive first step for managing these types of documents prior to getting the high end CM or Doc Management tool. I know some of these tools can get into 6 figures pretty fast.

Thanks again for the responses!
Cheers!

I have experience with both scenarios.

Currently, we are using a homegrown network/intranet system for configuration/document management that uses mainly the basic tools provided by Microsoft and Adobe. It’s very simple, inexpensive, and effective.

Based on my own experience, doc mgmt packages seem to fit like a cheap suit. They work OK but by the time you are done tailoring them to fit your operation you have spent as much time, and more money, that if you would have developed your own from scratch.

Just my opinion based on past experience.

Very interesting Badgerman....because that is my exact fear - that we spend the $$ on the system then find it worse than what we wanted.....does your homegrown solution include a CM database that manages the configuration of products/documents, etc?

I can understand how we can pretty easily set up our intranet and networking to have access to the actual files (most anyway), but I see it taking a fair amount of time to set up a CM database with easy user access (preferably through the intranet). I thought that there may be some sort of simple CM database out there that could handle revisions, associations, ECRs, etc...then just use the intranet system to actually find the documents/files.

Very interesting Badgerman....because that is my exact fear - that we spend the $$ on the system then find it worse than what we wanted.....does your homegrown solution include a CM database that manages the configuration of products/documents, etc?


Our homegrown system is more of a doc control system than a CM tool. I realized when I read your post above that your bigger challenge was in the area of CM. The document control part is much easier to address.

Our Oracle based business operating system includes our general CM system for Engineering controlled documents and it definitely fits into the “cheap suit” category. If we had to do it over again, nobody would choose the system we currently have. We are still in the Stone Age when it comes to revisions since we still print ECN’s (Word generated) and route them for signature approval. Then the Oracle database is updated manually with the new revision level. I works pretty well from an inquiry standpoint.

At my last job (six years ago) we purchased a system that would route changes electronically for approval interfacing with the e-mail system. We paid five figures for it and it was a big pain in the backside for the users. I would bet that it was abandoned and something else is being used today.

If you are a smaller organization, you could set up a pretty cheap and effective CM system using MS Access but setting up an interface with your intranet can be a little more challenging (in other words, it is over my head, LOL!). :o

Good luck and caveat emptor!

Daryl,

Here is a link to a thread I started a while back. The product id FREE. I hope it helps.

http://elsmar.com/Forums/showthread.php?t=6418

Greg B