Controlled Copies of a Quality Manual in an electronic media (file/server)

[Bob the QE]

I hope this a simple question:

Is there any reason that a quality manual cannot be soley controlled in an electronic media (file/server) and thus making all printed copies uncontrolled. The purpose for this would be to allow a Sales team to send these out customers or possible customers for review and each internal department having access to a control version without worrying about the old school way of keeping track of "controlled copies"?

Thoughts?

 

[AndyN]

Re: Controlled Copies of a Quality Manual

No problem.........

 

[BradM]

Re: Controlled Copies of a Quality Manual

Bob, I see nothing wrong with having the soft copies controlled. Just be conscious of the same old trappings of the hard copy control of people "squirreling" away their own copies of things because they are too lazy to go check the source.

Whether hard or soft... control is control. You want to make sure that people are doing their work off of the latest version of things.

 

[Helmut Jilling]

Re: Controlled Copies of a Quality Manual

I hope this a simple question:

Is there any reason that a quality manual cannot be soley controlled in an electronic media (file/server) and thus making all printed copies uncontrolled. The purpose for this would be to allow a Sales team to send these out customers or possible customers for review and each internal department having access to a control version without worrying about the old school way of keeping track of "controlled copies"?

Thoughts?

Good concept, but the key to making it work is you shouldn't make internal copies to be used internally. They should be viewed electronically.

 

[gpainter]

Re: Controlled Copies of a Quality Manual

The QM is actually a sales tool. Send it out uncontrolled.

 

[Colin]

Re: Controlled Copies of a Quality Manual

I agree with gpainter, I don't send controlled copies off-site unless I have to.

 

[David DeLong]

Re: Controlled Copies of a Quality Manual

I hope this a simple question:

Is there any reason that a quality manual cannot be soley controlled in an electronic media (file/server) and thus making all printed copies uncontrolled. The purpose for this would be to allow a Sales team to send these out customers or possible customers for review and each internal department having access to a control version without worrying about the old school way of keeping track of "controlled copies"?

Thoughts?

Sending out a Quality Manual to Customers?? I guess this might be OK if it is that 4 pager we've talked about in here and it really doesn't say much. Maybe it is more of a sales brochure.

I remember years ago, there was a company that wanted to develop a quality system to meet the Customer requirement. Apparently another competing vendor sent the Customer their Quality Manual (great detail in this one). Well, the Customer gave a copy to the prospective supplier for them to clone. Can you believe that??

Quality systems are proprietary. I would never send your systems to the Customer but if the Customer wants your Quality Manual, send the index page only.

Never, ever send out detailed quality systems with forms to your Customer.

 

[Jim Wynne]

Re: Controlled Copies of a Quality Manual

Sending out a Quality Manual to Customers?? I guess this might be OK if it is that 4 pager we've talked about in here and it really doesn't say much. Maybe it is more of a sales brochure.

I remember years ago, there was a company that wanted to develop a quality system to meet the Customer requirement. Apparently another competing vendor sent the Customer their Quality Manual (great detail in this one). Well, the Customer gave a copy to the prospective supplier for them to clone. Can you believe that??

Quality systems are proprietary. I would never send your systems to the Customer but if the Customer wants your Quality Manual, send the index page only.

Never, ever send out detailed quality systems with forms to your Customer.

In reality, there is almost never anything of significant value in a quality manual. Nearly all of the ones I've seen already look like clones of each other. It's important to protect proprietary information, but there usually isn't any in a quality manual.

 

[Bob the QE]

Re: Controlled Copies of a Quality Manual

I want to thank everyone for their input to this point. I am leaning with the concept of making the controlled version of the QM electronically and controlling it via the software (i.e. pdf. file) with one administrator that will control the processing of changes and release through the software. However, I have seen a post or two saying that their QM's are on a web site, a convenience for our sales group, good idea/bad idea? Would the standard disclaimer something to the effect of "The QMS contained with at this web site is for ref. only and is not auditable" be enough or could I make that distinguish in the QM itself? thought's or ideas welcomed.

You folks are a fountain of information that I visit often, thanks again.

 

[Stijloor]

Re: Controlled Copies of a Quality Manual

I want to thank everyone for their input to this point. I am leaning with the concept of making the controlled version of the QM electronically and controlling it via the software (i.e. pdf. file) with one administrator that will control the processing of changes and release through the software. However, I have seen a post or two saying that their QM's are on a web site, a convenience for our sales group, good idea/bad idea? Would the standard disclaimer something to the effect of "The QMS contained with at this web site is for ref. only and is not auditable" be enough or could I make that distinguish in the QM itself? thought's or ideas welcomed.

You folks are a fountain of information that I visit often, thanks again.

Post a safe (non-proprietary) copy on your company's website.
Write a disclaimer stating that controlled/updated copies must be requested from..............
You will rarely get a request for this, but just to make sure.

Final comment: I look at the quality manual as a glorified business card. It should represent your company well. No fluff required.

Stijloor.