Technical Documents Numbering System - Manuals, Procedures and Wi's

[QAMTY]

Hi everyone.

I´m in the stage preparing an ISO implementation
regarding the numbering of documents Manuals, Procedures and Wi´s.

but a question arose.

For me, for example a procedure is named PRO-ENG-001, a WI is WIS-ENG-001

If I´m going to number technical documents (check-list for engineering calculations, special method of calculations, calculations sheets)
which are mentioned in the Wi´s.

What is the best way for numbering such a documents?

Only a description (e.g. Check list for pressure vessel calculation) or something like TD-ENG-001 (TD= technical document-ENG= Eng. area- 001= the consecutive.

Also for the job description of employees, should we follow a numbering method or only the description?


Any idea in this regard?

Thanks

[Stijloor]

If it works for your organization, and the users are able to conveniently locate the documents they need, you're fine. You may want to talk to the document users. Too many times, great ideas in the mind of a single person, become problems for many.

Stijloor.

[Pancho]

If you are just getting started and you are using electronic document control (such as a wiki) it is simpler to use each document's url for its code. Wiki engines usually allow “name spaces”, which are equivalent to subfolders (subwikis). By setting up one name space for each process, there is no conflict if two documents in different processes end up sharing the same name – the url for each document contains both the name space and the name of the document, so it is specific.

Two-letter codes for each type of document (i.e., WI for work instruction), gives short, convenient names and urls. For example, the engineering work instruction for hubs is named "eng/WI/2304". Some systems will allow descriptive paths, and you could then have "eng/WI-hubs", for the url and code.


Good luck!
Pancho

[JaxQC]

Mine is not a best way so take it with a grain of salt. Make it work for you specific setting.
I think what is important no matter how you do it is that there is linkage between the two. Some easily identifiable way to make it apparent what’s related without needing a secret decoder ring. For instance if you wanted a form to go along with WIS-ENG-001, it could be F-WIS-ENG-001 where the “F” form is a traceable, controlled document itself.
Another option is to group sections with their own number. Ie Purchasing is 100, engineering is 200, shipping is 300 etc. Then each group’s doc are together similar to what you had with Eng but you can use the 2nd set of numbers. Ie
WIS-200= Eng dept list
WIS-201= Eng material master list
WIS-201-1= Steel listing under WIS-201
WIS-201-2= Plastic list under WIS-201
WIS-202= Pressure vessels
WIS-202-1= Check list for pressure vessel calculation
If you’re looking at the checklist, you know by the number to find doc WIS-202 for details or what is driving the need for the checklist.

As for the other questions, I know I’m biased being an engineer but use numbers and not only just descriptions. It’s a pain sorting computer wise on long names with alphas when numbers do so well. The numbers could even be as simple as a dept number etc.

Lots of ways will work, just pick the best parts of a lot of people and see which ones fit your area. Good Luck.

[SHall]

I avoid encoding too much vertical relationship into document numbering because it gets confusing and rigid.

I've become a fan of lots of having many document types. Each gets defined in the document control procedure, and whenever possible I start with a controlled template. One client hired a Director of QA after I’d implemented a system with 14 document types. The new QA guy challenged the need for so many types… but has since added 2 more! It is one thing you can have more of without taking up more space or creating more work.

The WI references the procedure containing the test method, and the document that had the forms and calculations, but the numbers are simpler. Just sequentially issue each.

Because test methods can have more than one application, I'm a fan of giving them their own category (TM0000 for example). Create a template to specify the required information. Listing all of the equipment and the specific set up steps is a good start. Required safety equipment is also good.

I've worked in environments where engineering and production ran the same test but with different equipment... no problem. Give them separate numbers to keep things neat. If the tests are interchangeable, list both in the WI. If they are interchangeable in some instances (for example, “for tube < 1.0” in diameter”) this can be specified in the WI. If the engineering version of the test is not to be used to release product just don’t list it in the WI. If two different products use the same test method, also no problem. They just get referenced in multiple MIs.

When a data sheet is required to capture information (as in the calculation sheet example) I put it in a category called FORM. In some companies, all types of FORMs (including templates for procedures, the DCO form, PO form, Training Record form, etc.) are a single category. If you want to control forms which could impact product quality more tightly, you can have a separate category with the appropriate requirements (signature, validation tests, etc) listed in the document control procedure.

[selena15]

Hi
Here is my contribution
Make it as simple as possible.
You can get 3 codes for type.
MSP for procedures relating to the management system
ENG for Engineering ones
ADM for Administration ones ( support)
Now for the sub folders
for each of these above code
you got several groups as ie
ADM: HR(numbered 01), , Purchasing( numbered 02), Store, Staff.....
MSP : Document control, Audit, ....
ENG: pressure vessel calculation (1.1) , hibs(1.2), components (1.3)...or what ever
If you have one of these ENG procedures covering several area or components defined by Number or alphabet as ABC (ie for Compressor) you can add just for these kind of document, the alphabets relating to.
as Result you can GET
ENG.1.1.xx.rev 0 which means these the procedure number xx of pressure vessel calculation revision 0.
Or ENG.1.3.ABC.01.rev0

For the Form, if it is sticked to one procedure, it just get the title of procedure , with the Title Form and number of the latest chapter inside the procedure. ie :
ENG.1.1.xxrev0, Form y+1 rev0
Y is the number of the latest chapter inside the procedure relating to this form, whatever is type.
Believe me, we used this code for huge amount of document and it was clear for all.
Hope this helps

[Raffy]

Hi QAMTY,
In our end we have the 1st two letters is the department in which the procedure or work instruction originates, i.e. QAS - Quality Assurance Standards. Standards in our end can be defined as procedures to others. For a technical document, we categorizes it as per customer or can be group into a per model (this depends on what product you are in), example if one of our customer is Hewlett-Packard you can add HP-TD-001 so that at first you will know that the said document is from a specific customer. TD= Technical Documents such as Engg Specifications. AS = Assembly Drawing, BOM = Bill Of Materials, etc. Then, the 001 is the consecutive number in the series. For Job Description, you can group them into Managers, Supervisors, Engineers, Technicians, Team Leaders, Inspectors and Operators. Plus the department they are in, i.e. QA-MN-001 (QA - Department, MN - Manager, 001 - Series).
Hope this helps.
Best regards,
Raffy

[AndyN]

Simple - if a document has a title, why complicate things with some rocket science numbering system that no-one wants to learn and doesn't bring much value to them? Do you really, really need a number like QA-MAN-0001A for a Quality Manual rev A?

Give it a title or description, a revision and leave it at that.