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

[JaneB]

Everyone - can I ask why you number documents?

It's a serious question - what is/are the benefits you/others get from numbering? And if you could give me some idea of how many documents you're dealing with/whether hardcopy or online, this would be helpful.

 

[newgravy]

Wow, once again I'm looking for answers and the Cove supplies plenty. Using the Google approach to finding the answer to "numbering technical documents" turned up quite a few helpful suggestions. Being an Engineer I also thought that maybe ISO has a standard and that it would be easy to follow. However there are lots of arguments for and against using structured systems listed on the web. Then I came across this article (attached) This seems to follow the replies we have at the Cove. I for one will be sticking to my simple tried and trusted two/three letter starts followed by a unique number eg EF-0001 is an Engineering Form, SW-0001 is a system of work document (we use these for describing safety arrangements).

The one overiding issue that I have found to date, is ensuring that any one who is questioned during an audit must understand where the documents are!! The two/three letter start need not be understood so long as auditors can be pointed to the correct documents.

Best Regards

 

[isotexas]

Im with you Andy and Jane,

We went with all titles and used the approval date as the rev, very simple and effective.

We added a layer of Folders for each department and 1 folder for "Misc" that had all the general procedures. Flew through our audit and not one person was confused as to what procedue was to be used.

Susan in Texas

 

[AndyN]

The one overiding issue that I have found to date, is ensuring that any one who is questioned during an audit must understand where the documents are!! The two/three letter start need not be understood so long as auditors can be pointed to the correct documents.

Wouldn't that tend to indicate that people using documents recognize them by the 'shape' of the document - a bit like we recognize each other by sight?? A name is useful to add, but we rarely ask each other for social security numbers.....

 

[JaneB]

- a bit like we recognize each other by sight?? A name is useful to add, but we rarely ask each other for social security numbers.....

Andy, Andy, Andy. You'll horrify the engineers among the Cove with that viewpoint.
Poster Number 347654321-JB-au-1244654

 

[Tony C]

Everyone - can I ask why you number documents?

It's a serious question - what is/are the benefits you/others get from numbering? And if you could give me some idea of how many documents you're dealing with/whether hardcopy or online, this would be helpful.

If you have 10 documents then little need to number but let's say in a complex operation there are 100 documents in a manual. How do you order them in order to find the document you require?

 

[JaneB]

If you have 10 documents then little need to number but let's say in a complex operation there are 100 documents in a manual. How do you order them in order to find the document you require?

Still waiting for answers: why do you number them? Why does it make them 'easier to manage'?

Unfair really, you aren't answering any of my questions, but instead are asking one.

I doubt I'd number 100 either. My rough answer (without knowing any more detail, which is essential to good design of document systems) is I would group them in a way that made sense and enabled the users to find what they wanted. As Isotexas describes.

If they were all engineers and they wanted numbering and insisted on it, then I'd give it to them. But not first up.

 

[JaneB]

Still waiting for answers: why do you number them?

If you do number documents, I'd still really like to know why. There must be some reason you do it, surely?

 

[Tony C]

My apologies for the delay in responding to your question. Document systems need to be user friendly. The reason for numbering documents is for the purpose of indexing so that the document is easier to find, this is however after first labelling by department and document type.

Regards,

Tony C

 

[AndyN]

My apologies for the delay in responding to your question. Document systems need to be user friendly. The reason for numbering documents is for the purpose of indexing so that the document is easier to find, this is however after first labelling by department and document type.

Regards,

Tony C

Why not do it by name? It's much easier to find an "Audit Plan' than it is QA-FM-201D...........