Unique Document Identification Numbering System

[NarayanMalladi]

hi guys, i need help in developing the unique identifying numbering system
i work a construction company.
give me some ideas, leads, and infothe format is what i want, for forms, procedures, policies, manuals
thanks

 

[tomvehoski]

Re: unique identifying numbering system

Keep it simple. P-100, F-003, or whatever works. Nobody will care about the ID - they need to know the content. Place I am at now for some reason chose to assign print numbers to their quality documents, so I have 10 digit long numbers on everything. Annoying, but it only affects me, so not worth changing it.

 

[Al Dyer]

In a previous life we had a system that went a far as to have the lowliest tag and sticker traceable to it's ultimate master procedure. Talk about a system ripe for misunderstanding and nonconformances. At one time half my day was spent controlling and auditing documents for conformance. #*#$^%$*(#)

As tomvehoski said, simple, simple, simple!!

0001, 0002, ...........

Al...

 

[AndyN]

hi guys, i need help in developing the unique identifying numbering system
i work a construction company.
give me some ideas, leads, and infothe format is what i want, for forms, procedures, policies, manuals
thanks

Why do you need a numbering system? Do forms all look the same? Do all procedures etc have the same title? Why add a number when you already have clear (or should have) identifiers on documents - otherwise how will people know what to use? A number won't help!

 

[AndyN]

I also work in a construction company as document control support. we use electronic document management and our procedure states that all file names must rename the same throughout the project. The documents should have a file name of less than 30 characters, must not contain the characters & or ‘ , begin with a unique drawingnumber followed by a brief description of content. For example:

101001 Base Layout​

If the project you are working on has a Project number I would suggest using that as the unique number.

I believe the OP is asking about QMS documents, not project documents, which is a very different thing...

 

[Ettore]

hi guys, i need help in developing the unique identifying numbering system

Quality Documents Code.pdf

 

[jsn80]

Our numbering system starts with a letter code and six digit numbering system. The letters are like the following examples;

QMD - Quality Management Documents
QMP - QM Process Description
QMWI - QM work instruction

For the number they are broken into three sections (for example, QMPD 42.06.01)

The first two digits tell me what clause the document covers (42 = 4.2 Documentation Requirements).

The second two digits tell you is responsible per a key we developed (06 = Quality Management; specific departments have a number, departments that are under one umbrella have a number, and the orginization as a whole has a number)

The last two digits are just a running series number.

 

[PGTIPS8]

I will have to think about this one but need to know more. Some systems start with things like
MP = Management Procedure = MP/001 ETC Form would be MP/001/F1
QM = Quality Manual == QM/001/10 (THE YEAR)
Policy = Quality Policy = QP/01/10 ETC

 

[tomvehoski]

The first two digits tell me what clause the document covers (42 = 4.2 Documentation Requirements).

Be careful with this system. Standards get renumbered and your index no longer makes sense. You are setting yourself up for a huge rewrite down the line, in addition to possibly having to reconcile two standards with the same requirement, but two different paragraphs. Your users also don't care if the calibration procedure is 4.11 or 7.6 or the square root of 147. They just want an easy way to find it.

The only people that care about ISO paragraph numbers are auditors and the person writing the quality manual. It is much easier and safer to create a matrix tying your documents to the standard. It is then one document to update should ISO ever decide to rearrange things again, or if you want to add another standard to the scope of your quality system.

 

[tomvehoski]

I will have to think about this one but need to know more. Some systems start with things like
MP = Management Procedure = MP/001 ETC Form would be MP/001/F1
QM = Quality Manual == QM/001/10 (THE YEAR)
Policy = Quality Policy = QP/01/10 ETC

Too complicated in my opinion. What if MP/001/F1 is also related to QP/002/07? Or maybe it does not even have a related procedure? I also don't see the need to have the year in the number.

My most used system is P = Procedure, F = Form, W = Work Instruction. P-001 is the top level manual, everything else just gets the next number in line. Even that can get complicated as sometimes the form also includes a work instruction.

I'm thinking of reducing the system I am currently working on to seven procedures. Then I will name them after the dwarfs. Document Control = "Sleepy", Customer Satisfaction = "Happy", Nonconforming Product = "Grumpy" .....