Can anyone help me with my Centralized Document Control Presentation

[njasare]

I 've just started a new job at a large construction company in the UAE as a Senior Document Controller. At this company they don't currently have any proper document control system in place. The plan is to get a Colloborative EDMS in place to centralise all Document movement across all departments. My boss has asked me to show this on a presentation...Can anyone help or has any examples i can look at!!

cheers

 

[Pancho]

Here's one such presentation: Using a Wiki for Document Control

 

[Marc]

You might want to take a look at a few of these files: Document Control file attachments.

There are also probably some in the Free Files Directory

 

[njasare]

Cheers guys, both were very helpful!

 

[kgott]

I have read many document control procedures none of which seem to describe the process for revision and reissue in the way I have expereinced it being done in several organsations I have worked for.

Several of these procedure seem to require a change request form to be completed as the start point.

In most places I have worked the change control process goes something like this.

Email from someone to the QA department or person to change a document. QA creates draft. Draft sent out for comment. All oK? yea, re-issue it.

Alternatively some manager makes such a decions and tells QA to do it, or a decision is made at a meeting to change a document and the QA person sends out a draft for comment, changes made, reissued - end of story.

None of the procedures I've seen on this form have ever mentioned email. How long has email been in????

 

[Marc]

It sounds like in your case the email you send *is* the change request "form", even if it technically isn't a form per se. Every company's document control system has its own specifics and not every company has a an "official" change request form. What works for one company doesn't necessarily mean it will work in another (or that it is appropriate for another). The main aspect is that the company has at least one method of initiating a new document and a method for revision of an existing document. This is not to mention a method of making an existing document obsolete.

One can use a simple email request, but in some businesses/industries a simple email may not be enough.

Keep in mind "One size does not fit all" in most systems. What you will find here should be considered as "food for thought" as one develops or improves one's systems.

 

[kgott]

Marc - I take your point however I was just making the point that in many industires email is often used as the initating mechanism for changing documents and that none of the very dicatorial, heavy handed systems I have seen that usually require an "application" to be completed; seem make reference to the use of email.

I suspect that in practice a main person tells someone to change a document, send it around for comment, re-edit-re-send-around-until-its-right and then re-issue.

In my view I think most document changes are done in practice using this simple/ basic 4 step email based process anyway.

 

[Marc]

The complexity and rigidity of the system typically comes down to what industry you are in, the specific products (or services), and the size of the company.

I am not disagreeing with your post. Emails are often the initiating factor even when that step is not a part of the "official" documented document control system. A simple conversation between two people is often the initiator of a change request in the same way.