4.2.3 Control of Documents - Need advice on Control of External Documents

[Adriana Urbina]

Hi: I wish somebody can give an advice about control of external documents:

Here it's my question

We are a manufacture company and our product were transferred from Canada to our plant here in Mexico, the thing is that we don't have drawings or kind of specs, Canada plant only gave us like operator quality guides that cover Operation instructions also inspection points, problem is those are in English, so we have to translate everything so that people like materials dept. and manufacture supervisor prepare the material kits and be aware of part numbers .

My point is I consider that as a spec since I don’t have anything else (EXTERNAL DOCUMENT ) If I make a new document in Spanish it will be a work instruction ( INTERNAL DOCUMENT) should I keep the one that is in English as external document even if it is only a operator quality guide ?

Another problem is that our manufacturing procedure says that SPECIFICATIONS have to be in a folder along with the work order since the fist operation to the final and should be maintained in that file for further information. What kind of control can I have??

I'M SO CONFUSED

Sorry if my English is not so good, I hope I explained my self well.

Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks.

Adriana

 

[qualitygoddess - 2010]

Adriana:

I went through this same issue a few years ago with a transfer of product from a US factory to one in Tijuana. Again, this is not the only way to control things, but here is what we did:

1. all production instructions (operator guides as you called them) were sent to Mexico as controlled documents. The Spanish translation was just that -- only a translation. Even if digital pictures and other explanations were added, we maintained the same document number, but revised it. Then Mexico created their own master list. The quality manager in Mexico kept a file of the master English documents, but only the Spanish documents were released to the production area. If an auditor asked, we could show the master document as the starting point, and then show the master list to show how we controlled the revisions in Mexico.
2. we had to do this because the US versions of the documents could not be easily used by the Mexican production workers. As you know, the average amount of education in Mexico is less than US, so we found it necessary to provide instructions with more visual aids to help explain how to assemble the product.
3. our company also sent customer prints to the Mexicl factory, and they were in English. Again, we maintained a master file. The Mexican engineers would add notations in Spanish, and release the revised document to the production area. Again, we kept a master list. So, I think this may be like your question about the specification in the work folder. You can release it for use on the production floor, then have a document control person get it back for the files. We used the terms MASTER and MASTER RELEASE. The MASTER RELEASE was a controlled copy of the master specification or print from the US factory.

There was never a problem with the ISO registrar. They carefully checked the document control system, and reported that it met the standard and our own procedure.

--QG

 

[Claes Gefvenberg]

Hello Adriana, and welcome to the Cove

I think QG provided great advice there. That's one of the best things with this place: Whatever questions you have, you can almost always find someone who's been there and done that.

should I keep the one that is in English as external document even if it is only a operator quality guide ?

That would be a good idea, considering the fact that your internal document is in fact a translation based on it.

Another problem is that our manufacturing procedure says that SPECIFICATIONS have to be in a folder along with the work order since the fist operation to the final and should be maintained in that file for further information. What kind of control can I have??

Ah... Specifications, as in all specifications or the spcifications needed to perform the task at hand?

Sorry if my English is not so good, I hope I explained my self well.

As far as I can see (not being a native english speaker myself) your English is very good. No problems there.

/Claes

 

[Adriana Urbina]

Thanks a lot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now I know how I will start my big challenge.



You guys are very nice, wise and helpful people.


Thank you both.

Adriana