Can a website be considered a Document of External Origin?

[somashekar]

I might have misunderstood the original poster, but I don't understand why the they should have control of a computer manufacturer's (e.g. dell) warranty webpage such as this one: http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/my_systems_info/details?c=us&l=en&s=gen

I can understand if the OP was to create their own webpage which their customers used to check the warranty, but I did not get this impression from the original post

To expand further, and taking your note 3:
If I were to telephone dell and ask when my computer was to go out of warranty, is that conversation a record that requires control? the answer is probably yes however, is it best to record that conversation, or would it be more practical for me to create my own form and write the date given to me down?

Extending this to the website, request the date of warranty expiry, then document!

Dear pkost.
I understand you well and your understanding is perfect. My view on this is that since the OP is using the manufacturer's website to update some information on the systems he purchased, the controls he exercises on his login and password into the manufacturer's site to update the info and the controls he has on the manufacturer's hosting about the maintaining of the website and change information that he needs to keep his uploaded information intact for his future use, must meet his requirement. In a way, it is not purely an external document as intended in the standard.

 

[arios]

NOTE 3 The documentation can be in any form or type of medium.
The above is the note in ISO9001:2008, 4.2.1 Documentation requirement, general.
So Website and contents thereof is your document. It is not external to you. It is your document. What controls you exercise in the hosting, updating and maintaining this website must be good enough if they have the activities of the 4.2.3 (Control of documents) mapped and managed well.

As a matter of fact, I have come to an instance of a SOP which included some web site links as part of its content. It happened that some of those links were outdated and did not work anymore, so like Somashekar said it is important to maintain that information accurate, and in such a way demostrate control.