Controlling External Customer Documents (Documents of External Origin)

C

chum84

The standard states that you must control external documents by:
1. Identifying it
2. Controlling their distribution.

I can apply these requirements to unique/singular external documents such as equipment manuals/standards/guidelines etc..... Its easy enough to identify those external documents by their title alone and controlling distribution is easy enough. But when it comes to controlling things such as customer purchase orders or customer specifications, do you have to identify each document so that it can be easily retrievable? Currently purchase orders and customer specification are bundled in their respective folders. Distinction isnt made so that each customer has their own folder. Controlling distribution seems easy enough, there is only one copy of it and its located in the filing cabinet. Do i need come up with an identification system for each purchase order/customer spec and create a list so its retrievable?
 
R

Rob Udo

Re: controlling external customer documents

Keep it simple. The way you handle them makes them identified and controlled in their respective folders. I have never attended a registrar audit where such a system as you described was unacceptable!

Best regards
 
C

chum84

Re: controlling external customer documents

Coury Ferguson said:
Check out these threads:


http://elsmar.com/Forums/showpost.php?p=34208&postcount=

http://elsmar.com/Forums/showpost.php?p=71333&postcount=

http://elsmar.com/Forums/showpost.php?p=19440&postcount=1

These are just some of the threads on this subject. Try using the Search Function to find out if there are any other posts on this subject matter.

already used the search function but it doesnt explain the extent to which these customer documents need to be identified i.e. like making a document register for your quality manual, every single document is readily identified and locatable. But I am reading into this too much, I need a reality check - I think I am going overboard with this requirement considering its a tiny company im working for. I'll just make them file the orders chronologically, separated into different months. That way if someone debates any orders supplied it will be easier to find.
 

CarolX

Trusted Information Resource
chum84 said:
The standard states that you must control external documents by:
1. Identifying it
2. Controlling their distribution.

I can apply these requirements to unique/singular external documents such as equipment manuals/standards/guidelines etc..... Its easy enough to identify those external documents by their title alone and controlling distribution is easy enough. But when it comes to controlling things such as customer purchase orders or customer specifications, do you have to identify each document so that it can be easily retrievable? Currently purchase orders and customer specification are bundled in their respective folders. Distinction isnt made so that each customer has their own folder. Controlling distribution seems easy enough, there is only one copy of it and its located in the filing cabinet. Do i need come up with an identification system for each purchase order/customer spec and create a list so its retrievable?


Don't re-invent the wheel. You do not need a seperate identification system for customer documents. For example, our procedure states that customer purchase orders are filed at inside sales by job number. That is sufficient to identify them and control them. Customer specifications are filed in engineering by customer name.

Too often, folks get overwhelmed by this requirement, believing that a seperate numbering system and logs/list must be maintain.
 
D

ddunn

chum84 said:
The standard states that you must control external documents by:
1. Identifying it
2. Controlling their distribution.

I can apply these requirements to unique/singular external documents such as equipment manuals/standards/guidelines etc..... Its easy enough to identify those external documents by their title alone and controlling distribution is easy enough. But when it comes to controlling things such as customer purchase orders or customer specifications, do you have to identify each document so that it can be easily retrievable? Currently purchase orders and customer specification are bundled in their respective folders. Distinction isnt made so that each customer has their own folder. Controlling distribution seems easy enough, there is only one copy of it and its located in the filing cabinet. Do i need come up with an identification system for each purchase order/customer spec and create a list so its retrievable?

It sounds like you are controlling the customer specification with the purchase order. If the purchase order is controlled so is the customer specification. I assume you use a PO number or other unique identification for each purchase order. Any change to the customer specification would require a purchase order modification.

Don't over control. Keep it simple.
 
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