Controlling revisions on procedures, etc.

[Fire Girl]

Hello all!

I haven't been here in a while. Just had another maintenance audit on Friday. One minor ( should have been a major) in IMTE. Big time calibration issues. Oh well, just another challenge. Yay for me.

Moving along....

I'm looking for some input as to how people control the revisions on their controlled documents, ie procedures and forms, etc.

Currently for procedures, I have a revision date and number for each page and I have an issue for the procedural section. Once I change to issue of a section I bring all the revision dates back to nothing and the revision number to nothing. My auditor feels that this doesn't give him an issue date. Also, it's a very confusing way to do this. I've even confused myself at this point. That's pretty bad!!

Just looking for some different suggestions here, guys. Let the verbal diarrhea begin!!!

Thanks in advance.

Fire Girl

 

[Marc]

The first thing I think you really have to do is give some idea here on how big your company is and how complex. Most of my smaller companies (<250 souls) just control by date. No number or such. Large corporations with facilities worldwide need stricter identification and control.

 

[E Wall]

Which Level?

I'm not sure if I'm understanding you right when you say procedures so I'll give you a detailed run-down of what we have in place (they all include page # of # in header):

Quality Manual - Issued/Reissued as a complete document (rather than in sections) for any modification, controlled by revision level as well as identified issued date and reference to the approving ECO (engineering change order).

QC Procedures - Individual documents bear document title and number, revision level, issue date and reference the approving ECO.

Corporate Material and Product Specification - Individual documents bear document title and number, revision level, issue date and reference the approving ECO.

Plant Work Instructions - Product/process instructions which reference applicable specs, SOPs, and forms for records. These are identified with document title and number, revision level, issue date and reference the approving DCR (document change request).

Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) - Point of use detailed reference information that affect machine operation/product quality. These have an approval block with Title, SOP #, parent document(s), revision level, issue date, reivew and approval signatures as well as the Qty posted on the floor (to ensure removal of all copies when it is updated.

Forms - are all titled and have a footer bearing the company name, form number (includes dept id & a #), revision level and issue date.

All controlled copies of Specifications and Work Instructions are issued on blue paper and SOPs are a bright yellow. This is done so any copy (always white) is easily identified as an uncontrolled copy. For the same reason any Deviations (process or product) are issued on bright orange paper for posting at necessary locations, with white copies provided to all related managers/supervisors/leadmen/and QA team.

Also for all documents (except for forms) the revision level is a two-character alpha code. We start with A, but after Z would rotate to AA, AB, etc.. This allows for long life expected for procedures while retaining revision control.

Hope it helped and wasn't too much info

FYI we have [curently] less than 100 ppl in plant but this varies up to 300 as well as having outside documents issued by the Corporate Office.

However, I differ from Marc's opinion because I believe even small companies (if there is any hope for growth/expansion) will benefit by having revision level system in place that would grow with them. Having a revision level isn't like rocket science, it's a very simple thing. We also have a revision history (keep the most current three in document itself) that details what changes were made when it was revised and of course, keep electronic backup of previous revisions.

 

[Al Dyer]

Fire Girl,

What type of system are you using to control revision levels of your documents?

 

[Fire Girl]

I'll tell you what I can. Thanks for the help

My company is very small(minded). There is about 25 people and that includes upper management.

As for what system we use right now, I don't know what you would call it per se.

For every page of every procedure and work instruction I have a revision level, revision date and title. I also have issues for each section of my various manuals. This 'system' was started by our consultant before I arrived. To tell the truth, I really don't understand the system myself. I didn't want to change it because people were used to it.

I'm just looking for some different ideas. The simpler the better. When I quit here to sell candied pine cones in Timmons, the numbskulls that work here have to be able to carry on themselves.

Thanks again

FG

*Sorry for the sarcasm*:truce:

 

[Al Dyer]

I love sarcasm!,

Really, are you using a manual system, a cannned software product, or a some type of computer program to track your documents?

I'd love to help!

 

[Fire Girl]

Hello again!

I am using a manual system that is controlled by me- not a software program. I'm not sure what else I could tell you. I would like to hear lots of different ideas about controlling revisions.

How do you like your pine cones, Al?

FG

 

[CarolX]

how we do it

Hello again FG,

This is how we do it..

Policy Manual is one document with a revison level for the complete document.

Procedures - Each procedure has it's own document number and revision level. This is done as a header, so each page shows the same info...but all pages with in the document have the same rev level.

Forms - Has a document number tied to the procedure and a revision level.

Work instructions - These carry the revision level of the part.

Good Luck!

CarolX

 

[E Wall]

No sweat

Originally posted by Fire Girl
For every page of every procedure and work instruction I have a revision level, revision date and title. To tell the truth, I really don't understand the system myself. I didn't want to change it because people were used to it.

I'm just looking for some different ideas. The simpler the better.

I enjoy your humor,

Okay - I think I can help explain why this system was used. I'm presuming this system was done in hopes of reducing $$. If you have a multi-page (2-?) document, and only one page is affected by the change...you only change the affected page. The military uses a similar system using the page-by-page with date issue, this saves on paper, copy charges, shipping, and labor to post the change. Their documents used to vary from 5 to 100+ pages so this was the most cost effective approach.

However they also use a change index that is posted to the front of the document (body is a table version with date / page / revision details). This identifies all changes made and to what pages, etc... and grows with the life of the document the newest always added to the top. When the document is re-issued as a whole, then a revision is applied to differentiate it from being an original document. The change index follows a document issue, so for a re-issue under another revision you start a new index.

Depending on your costs concern, you may wish to keep the system, apply a revision to the entire document and start a revision history index. This would satisfy the auditor.

If you really want to do something different, you could update the entire document applying a revision and change the system to update the entire document when any change is made. You can use either alpha, numeric or a combination of both when identifying the revision level your choice would be based on the expected frequency of changes. 2-character numeric would give you 99 revision before starting back at 01, 2-character alpha would give you 676 revisions opportunities, using 2-character alpha/numeric combo you have (not using 0) 234 revision opportunities (If using 0 would be 260), etc...

As to Al's question - you've got to have something to show what your current documents are (per the 1994 version). Whether it's a spreadsheet that ID's each document page-by-page by date, or maybe a database, or even a table in a word document... How have you logged this in the past?

You also don't mention if the documents are numbered or just identified by title. Either or any combination is fine, I'm just wondering how your electronic files are organized, are they easy to ID and find?

I'm currently working on putting all documents (drawing list, specs, work instruction, SOPs, and Forms) related to individual processes together in a Microsoft Binder. These (current revision only) will be available by list & electronically to assist in auditing, process improvement activities, etc... I'll also maintain an obsolete sub-folder for each process so as documents are revised individually the history will be easy to reference. I'd love to include product dwgs too but corporate retains electronic version only and they are paranoid about anyone else having them (which I do understand).

PS: You'll have to tell me how the pine-cone business goes...Maybe I can open a US branch down here in Alabama

 

[Al Dyer]

Fire Girl,

Do you know more about me than I knoe Myself?

I like my pinecones dry and ready to burrn!

Email me