Document Control and Distribution - How to save paper?

[energy]

Re: documentation and links

Karen-Dawn said:

The docs provide the specifications, instructions, checksheets and calculators. We have a hard time maintaining the links. i.e. the spec in one doc changes which would trigger a change in the operating doc check sheets, another in the inspection requirement doc and perhaps the excel calculator. I hope you get the gist of it.

Karen-Dawn

KD,

Are you looking for a way to upgrade the links everytime you change the Mother document. Something that will do this automatically? My limited experience with hyper-linking in Word and Acrobat is that the associated links have to be changed manually. As for Access and Excel, I defer to Martin or Randy. When you say "trigger" a change, do you mean that this happens without manual input? Or, are you saying a change "triggers" you to go and manually change the links? I don't get the gist of it yet, I guess!

 

[Karen-Dawn]

Documentation and Links

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the input and I am not about to give up. I pretty much have the ability to change how we design and control our procedures, checksheets and data collection all I really need are some fresh ideas on how....

The current system consists of probably way more specifications than what most of you are used to. (Basically an NEC modelled system that was forced on us about 10 years ago). "Time for Change". So say we have a product dimension cited in a product spec., now that same dimension is also written on a checksheet in an operating spec and on a check sheet in an inspection spec. And...finally the dimension is needed in an Excel 'calculator' that say gives the operator the 'area' when they enter length and width. We are looking at a lot of time to revise/release each document whenever that initial part dimension changes, not to mention that we occasionally miss updating one of the needed changes in the thread. What I would like to do is link all the docs so that when you change the initial product spec, the checksheets and the spreadsheet change as well. But, operators cannot have access to changing the intitial product spec but need to write to the checksheets and the calculators...

I hope this defines my dilemma a little clearer.

One easy transition I can see is moving all the separate docs to Excel and use a separate page for each doc type (eg product spec, operating instr, inspection instr, start up checksheet, insp checksheets and finally applicable calculators). However, by giving operators write permission to complete the checksheets and use the calculator they can change the actual product dimensions as well... Is there a possible way to make Excel work or is there a better way?

Thanks Muchly, Still believe you can help me.

K-D

 

[Randy Stewart]

The Missing Link

moving all the separate docs to Excel and use a separate page for each doc type

K-D,
I believe that is the only way to do in your current setup. What I would do is have the Product Spec sheet protected so the dimensions can't be changed. When you move to the calculations, reference the cell with the required dimension and hide the formula. All the operator will be doing is typing in the findings and the program will do the rest.

Have you thought about an SPC software?? Some of them are very cheep.

 

[Karen-Dawn]

Thanks Randy,

But 'protection' is the concern right now. Is there a way to really protect the spec info from operator changes. (Anyone can hit a button or two and turn cell protection off.)

Karen-Dawn

 

[Randy Stewart]

To Protect & Serve

I was just looking into a password protect when I was notified of your message on the board. Here is what I found, it's out of the help file.
Limit viewing and editing of an individual worksheet
When you protect the worksheet, the cells and graphic objects that you did not unlock in steps 2 and 3 are protected and cannot be changed.

Switch to the worksheet you want to protect.


Unlock any cells that you want to be able to change after you protect the worksheet.
How?

Unlock any graphic objects that you want to be able to change after you protect the worksheet.
How?

Hide any formulas that you don't want to be visible.
How?

On the Tools menu, point to Protection, and then click Protect Sheet.


To prevent changes to cells on worksheets or to data and other items in charts, and to prevent viewing of hidden rows, columns, and formulas, select the Contents check box.
To prevent changes to graphic objects on worksheets or charts, select the Objects check box.

To prevent changes to the definitions of scenarios on a worksheet, select the Scenarios check box.

To prevent others from removing worksheet protection, type a password, click OK, and then retype the password in the Confirm Password dialog box. Passwords are case sensitive. Type the password exactly as you want to enter it, including uppercase and lowercase letters.

If you assign a password, write it down and keep it in a secure place. If you lose the password, you cannot gain access to the protected elements on the worksheet.

Hope it helps.

 

[Mike S.]

K-D,

I agree with Randy's idea. You can also use MS Word if most of the stuff is text, pictures, etc. and insert a small Excel spreadsheet to do any calculations with.

As far as protection so the spec's. cannot be changed, I'm not sure why you are so worried about that. Has this been a problem? Isn't turning on sheet protections enough security to keep floor-level people from making changes? Seems to me it would take a maliscious employee to do that, in which case a person like that will always find ways to cause problems. Besides, they could only change it on the open file, not the "master", right?

Am I missing something?

 

[Karen-Dawn]

Excel Protection

I just tried Stew's suggestion with a dummy spreadsheet and it seems to work, the password seems to follow the file even if you move it to a new folder.

I agree that keeping malicious employee's from screwing things up is almost impossible but I am sure you have all experienced more problems than you ever wanted to related to the 'not so experienced' user, just hitting the wrong keys

Thanks-Muchly I will definitely submit these options at our next meeting. I have to admit that I have been reading these forums for awhile now but as a first time user, I am genuinely impressed!

K-D

 

[Graeme]

time for a chiphead powerbar!

Karen-Dawn,

I see in an earlier post that Energy thinks I may have something useful to contribute. I will try. (By the way, your name is really catching to me -- my wife is a Karen and her youngest sister is a Dawn!)

From your descriptions, my opinion is that you may need an electronic system based on something a little more powerful than Word and Excel. Your people are having to enter the same data multiple times, something that is never a good idea because every keystrove is an opportunity for error. (As my spelling sometimes shows!) You probably would be better served by using a relational database system (Microsoft Access 97 or later, as an example of one) and a set of purpose-designed forms, reports and data entry screens. However, setting this up is not really for the novice ...

I think the first step is to organize your information into two types - data that describes what the product is supposed to be, and data that shows what actually happened when each item was made.

• The data that describes the product is your specifications and tolerances, part numbers, revision date, contract numbers, NC instructions and so on. This information would be entered in the database by the responsible person in the office, and not routinely changed after that. It is more or less "permanent" information. When you create a procedure, form, instruction or checklist, the document can link to tables and fields in the database and automatically plug in the current data when printed. ("Print" can be to paper, but it can also be to another document, or to a PDF file.) Even better, in many systems the documents and forms can actually be stored in the database!
• The data that describes what happened includes the measurements made during production, and can be entered using custom screens. A typical sequence would be to enter a tracking number (which would then pop up the part specifications), and then the data. Calculations can be handled as well, so a separate spreadsheet may not be needed. at the end, the data is stored in the database, and can be retrieved as needed.

Setting up the database requires expertise with relational database systems. Creating the documents with links to the database requires experience with ODBC or SQL links. (Word's MailMerge feature is a simple example.) Creating custom data entry and viewing screens requires expertise with Visual Basic for Applications (assuming the database is Access.) And all of it requires time, patience and re$ources.

With a properly designed relational database system, you should hardly ever have to enter a data item more than once. Everything should be grouped in small units (tables) of organized and related information, related to one thing that stays the same (the part number?). A real database guru can probably explain it better, but here is a simple example:
One table contains the part numbers. That number links to other tables that have different information -- Dimensions, Revisions, Units_Made, Contracts, and so on. The dimensions table conains the part number (it has to, to allow the linking), the dimensions, the tolerances, and the current revision date (another link). The Units_Made table contains the part number (for the link), a unique tracking number (serial number?), and whatever measurement data was collected for that specific piece of stuff. And so on.

I usually think of a relational database like a special type of file cabinet. Open a drawer and pull out a file folder. That folder has some of the information you want, and it also tells you where to find other information. In an "ideal" system (as opposed to the real world that we live in) a particular piece of information lives in only one file folder. All of the other files that use that information simply have a pointer telling the system (you) where to find it. The big advantage is that if a change is needed, only one thing is changed, one time. The drawback is that is may take the computer a couple of microseconds longer to retrieve it.

Feedback time -- have I helped, or simply added to the confusion?

 

[Mike S.]

K-D,

You can do the same kind of thing Stew expounded on regarding Excel in Word. Use section breaks to select certain sections of the document that you want to protect from changes. The Word help file will explain all of this protection stuff -- it is pretty easy. The stuff (text, formulas, specifications, whatever) inside the protected section of the doc can be read but cannot be changed -- you cannot even get the cursor to go there -- unless you supply a password as in Excel.

Either protection method is as idiot proof/jerk proof as you will likely ever need. Anyone who goes to the trouble to crack a Word or Excel password (it is doable) will cause much more trouble than changing a spec. on a quality procedure.

Good luck. Maybe next time you visit you'll be able to help someone else.

 

[Karen-Dawn]

Thanks Graeme,

I do understand what you are talking about as we use Visual Manufacturing for tracking most (if not all) the items you mentioned. We have discussed that we may have to use a database system like visual (or Access which I am not familiar with) to do what we want (more the links to operator set points, etc. used for set-ups and inspections... However, we have also recognized the need for the resources ($) you mentioned and want to avoid if at all possible.

Muchly Karen-Dawn

And yes I am more than willing to help in the future if/when possible. Although I may sound somewhat 'out-of'it' when it comes to computer programs my real expertise is in designing, implementing Management Systems and Auditing (Internal and External).

Later.