Document Control Stamps - Does anyone still stamp their documents?

[CindyG]

Hello All!
I was looking through the threads for "Document stamping" recommendations and it looks as though these conversations are definitely "of the past." The last post on this was in 2011.

Does anyone still stamp their documents with, Uncontrolled, Controlled, Obsolete, Reference, etc. anymore? If so, I would like to add this to our document control procedure but was looking for guidance in the definition and use/example for each stamp so that each stamps purpose/identification use would be easily understood in the document control procedure.

Thank you everyone, your the best!

 

[indubioush]

Hope this helps.

The master/original document revision is stamped with "Master" or "Released" or "Original."
When a document revises, the previous revision is stamped "Old Revision" or "History" or "Obsolete" and signed, dated.
When a document is inactivated, it is stamped "Obsolete" or "Inactive" and signed, dated.
Copies of documents that are in controlled or tracked locations are stamped "Controlled Copy."
Copies of documents that are not controlled or tracked are stamped "Reference Only" or "Uncontrolled Copy."
Copies of documents provided to external individuals or entities are stamped "Confidential."

 

[Jim Wynne]

Hope this helps.

The master/original document revision is stamped with "Master" or "Released" or "Original."

The original is not a revision.

Copies of documents that are not controlled or tracked are stamped "Reference Only" or "Uncontrolled Copy."

What does "reference only" mean? Aren't all QMS documents intended for reference?

Copies of documents provided to external individuals or entities are stamped "Confidential."

Do you define what "confidential" means to the receiving party?

 

[Jim Wynne]

Hello All!
I was looking through the threads for "Document stamping" recommendations and it looks as though these conversations are definitely "of the past." The last post on this was in 2011.

Does anyone still stamp their documents with, Uncontrolled, Controlled, Obsolete, Reference, etc. anymore? If so, I would like to add this to our document control procedure but was looking for guidance in the definition and use/example for each stamp so that each stamps purpose/identification use would be easily understood in the document control procedure.

Thank you everyone, your the best!

I don't know how widespread the practice is these days, but I don't think it's done as much as it used to be. Controlling paper documents can be a real pain and hardly ever works very well. If you've looked through older threads you've seen some of the answers you're looking for--they haven't changed. Be careful about "for reference only" because it's a pretty meaningless phrase and suggests that this part of control hasn't really been figured out. All documents are for reference only--what else would they be for?

 

[indubioush]

"Reference Only" means that the document is not a controlled copy, and the user is responsible for ensuring they have the most current revision of that document.

Also, the original is a revision. Every document is a revision. I should have been more clear. What I mean to say is that in the chronological order of the process, you stamp the master copy of the initial revision as "Master." When this document revises to a new revision (like rev B) you stamp it "Old Revision."

I'm just sharing the typical stamps used in my experience. Stamps are by no means required.

 

[Jim Wynne]

"Reference Only" means that the document is not a controlled copy, and the user is responsible for ensuring they have the most current revision of that document.

If the user is responsible for using only the current verision, what purpose does "reference only" serve? As I said, all documents are for reference.

Also, the original is a revision. Every document is a revision.

The original issue is not a revision, as it has not been revised. In order for a revision to exist, there must be an original antecedent.

 

[CindyG]

The original is not a revision.


What does "reference only" mean? Aren't all QMS documents intended for reference?

Do you define what "confidential" means to the receiving party?

Hello Jim, Thank you for taking the time to address my question.
Re: "Copies of documents provided to external individuals or entities are stamped "Confidential." My question re: "external" documents is, our company owns another company, separate location in which we send our mfg. parts to for machining only. Our design engineers send the maching dwg./spec. and this is where we get in trouble. Our design engineers often send the machining guys a rough draft w/dimensions and the Rev before the dwg. is approved. What happens is the dwg. gets approved after and often the "master dwg." will have the same rev. as the rough draft did but different tolerances and this is where the mistake is made. So, should the "rough" draft be sent at "ref. only" and the master sent as "ref. only" also or, the "master dwg" should be stamped with ???
Thank you!

 

[CindyG]

Hope this helps.

The master/original document revision is stamped with "Master" or "Released" or "Original."
When a document revises, the previous revision is stamped "Old Revision" or "History" or "Obsolete" and signed, dated.
When a document is inactivated, it is stamped "Obsolete" or "Inactive" and signed, dated.
Copies of documents that are in controlled or tracked locations are stamped "Controlled Copy."
Copies of documents that are not controlled or tracked are stamped "Reference Only" or "Uncontrolled Copy."
Copies of documents provided to external individuals or entities are stamped "Confidential."

Good afternoon,
Thank you for clarifying the mentioned stamps!

I do have a question re: Copies of documents that are in controlled or tracked locations are stamped "Controlled Copy."
These documents that were calling "Controlled Copy", I'm assuming this would mean they are a copy of the current master on file?

 

[Jim Wynne]

Hello Jim, Thank you for taking the time to address my question.
Re: "Copies of documents provided to external individuals or entities are stamped "Confidential." My question re: "external" documents is, our company owns another company, separate location in which we send our mfg. parts to for machining only. Our design engineers send the maching dwg./spec. and this is where we get in trouble. Our design engineers often send the machining guys a rough draft w/dimensions and the Rev before the dwg. is approved. What happens is the dwg. gets approved after and often the "master dwg." will have the same rev. as the rough draft did but different tolerances and this is where the mistake is made. So, should the "rough" draft be sent at "ref. only" and the master sent as "ref. only" also or, the "master dwg" should be stamped with ???
Thank you!

The best way to handle this (IMO, of course) is to differentiate between pre-production drawings and drawings that have been released for production. One way to do this is to use numeric revision levels for one and alphabetic for the other. For example, the first pre-production drawing might be revision 0 (zero), while the initial released-to-production drawing might be "A." This should hold true even if the final pre-production drawing is identical to the released version. No need for the troublesome "reference only" designation so long as it's understood that pre-production drawings might differ from the released version.

 

[Jim Wynne]

Good afternoon,
Thank you for clarifying the mentioned stamps!

I do have a question re: Copies of documents that are in controlled or tracked locations are stamped "Controlled Copy."
These documents that were calling "Controlled Copy", I'm assuming this would mean they are a copy of the current master on file?

Correct. Remember that you have to keep track of locations of controlled versions so that they can be retrieved expeditiously when changes occur.