Douglas E. Purdy said:
Okay, you review the document annually since it's last revision or it's original issuance. How do you show that it has been re-approved?
Thanks,
Doug
Hmmm...let's try a little story about the life cycle of a document...at least up to, and including, the whole review process. I'll not discuss the process for rendering a document obsolete.
Chapter 1 - The idea is formed...
4 different crews making 4 different pots of coffee. I like Crew A's the best, but Crew C has some interesting ideas. Crews B and D make sludge, making me think I've joined the Navy by accident.
So, we decide to standardize the way coffee is made. Working together, we come up with what is the Best Demonstrated Practice of making coffee. This is entered into our document control software and saved.
Being a draft document, it is as Revision 0 - meaning it has never been approved or released.
A few more tweeks are made to perfect the document and it is sent for approval. It is approved and released on September 29,
2003. This Revision 1.
Chapter 2 - The first year...
For a year, coffee is perfect. We are all wide awake when we do our jobs, without feeling as if somone has punched a hole in our stomachs. Nothing is changed to the document.
Being the Document Author of WI-0123 "Making Fantasic Coffee!", on September 28,
2004, the document control software acknowledges that a year has gone by since this document was approved and released. It sends an email to my inbox informing me that, being the good Document Author that I am, I need to review this document and verify that the process is still applicable.
I look it over and, if necessary, get some input from other people. We all agree it is good.
I hit the "Document Review" button and, in the electronic history section of the Document, a new line is entered saying that on September 30 (because I decided to take a few days to get input from a few people) the review was done. No changes made to the document.
All is good. We're still on Revision 1.
Chapter 3 - Where the heck are we buying coffee from?!?!
In November of 2004, our coffee grinds change and we must change our standardized process. It's like we're getting concentrated grinds or something and less coffee must be added.
I put WI-0123 into modification and make the changes. On November 10, 2004, WI-0123 Revision 2 is approved and released.
The clock is reset for reviewing.
The electronic history sections shows the dates that I entered the document into modification, submitted for approval, as well as the dates of approval and release.
Chapter 4 - The reset clock...
November 9, 2005 comes around and the document has not be revised since we made the modification to adjust for the new grinds. I get to work to find an email in my inbox saying that I need to review the document.
I want to make sure that nothing else has changed and I take 5 days to review it. On November 14, 2005, I hit the Document Review button.
Chapter 5 - The ongoing saga of reviewing...
No changes for a year...last reviewed November 14, 2005. On November 13, 2006, I find an email indicating the document has not been reviewed for a year...guess what I do?
The End