First Time Implementing Document Control for ISO-9001 - how far back do you go?

[ISO_Man]

If you are starting document control for a company that did not use it before, how do you address years worth of documents (hundreds of them) they weren't approved and released properly? The time to do re-approve and release them would be prohibitive.

 

[Randy]

Forget them! All you need to show control of are those that are relevant to your established system like ongoing procedures, policies, SOP's and stuff like that and of course any records you generate during and after the implementation of your MS....So you might need to update a few things, grandfather them or whatever and then just pick up the ball and run with it...The stuff in the past doesn't exist nor is there any requirement that you bust you backside trying to fix those things.

 

[ISO_Man]

Forget them!

Thanks for the feedback - assuming that one of the staff wants to keep these old documents as a sort of reference library and make them available to a small audience, can I put them in a controlled folder marked "for reference" and limit access?

 

[Ron Rompen]

I agree totally with Randy. Trying to go backwards and correct those 'old' documents is a pointless task - i guarantee that if you try you will miss one (or more) anyway. Draw a 'line in the sand' and commit that from that given date everything will conform. The past is gone, and you can't correct it.

 

[ISO_Man]

I agree totally with Randy. Trying to go backwards and correct those 'old' documents is a pointless task - i guarantee that if you try you will miss one (or more) anyway. Draw a 'line in the sand' and commit that from that given date everything will conform. The past is gone, and you can't correct it.

Thanks for the feedback - assuming that one of the staff wants to keep these old documents as a sort of reference library and make them available to a small audience, can I put them in a controlled folder marked "for reference" and limit access?

 

[Cari Spears]

Thanks for the feedback - assuming that one of the staff wants to keep these old documents as a sort of reference library and make them available to a small audience, can I put them in a controlled folder marked "for reference" and limit access?

Yes - that's exactly what I did. I have a limited access "Obsolete" folder that only a couple of people and I can view; everyone knows whom to see if they would like to reference something in the Obsolete folder.

 

[JoshuaFroud]

Thanks for the feedback - assuming that one of the staff wants to keep these old documents as a sort of reference library and make them available to a small audience, can I put them in a controlled folder marked "for reference" and limit access?

I agree with Cari here as well. Keep them, restrict access and mark them as "Obsolete".

You could even go as far as an obsolete stamp if they are physical documents or watermark is they are digital and you wanted to make it very clear they were no longer current.

There is no requirement to go backwards when implementing a new system. Set a Day 0 and work from that point onwards.

 

[ISO_Man]

Yes - that's exactly what I did. I have a limited access "Obsolete" folder that only a couple of people and I can view; everyone knows whom to see if they would like to reference something in the Obsolete folder.

thanks - what I'm proposing would mean access for about 20 people rather than just me. Any thoughts there?

 

[Golfman25]

Thanks for the feedback - assuming that one of the staff wants to keep these old documents as a sort of reference library and make them available to a small audience, can I put them in a controlled folder marked "for reference" and limit access?

That's a form of control, isn't it? We have the "secret drawer" which has all the original process info from the 60s, 70s, & 80s, just in case some didn't get completely transferred.

 

[ISO_Man]

That's a form of control, isn't it? We have the "secret drawer" which has all the original process info from the 60s, 70s, & 80s, just in case some didn't get completely transferred.

Who has access to the "secret drawer?" One person or a team?