My understanding is there always has to be a way for the user of a document to be able to verify they are using the current version of the relevant document.
Interesting Discussion Potential Issues for Auditing ISO 9001:2015
- Thread starter Colin
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To be honest, there are so many potential aspects to consider I would pretty much have to have been there to say. We discuss things here but there are times when there are too many questions to be able to to provide an accurate answer. With respect to document control I remember as far back as college we had to have a means to "control" our biology and chemistry experiment notebooks.
My experience has been that an employee had to be able to look at a document and have a way to know if it was the current version whether it was the initial release or revision 287.
My experience has been that an employee had to be able to look at a document and have a way to know if it was the current version whether it was the initial release or revision 287.
Oh, were that it was that easy. You may not realize it but you are interpreting things every time you audit.
But that's NOT required. I'm sure, as with soooo many other legends of ISO, it was a lazy auditor who asked a dumb question and didn't actually "test" the system - and as a result that became "law".
We carry controlled documents in our pockets, wallets, purses and hide them in mattresses - paper money, bills. Yet, the controls are not readily apparent. Why do we do anything different in the name of "ISO"...?
It never had anything to do with "ISO" in my experiences. It was always just Good documentation practice - Wikipedia
I will add that in every audit I can remember the auditor at some point would ask something like "How does the employee know they are using the most recent revision of a document which is part of their job to work to?"
I will add that in every audit I can remember the auditor at some point would ask something like "How does the employee know they are using the most recent revision of a document which is part of their job to work to?"
Exactly Marc. But is that the correct question to ask? Did the same auditor(s) ask a machinist "Is that drill ground to the correct angle? Or is the Young's modulus of the steel your welding within spec?
I'll show myself to the door. When it reaches a point of absurdity, it's best to just walk away.
Randy
Super Moderator
Yep, I've heard pretty much what Andy said more than once and have wanted to beat that other person with a dry noodle at least twice.
If we frame the fact that documentation is only part of process control (back in 1987 procedures did not have to be documented, that came later), and work instructions were only part of process control (when needed) I can't understand why document control became so important, other than some auditors had a thing for document control. No operator needs to know more about document control any more than any other aspect of how a process control. It's simply "gotcha auditing". Now THAT's absurd.
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