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  ISO 9000:1994
  Documentation-Forms

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Author Topic:   Documentation-Forms
dr madhavan
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Posts: 10
From:Madras, Tamil Nadu, India
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 01 May 2000 10:23 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for dr madhavan   Click Here to Email dr madhavan     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Is it necessary to provide specific numbers to the various forms which are used?
Is it not sufficient to identify them with clear description (name)?

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eskay
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Posts: 21
From:Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Registered: Apr 2000

posted 02 May 2000 04:59 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for eskay   Click Here to Email eskay     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Dr.Madhavan,
In my opinion, only the name should be sufficient. All you need to have is an unique identification of the form for control purposes.

Any other comments?

Kannan

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Jim Biz
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Posts: 275
From:ILLINOIS
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 02 May 2000 07:28 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Jim Biz   Click Here to Email Jim Biz     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Names or titles are unique identification --- but how would you then identify changes to the documents -- I would think you need to also have them identified by date or a revision level to ensure the document is current.

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Tom Goetzinger
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Posts: 123
From:Milwaukee, WI USA
Registered: Mar 99

posted 02 May 2000 09:20 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Tom Goetzinger   Click Here to Email Tom Goetzinger     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
You have to use what works for you. Many companies find that assigning a number to the form makes it clearer. We relate form numbers to elements, but that is only because it works for us; there is no need for the number to mean anything. I found that using a number eliminated any chance of confusion when a form was discussed or used.
Consider your environment and go from there. If a unique form name will serve your purpose, and you are confident that using a form name will remain workable for you as your system develop, do it.

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dr madhavan
Forum Contributor

Posts: 10
From:Madras, Tamil Nadu, India
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 02 May 2000 11:22 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for dr madhavan   Click Here to Email dr madhavan     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Yes. We have provided issue / revision status to these forms. Moreover, a Master List shows the current status of all the forms.

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JParrish
Lurker (<10 Posts)

Posts: 5
From:St. Marys, PA
Registered: Oct 1999

posted 02 May 2000 01:45 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for JParrish   Click Here to Email JParrish     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I like the suggestion Tom made. Naming the forms against certain elements is something that I have started seeing more recently, and wish I would have done the same. It makes everything much more organized and meaningful. We currently give our forms identification that can be a combo of numbers and letters (ie. Quality Change form being - "Qualchg") This suits us, making it easy to find a form by it's id number.

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Marc Smith
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From:West Chester, OH, USA
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posted 02 May 2000 03:35 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Marc Smith   Click Here to Email Marc Smith     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
All you have to do is identify them in some way. With smaller companies all the ID you need is the name of the form.

If you look at Elsmar.com/pdf_files/Doc_Matrix.pdf you will see a document matrix for a small company. None of the procedures, forms, etc. have any identifier other than the disk file name. You could just use the name of the form as several clients have done. Companies turn to numbers and such as their size grows. If you have 5000 people you're gonna have a lot of different forms and procedures - a name simply will not do.

I recomment a letter prefix, number base and 'clarifier' (form, procedure, policy, whatever) suffix such as QA-1234-F (Quality Assurance form 1234) and where hte form is linked to the reference procedure. Let's say QA-1234-P has 3 associated forms - they will be QA-1234-F1, QA-1234-F2 and QA-1234-F3. I prefer the letter prefix so that you don't have to remember a number. If you see PUR you pretty well know its a document 'owned' by purchasing.

Keep it simple and keep it as self evident as possible. I prsonally recommend that a company NOT link procedures to sections of ISO9001 or any other standard. Do what's right for your company. As many companys are beginning to realize, as ISO9001 evolves their link to the old 20 elements means nothing. Nada.

My 3 cents...

[This message has been edited by Marc Smith (edited 02 May 2000).]

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barb butrym
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Posts: 637
From:South Central Massachusetts
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posted 03 May 2000 08:34 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for barb butrym   Click Here to Email barb butrym     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I agree what ever works...my personal favorite is link to the requirement .... typically the procedure that calls out its use......

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Wallybaloo
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Posts: 16
From:Oregon
Registered: Apr 2000

posted 03 May 2000 01:13 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Wallybaloo   Click Here to Email Wallybaloo     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Another reason to not link the forms to ISO is to promote the philosophy that what you're doing is for the company, not for ISO.

It drives me (a little) crazy when our employees constantly refer to Operating Procedures as the 'ISO Procedures'. ISO may have been the catalyst that got us off our collective butts and got SOPs updated, but first and foremost, they're here to benefit the company.

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