How do you manage your quality documents?

1 Define your document types

The first step in managing your quality documents is to define the different types of documents that you need and their purpose. For example, you may have quality manuals, policies, procedures, work instructions, forms, checklists, records, and reports. Each document type should have a clear scope, objective, and audience. You should also establish the format, structure, and language of each document type and use templates or stylesheets to ensure consistency and readability.

2 Establish your document control system

The next step is to establish a document control system that will enable you to create, review, approve, distribute, store, and retrieve your quality documents. This system can be manual or electronic, depending on the needs and resources of your organization. It should include a document identification scheme that assigns unique numbers, titles, and versions to each document. There should also be a document approval process that outlines the roles and responsibilities of authors, reviewers, and approvers. Additionally, a document distribution process should ensure that stakeholders have access to the most up-to-date versions of the documents. Furthermore, a storage process should protect the documents from unauthorized access or modification. Moreover, a retrieval process should make it easy to locate and access the documents. Lastly, a change process should track and record changes made to the documents and notify stakeholders of any updates. The system must also include a document retention process that specifies how long the documents should be kept and how they should be disposed of.

3 Follow your document control procedures

The third step is to adhere to your document control procedures, which include using the templates or stylesheets provided by the system, following the document identification scheme and labeling documents correctly, going through the approval process for feedback and approval, distributing documents to the intended audience, storing them securely in the designated location or system, retrieving documents using search or indexing functions, requesting, reviewing, approving, and implementing changes to documents as needed and informing stakeholders of updates, and keeping documents for the required period before disposing of them properly.

4 Monitor and improve your document management

The final step is to monitor and improve your document management and ensure that it supports your quality management system and your quality objectives. This can be achieved by conducting regular audits or reviews of your quality documents and document control system, soliciting feedback from stakeholders, analyzing performance and effectiveness of documents and system, implementing corrective or preventive actions, as well as communicating and documenting the results. Additionally, it is important to share lessons learned and best practices.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?