One of the most important factors in maintain a quality systems with minimum resources is an efficient documentation control process. Our turnkey quality management system includes sample procedures, forms and resources to help you create the most effective system. Even companies with legacy documentation systems should consider maximizing their efficiency with a new ground-up documentation control process .

Document control is one of the first systems created because it is so critical to a successful ISO 9001:2008 quality system. Almost every aspect of an external audits (including certification audits) is based on the companies' documentation.  Documentation control must be efficient and simple. The documentation procedure works hand-in-hand with the Engineering Change Order procedure (which is part of the corrective and preventive actions portion of the quality system) and also interacts with the design, purchasing  and production control. Together these procedures assure that the documentation used to create products and give services are accurate and up-to-date. If an auditor finds old or obsolete documentation during an audit, it can indicate a systematic failure.

If the quality control manual is the heart of the system, the documentation control system is the backbone of your quality system. If it is not strong, effective and efficient, the rest of the company (body) will suffer. Everyone in your organization must have access to the current documentation and that access must be easy or the system quickly falls apart. Please make sure to read the article on record keeping options before create an overly complex documentation system.


Detailed Information About Document Control Articles
ISO 9001:2008 Documentation Control This article reviews the documentation control requirements of ISO 9001:2008.

The ISO 9001 Documentation Pyramid (3-tier) An ISO 9001 Documentation System can be represented by a pyramid with the quality manual at the top and records at the bottom. This article will discuss a 3 level documentation pyramid.

Low Cost Record Keeping Options The key to reducing the burden of ISO is to develop a low cost record keeping strategy.

Our ISO 9001 Solutions:
Total QMS In A Box Our turnkey solution for the development of an ISO 9001 certified system.
Starter Kit This solution is perfect for those trying to determine the scale of an ISO 9001 certification project.
Gap Analysis This product is for those who need a detailed gap analysis to determine area in the quality system that need upgrades.
Quality Manual Our professional quality system manual can save hours of frustration if you don't already have an ISO compliant quality manual.
Internal Auditing If you need an Internal auditing check sheet, our audit list is one of the most detailed ones in the industry.