ISO places special emphasis on the need for Document Control within Quality Management Systems. The standards specify that control is to be reinforced for all relevant aspects of the business.
Effective ISO Quality Management System Document Control ensures that employees and staff have all the information they need to perform their tasks efficiently. The documented and controlled Quality Manual, Standard Operating Procedures, Work Instructions and forms serve as the guideline across all functions of the business.
The maintenance and management of this information is vital to being able to create quality goods and services that ultimately satisfy the Customers. It insures that only the most current and relevant information is available in order to avoid errors that will disrupt the flow of everyday business and cause customers to doubt the company’s ability to perform effectively.
Beyond the Quality Management System documents mentioned previously there are many others where control is vital to the success of the business. Some of these documents include, but are not limited to:
- Purchase orders
- Quotes and Sales orders
- Packing slips
- Invoices
- Engineering Changes
- Training manuals
- Maintenance records
- Audit records
- Job descriptions
- Departmental performance metrics
- Calibration and equipment records
- Employee competence records
- Access approvals for data management systems
- Drawings, bill of materials, programs and routings
- Supplier lists
- Customer supplied documentation
- Inventory control transactions
- Corrective/Preventive actions
- Management Review records
ISO quality management system document control procedures besides explaining the purpose of the documents should also describe how changes are made, reviewed and approved, by whom and what the retention period should be. Authority for retrieval of down level documentation and by whom must also be defined.
Documents must be easily accessible to all personnel. They should be reviewed for suitability on a regular basis and suggestions for improvement should be discussed frequently within each department and at management review meetings. It is every employees responsibility, from top management down, to make sure ISO Document control processes are followed in order to assist in having an effective ISO Quality Management System.
