Document Control vs Change management

Dear All,

I require your help here.

What is document control in Quality Systems Management? Anyone with an idea of how it is effected within an organization.

What is the difference between document control and change management. or rather the purpose of document control.


Please help.

Agwanda

Dear agwanda,

Qu1 - Yr query is perhaps too general, eg Google gives 48M hits.

maybe for a starter - http://www.metricstr..._auditscore.htm

Qu2 - Not really my area (ie no idea) but this link might relate -

http://blog.tsgrp.co...ations-part-ii/

Rgds / Charles.C

Dear All,

I require your help here.

What is document control in Quality Systems Management? Anyone with an idea of how it is effected within an organization.

What is the difference between document control and change management. or rather the purpose of document control.


Please help.

Agwanda

IMO after "Management Commitment" "Document Control" is one of the most important aspect of any management system.

By Document Control you ensure that:

1) All documents in used are properly authorised (reviewed/verified/approved by competent authorized personnal) and are of the correct version.(applicable current issue or revision)

2) Documents are clearly legible/readable, unambiguous, in appropriate languages and sufficiently detailed to enable their correct application by appropriate staff.

3) They are readily accessible to relevant staff at all times through any convenient media (soft copy / hard copy / display)

4) The reason/justification for any changes or amendments to documents critical to product safety, legality or quality systems and procedures is recorded so that its justification could not be challenged by any competent second or third party including customer, CB auditors and legal bodies.

5) A procedure is in place to control obsolete documentation.

Documentation is the backbone of a management system because you can not achieve the objectives of stadardization and continual improvement without it. In other words documents provide the baselines for recording and maintaining current performances and also give confidence and clues for moving ahead for further improving the outputs. If documents are not controlled (for example if documents are not authorized or changes to them are not controlled) then no body could get the expected performance and expected records in the standardized manner. Therefore a true effective organization is one which always "appropriately" update its documentation system after every change or modification. By the word "Appropriately" I means through proper documentation control system.

Change management is entirely a different term. According to wiki (http://en.wikipedia....ange_management)

"Change management is a structured approach to shifting/transitioning individuals, teams, and organizations from a current state to a desired future state. It is an organizational process aimed at empowering employees to accept and embrace changes in their current business environment."

Hope it helps!

Regards:
M.Zeeshan

Dear Agwanda,

How have u been.Receive the attached sample document record.You can use it by filling all the records you have in your company in the current version and replacing it when you change the record format.
This record supplements the document control procedures.Hope this will help you.

Regards,
Kamwenji Njuma

Dear Zeesha,

Many thanks for the clarification. I am now well informed.

Regards,

Agwanda