Document Control Software for Manufacturing
SimpleManufacturing™ document control software helps manufacturers create, review, approve, release, distribute, revise, retrieve, and archive engineering documents, quality procedures, work instructions, forms, specifications, customer documents, supplier records, and compliance evidence.
Manufacturing documents affect product definition, purchasing, production, inspection, employee training, equipment maintenance, quality management, and customer delivery. Employees must be able to find the correct approved revision at the location and process where the document is required.
When documents are managed through shared folders, spreadsheets, paper binders, email attachments, or uncontrolled local copies, manufacturers risk using obsolete drawings, incomplete procedures, unapproved instructions, and inconsistent forms.
Document control creates one approved source for manufacturing information while preserving revisions, approvals, effective dates, training requirements, distribution, and complete document history.
SimpleManufacturing™ connects engineering drawings, procedures, work instructions, forms, approvals, revisions, training, manufacturing records, and audit history.
What Is Document Control Software?
Document control software manages the complete lifecycle of controlled documents, from initial creation and review through approval, release, revision, distribution, use, retirement, and historical retention.
Controlled documents may include:
- Quality manuals
- Quality procedures
- Manufacturing procedures
- Work instructions
- Engineering drawings
- Specifications
- Bills of Materials
- Manufacturing routings
- Inspection plans
- Control plans
- Forms and templates
- Customer requirements
- Supplier documents
- Equipment manuals
- Calibration procedures
- Preventive-maintenance instructions
- Training materials
- Policies and reference documents
Revision Control
Maintain current and historical document revisions without overwriting prior approved information.
Electronic Review and Approval
Route documents to assigned reviewers and approvers with due dates, comments, decisions, and electronic history.
Controlled Release
Define when a revision becomes effective and where it should be available for use.
Employee Training
Identify employees affected by new or revised documents and track required acknowledgment or competency.
Process Integration
Link documents directly with parts, BOMs, routings, Work Orders, inspections, equipment, suppliers, and customers.
Audit-Ready History
Preserve document revisions, approvals, changes, users, dates, training, distribution, and retirement records.
Why Document Control Matters in Manufacturing
Manufacturers depend on accurate documents to define products, processes, inspections, responsibilities, records, and customer requirements.
Weak document control may result in:
- Use of obsolete drawings
- Incorrect product revisions
- Uncontrolled process changes
- Inconsistent manufacturing methods
- Incorrect inspection criteria
- Incomplete employee training
- Supplier requirement errors
- Production scrap and rework
- Customer complaints
- Audit findings
- Missing approval evidence
- Difficulty reconstructing historical product configuration
Document Control Is an Operational Process
The objective is not simply to store files. The system should ensure that approved information is available to the correct employees and processes while obsolete documents are removed from unintended use.
Controlled Document Lifecycle
Requested
or Revised
Approval
Released
Training
Revise, or Retire
- Request the document or change. Identify the business need, affected process, document owner, and reason for creation or revision.
- Create the draft. Prepare the new or revised content using an approved format or template.
- Review the content. Route the document to employees with appropriate technical, operational, Quality, or management responsibility.
- Approve the revision. Record approval decisions, comments, dates, and electronic authorization.
- Release the document. Assign the approved revision, effective date, distribution, and use restrictions.
- Train affected employees. Assign acknowledgment, training, or competency requirements where necessary.
- Control operational use. Make the approved revision available at the Item Master, BOM, routing, Work Order, inspection, equipment, or other applicable process.
- Revise or retire the document. Preserve historical revisions while preventing obsolete information from unintended use.
Document Master Record
Each controlled document should have a unique master record identifying its purpose, ownership, revision, approval status, distribution, and history.
| Document Field | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Document Number | Provides a unique controlled identifier. |
| Document Title | Describes the subject and intended use. |
| Document Type | Classifies the record as a procedure, drawing, instruction, form, specification, or other document. |
| Revision | Identifies the current approved version. |
| Document Owner | Identifies the employee or department responsible for content and maintenance. |
| Approval Status | Shows whether the document is draft, under review, approved, rejected, obsolete, or archived. |
| Effective Date | Defines when the approved revision becomes applicable. |
| Obsolete Date | Defines when the revision was removed from active use. |
| Review Frequency | Defines whether periodic review is required. |
| Distribution | Identifies departments, roles, records, or processes requiring access. |
| Training Requirement | Defines whether employees must acknowledge or complete training. |
| Retention Period | Defines how long historical records must be retained. |
The document number and revision should be visible wherever the document is displayed, printed, distributed, or used.
Types of Manufacturing Documents
Engineering Documents
- Drawings
- CAD files
- Specifications
- Engineering change records
- Product requirements
- Technical data
Production Documents
- Work instructions
- Manufacturing routings
- Setup instructions
- Assembly instructions
- Machine programs
- Process specifications
Quality Documents
- Quality procedures
- Control plans
- Inspection instructions
- Acceptance criteria
- Audit procedures
- Corrective-action forms
Purchasing and Supplier Documents
- Supplier requirements
- Purchase Order clauses
- Supplier certifications
- Material specifications
- Approved-source records
- Supplier agreements
Customer Documents
- Customer Purchase Orders
- Customer drawings
- Quality clauses
- Contracts
- Packaging instructions
- Shipping requirements
Management-System Documents
- Policies
- Quality manuals
- Process procedures
- Forms
- Templates
- Management Review records
Document Revision Control
Revision control distinguishes the currently approved document from prior drafts and obsolete versions.
Revision records may contain:
- Revision identifier
- Revision date
- Effective date
- Change description
- Reason for change
- Change-request reference
- Document author
- Reviewers
- Approvers
- Training requirements
- Affected products and processes
- Superseded revision
- Obsolete date
| Revision Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Draft | The document is being created or revised and is not approved for operational use. |
| Under Review | The document has been routed to assigned reviewers. |
| Awaiting Approval | Technical review is complete and authorization remains pending. |
| Approved | The revision has received required authorization. |
| Released | The approved revision is effective and available for controlled use. |
| Obsolete | The revision has been superseded or removed from normal use. |
| Archived | The document remains retained for history or records requirements. |
Do Not Overwrite Prior Approved Revisions
Historical Work Orders, inspections, audits, training records, and customer shipments may depend on the document revision applicable at the time the activity occurred.
Document Change Control
Document changes should be evaluated before release to determine their effect on products, processes, employees, suppliers, customers, and quality records.
A document-change request may include:
- Requested document
- Current revision
- Requested change
- Reason for change
- Requester
- Priority
- Affected products
- Affected processes
- Affected Work Orders
- Affected suppliers
- Affected customers
- Training requirements
- Implementation date
- Supporting evidence
Submitted
Evaluated
Prepared
Approval
and Implementation
Evaluate Operational Impact Before Release
Changing a work instruction, drawing, routing, inspection plan, or supplier requirement may affect open Work Orders, existing inventory, employee qualifications, customer commitments, and current Purchase Orders.
Electronic Document Review and Approval
Electronic workflows route documents to employees with the appropriate knowledge and authority to evaluate them.
Review and approval controls may include:
- Required reviewers
- Optional reviewers
- Sequential or parallel routing
- Review due dates
- Automatic notifications
- Reviewer comments
- Requested changes
- Approve or reject decisions
- Electronic signatures
- Approval timestamps
- Escalation for overdue reviews
- Complete approval history
| Reviewer | Typical Responsibility |
|---|---|
| Engineering | Technical accuracy, product configuration, drawings, specifications, and design impact. |
| Quality Assurance | Compliance, inspection, records, traceability, and quality-system requirements. |
| Production | Manufacturing feasibility, clarity, tooling, equipment, and operational use. |
| Purchasing | Supplier requirements, material controls, and purchasing impact. |
| Safety or Regulatory | Applicable safety, regulatory, environmental, or statutory requirements. |
| Management | Policy, resource, risk, contractual, or final authorization. |
Electronic approvals should identify who approved the document, when approval occurred, and which exact revision was authorized.
Document Effective Dates
An approval date and an effective date may serve different purposes.
The approval date records when the document received authorization. The effective date identifies when the approved revision becomes required for operational use.
A future effective date may allow time to:
- Complete employee training
- Update Work Orders
- Modify tooling or equipment
- Notify suppliers
- Update inspection plans
- Consume or disposition prior-revision inventory
- Complete customer approval
- Coordinate production implementation
Approval Does Not Always Mean Immediate Use
The system should clearly distinguish an approved future revision from the revision currently effective for production.
Controlled Document Distribution
Controlled distribution identifies where documents are required and who should have access to them.
Distribution may be based on:
- Department
- Work center
- Job title
- Employee
- Facility
- Product
- Customer
- Supplier
- Work Order
- Routing operation
- Inspection process
- Equipment asset
Display Documents in Context
Employees should be able to open the applicable document from the Item Master, BOM, routing operation, Work Order, inspection record, calibration device, maintenance asset, supplier, or customer record where it is needed.
Obsolete Document Control
Obsolete documents should be removed from normal operational access while remaining available when historical evidence is required.
Obsolete-document controls may include:
- Obsolete status
- Obsolete date
- Superseding revision
- Reason for retirement
- Restricted access
- Obsolete watermark
- Removal from Work Order selection
- Removal from employee document lists
- Historical retention
- Record-disposition date
Printed Copies Require Additional Control
Printed documents can remain in production after an electronic revision changes. Organizations should define whether printed copies are prohibited, marked uncontrolled, assigned expiration dates, or included in a controlled-copy process.
Engineering Document Control
Engineering documents define products, materials, dimensions, tolerances, configurations, and technical requirements.
Engineering document records may include:
- Drawing number
- Drawing revision
- CAD file
- PDF drawing
- Product specification
- Material specification
- Engineering Change Order
- Customer approval
- Associated part numbers
- Associated Bills of Materials
- Associated routings
- Effective and obsolete dates
Engineering drawings and specifications should remain aligned with Item Master revisions, Bills of Materials, manufacturing routings, inspection plans, and Work Orders.
Learn more in our Bill of Materials Software guide.
Manufacturing Work Instruction Control
Work instructions communicate how a manufacturing, inspection, maintenance, or administrative task should be performed.
Controlled work instructions may contain:
- Operation purpose
- Required materials
- Required tools and equipment
- Setup instructions
- Process steps
- Safety requirements
- Quality checks
- Inspection requirements
- Photographs and diagrams
- Acceptance criteria
- Required records
- Reaction instructions
Link Instructions with Routing Operations
Employees can access the approved work instruction directly from the Work Order operation rather than searching a shared drive or paper binder.
Quality Procedure Management
Quality procedures define how the organization controls activities such as document management, training, inspection, calibration, nonconformance, corrective action, auditing, and Management Review.
Quality procedure controls may include:
- Procedure owner
- Applicable standard clauses
- Defined responsibilities
- Required records
- Related forms
- Related work instructions
- Review and approval
- Training requirements
- Periodic review
- Revision history
Related forms, records, instructions, and training should remain connected with the procedure governing their use.
Controlled Forms and Templates
Manufacturing and quality forms should be controlled when their content, fields, instructions, or approval affect process consistency or required evidence.
Controlled forms may include:
- Inspection forms
- Audit checklists
- Corrective-action forms
- Calibration forms
- Preventive-maintenance records
- Training records
- Contract Review forms
- Supplier-evaluation forms
- Management Review templates
- Travelers and routers
Blank Form and Completed Record Are Different
The blank form is a controlled document. Once completed, it becomes a quality, manufacturing, maintenance, training, or business record subject to applicable retention and access controls.
External Document Control
Manufacturers also use documents created by customers, suppliers, standards organizations, regulatory agencies, and equipment manufacturers.
External documents may include:
- Customer drawings
- Customer specifications
- Customer quality clauses
- Industry standards
- Regulatory requirements
- Supplier certifications
- Equipment manuals
- Software manuals
- Material datasheets
- Safety data sheets
External-document controls may identify:
- Document source
- Document number
- Revision or edition
- Date received
- Applicability
- Responsible owner
- Distribution
- Review requirements
- Replacement or update history
External Does Not Mean Uncontrolled
When an external document affects product, process, safety, regulatory, customer, or quality requirements, the organization should identify the applicable revision and control its use.
Customer Document Management
Customer Purchase Orders, drawings, specifications, contracts, quality clauses, packaging requirements, and approvals should be linked with the customer and applicable order or product.
Customer-document integration may include:
- Customer account
- Quotation
- Contract Review
- Sales Order
- Customer Purchase Order
- Item Master
- Product revision
- Work Order
- Inspection requirements
- Shipment documentation
Preserve the Customer Revision Used for Order Acceptance
A newly received customer drawing should not automatically replace the revision associated with an existing Sales Order or Work Order without an approved change review.
Learn more in our Contract Review Software guide.
Supplier Document Management
Supplier records may include documents required to approve, purchase from, inspect, or monitor an external provider.
Supplier documents may include:
- Quality certifications
- Accreditation certificates
- Insurance certificates
- Supplier surveys
- Audit reports
- Corrective-action responses
- Material certifications
- Special-process certifications
- Conflict-minerals declarations
- Regulatory declarations
- Terms and agreements
Supplier-document controls may include expiration dates, renewal reminders, approval status, service scope, and responsible reviewer.
Expired or missing supplier documentation can affect Approved Vendor List status, Purchase Order release, receiving acceptance, and audit readiness.
Learn more in our Approved Vendor List guide.
Document Control and Item Master Integration
Engineering and manufacturing files can be linked directly with the applicable Item Master record.
Item-related documents may include:
- Engineering drawings
- Datasheets
- Material specifications
- Customer specifications
- Inspection instructions
- Product photographs
- Software or programming files
- Certificates
- Packaging instructions
- Approved alternate documentation
Open Product Documents from the Product Record
Engineering, Purchasing, Planning, Production, Quality, and Shipping can retrieve approved files without searching unrelated folders or relying on file-name conventions.
Learn more in our Item Master Data Management guide.
BOM and Routing Document Integration
Documents can be connected with a complete product structure, a specific BOM component, the manufacturing routing, or an individual routing operation.
| Document Relationship | Example |
|---|---|
| Parent Assembly | Product drawing or final assembly specification. |
| BOM Component | Component datasheet or supplier specification. |
| Manufacturing Routing | Overall traveler or production plan. |
| Routing Operation | Setup instruction, machine program, inspection sheet, or process specification. |
| Outside Processing | Plating, heat-treatment, welding, or testing specification. |
| Final Inspection | Acceptance checklist or customer documentation requirement. |
Document integration helps ensure the approved instructions and specifications follow the product through every manufacturing operation.
Document Control and Work Orders
Work Orders should provide employees with the approved documents applicable to the product revision and routing being manufactured.
Work Order documents may include:
- Product drawing
- Bill of Materials
- Traveler
- Routing instructions
- Machine setup
- Assembly instructions
- Inspection plan
- Customer quality clauses
- Packaging instructions
- Special-process specifications
- Rework instructions
Do Not Automatically Replace Documents on Open Work Orders
When a new revision is released, the organization should determine whether current Work Orders continue using the previously released configuration or require an approved update.
Learn more in our Manufacturing Work Order Management guide.
Inspection and Control Plan Documents
Inspection requirements may reference drawings, specifications, photographs, sampling instructions, forms, customer clauses, and measurement methods.
Inspection-document integration can support:
- Receiving inspection
- First Article Inspection
- First-piece inspection
- In-process inspection
- Final inspection
- Functional testing
- Laboratory testing
- Source inspection
- Reinspection after rework
Keep Inspection Instructions Aligned with Product Revisions
The system should connect the applicable inspection plan and specification revision with the material receipt, Work Order, product lot, serial number, and completed inspection result.
Learn more in our Manufacturing Control Plans guide.
Document Control and Employee Training
New or revised documents may require affected employees to complete training, acknowledgment, or competency evaluation before implementation.
Training assignments may be based on:
- Job title
- Department
- Work center
- Employee
- Document type
- Process responsibility
- Equipment assignment
- Quality responsibility
Approved
Identified
Assigned
Competency Recorded
Implemented
Document approval, employee training, and effective-date control should work together to prevent untrained use of a revised process.
Learn more in our Employee Training Management guide.
Corrective Action and Document Revision
Corrective actions frequently identify procedures, instructions, inspection plans, forms, or other documents requiring revision.
The relationship may identify:
- Corrective Action number
- Document requiring change
- Current revision
- Required change
- Responsible owner
- Target completion date
- Review and approval status
- Training requirements
- Implementation evidence
- Effectiveness verification
Revising a Document Does Not Prove Effectiveness
The document change demonstrates implementation. Corrective-action effectiveness still requires evidence that the underlying problem has been controlled and has not recurred.
Learn more in our Corrective Action Software guide.
Document Control and Internal Auditing
Auditors may evaluate whether documents are approved, current, available, understood, properly distributed, and protected from unintended use.
A document-control audit may review:
- Document numbering
- Revision status
- Approval evidence
- Effective dates
- Employee access
- Training records
- Printed-copy controls
- Obsolete-document handling
- External-document control
- Document-change history
- Records retention
- Actual documents in workplace use
Audit Both the Database and the Workplace
An electronic record may show the correct revision while an obsolete printed copy remains posted or stored at the work center.
Learn more in our Internal Auditing guide.
Periodic Document Review
Some documents require periodic confirmation that their content remains accurate, effective, and applicable.
Periodic-review controls may include:
- Review frequency
- Next review date
- Responsible owner
- Advance notifications
- Review decision
- Revision required
- No-change approval
- Obsolete decision
- Supporting comments
- Review history
| Review Decision | Result |
|---|---|
| Current Without Change | The document remains approved and the review date is recorded. |
| Revision Required | A new draft and document-change workflow are initiated. |
| Obsolete | The document is removed from active use and retained according to policy. |
| Additional Evaluation Required | The review remains open pending technical, regulatory, customer, or management input. |
Document Search and Retrieval
Employees should be able to locate approved documents quickly using information meaningful to their job.
Search criteria may include:
- Document number
- Document title
- Document type
- Revision
- Status
- Owner
- Department
- Part number
- Customer part number
- Supplier
- Customer
- Work Order
- Equipment asset
- Approval date
- Effective date
- Keyword
Search should return the current approved revision by default while allowing authorized users to retrieve historical revisions when needed.
Document Security and Access Control
Permissions should reflect the employee’s responsibility and the sensitivity of the information.
Access controls may distinguish who can:
- View released documents
- View drafts
- Create documents
- Revise documents
- Review documents
- Approve documents
- Release revisions
- Mark documents obsolete
- Change metadata
- Print controlled copies
- View customer-restricted information
- View export-controlled information
- Delete or archive records
Deletion Should Be Highly Restricted
Controlled records and historical revisions should generally be retired or archived rather than permanently removed without authorization and documented justification.
Electronic Signatures and Approvals
Electronic approval records can replace manual signatures when implemented according to the organization’s requirements and applicable regulations.
An electronic approval may record:
- Approver identity
- Approval role
- Approval decision
- Date and time
- Document number
- Exact revision
- Comments
- Authentication evidence
- Approval sequence
- Reason for rejection or requested change
Electronic Signatures Must Be Connected with the Approved Revision
The approval record should not be separated from or ambiguously associated with a different draft or document version.
Document and Record Retention
Retention periods may depend on customer contracts, quality standards, regulatory requirements, product life, warranty, internal policy, or legal needs.
Retention controls may identify:
- Document type
- Record type
- Retention period
- Retention start date
- Customer requirement
- Regulatory requirement
- Storage location
- Access restrictions
- Disposition approval
- Disposition date
- Permanent-retention status
Do Not Apply One Retention Period to Every Record
Engineering, manufacturing, inspection, training, calibration, supplier, financial, and customer records may have different contractual and regulatory retention requirements.
Document Control Reports
| Report | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Current Document List | Shows released documents and current revisions. |
| Documents Awaiting Review | Identifies drafts assigned to reviewers. |
| Documents Awaiting Approval | Shows revisions waiting for final authorization. |
| Overdue Document Reviews | Identifies periodic reviews exceeding their due dates. |
| Upcoming Effective Revisions | Shows approved documents scheduled for future implementation. |
| Obsolete Document Report | Lists superseded and retired documents. |
| Document Training Status | Shows employee training associated with new or revised documents. |
| Document Revision History | Provides changes, approvals, effective dates, and superseded revisions. |
| External Document Register | Lists customer, supplier, standards, regulatory, and other external documents. |
| Document Distribution Report | Shows departments, employees, products, processes, and records using each document. |
Document Control KPIs
| KPI | What It Measures |
|---|---|
| Average Approval Cycle Time | Time from draft submission through final approval. |
| Overdue Document Reviews | Documents exceeding their scheduled review dates. |
| Approval Backlog | Documents waiting for review or authorization. |
| Training Completion Rate | Percentage of assigned document training completed by the effective date. |
| Obsolete Document Findings | Instances where superseded documents were available or used. |
| Document-Related Nonconformance | Problems caused by missing, unclear, inaccurate, or obsolete documentation. |
| Revision Implementation Time | Time from document approval through operational implementation. |
| Periodic Review Completion | Percentage of scheduled document reviews completed on time. |
| Supplier Document Expiration | Supplier documents expired or approaching expiration. |
| Document Retrieval Time | Time required to find current approved information. |
Document Control for ISO 9001 and AS9100
ISO 9001 and AS9100 require organizations to control documented information needed by the quality-management system and operational processes.
Document control software can support:
- Document identification and description
- Format and media control
- Review and approval
- Availability at points of use
- Protection from unintended alteration or loss
- Distribution and access control
- Revision and change control
- Retention and disposition
- External-document management
- Prevention of obsolete-document use
- Electronic approval history
- Objective audit evidence
Software Supports the Approved Management System
Document control software provides workflow, revision history, distribution, access, training, retention, and audit evidence. Compliance still depends on approved procedures, implementation, leadership, and employee competency.
Common Manufacturing Document Control Problems
| Problem | Potential Result | Recommended Control |
|---|---|---|
| Documents Stored in Shared Folders | Users may not know which copy or revision is approved. | Use controlled master records with revision and status. |
| Files Sent as Email Attachments | Old copies remain in inboxes and may be reused. | Send links to the controlled record rather than uncontrolled files. |
| Prior Revisions Are Overwritten | Historical manufacturing and quality evidence is lost. | Create a new revision while retaining the prior version. |
| Approval Is Recorded on Paper | Approval evidence may be difficult to retrieve or verify. | Use electronic review and approval tied to the revision. |
| Document Approval and Training Are Disconnected | Employees may use a revised process before training. | Link document release, training assignment, and effective date. |
| Printed Copies Are Uncontrolled | Obsolete documents remain at work centers. | Mark, track, expire, or prohibit uncontrolled printing. |
| Documents Are Not Linked to Work Orders | Employees must search for instructions and may select the wrong revision. | Provide documents in the operational record where they are used. |
| External Documents Are Ignored | Customer, regulatory, or industry revisions may be missed. | Maintain an external-document register and review process. |
| Completed Records Are Treated as Documents | Retention and evidence controls may become unclear. | Distinguish controlled blank forms from completed records. |
Document Control Best Practices
- Assign every controlled document a unique number.
- Classify documents by type and purpose.
- Assign a responsible document owner.
- Use standardized templates where appropriate.
- Separate draft, approved, released, obsolete, and archived status.
- Require appropriate review and approval.
- Preserve reviewer comments and electronic history.
- Define an effective date for each released revision.
- Preserve prior approved revisions.
- Link documents with products, BOMs, routings, Work Orders, and inspections.
- Control external customer, supplier, and standards documents.
- Assign training when changes affect employee work.
- Complete training before the effective date when required.
- Control printed copies.
- Prevent obsolete documents from normal use.
- Maintain appropriate role-based permissions.
- Use periodic review where necessary.
- Define retention and disposition requirements.
- Audit actual document use at the point of work.
- Review document-control KPIs during Management Review.
Document Control Software Selection Checklist
- Can every document receive a unique number and type?
- Can current and historical revisions be retained?
- Can drafts be separated from released documents?
- Can review and approval workflows be configured?
- Can multiple reviewers and approvers be assigned?
- Are due dates, reminders, and escalations available?
- Can electronic approval evidence be retained?
- Can future effective dates be assigned?
- Can affected employees receive training assignments?
- Can document access be controlled by role?
- Can obsolete documents be prevented from normal use?
- Can printed-copy controls be supported?
- Can customer and supplier documents be managed?
- Can documents be linked with Item Master records?
- Can documents be linked with BOMs and routing operations?
- Can documents be displayed from Work Orders?
- Can documents be connected with inspections and equipment?
- Can periodic document reviews be scheduled?
- Can retention and disposition requirements be defined?
- Are complete audit history and reporting available?
How Document Control Integrates with Manufacturing ERP
| ERP or Quality Process | Document Control Relationship |
|---|---|
| Customer Management | Stores customer contracts, drawings, specifications, clauses, and shipping requirements. |
| Contract Review | Preserves the customer documents and revisions used to accept the order. |
| Item Master | Links drawings, specifications, datasheets, programs, and product documents. |
| Bill of Materials | Links parent, component, assembly, and product-structure documentation. |
| Manufacturing Routing | Provides operation-specific work instructions, specifications, and inspection documents. |
| Purchase Orders | Provides supplier clauses, material specifications, drawings, and required certifications. |
| Work Orders | Displays the documents applicable to the released product and process revision. |
| Control Plans | Provides inspection methods, specifications, drawings, sampling, and acceptance criteria. |
| Calibration Management | Stores calibration procedures, equipment manuals, certificates, and supporting instructions. |
| Preventive Maintenance | Provides maintenance procedures, equipment manuals, checklists, and service records. |
| Corrective Action | Connects required document changes with actions, implementation, training, and effectiveness. |
| Employee Training | Assigns and records training required by new or revised documents. |
| Internal Auditing | Provides controlled procedures, audit criteria, checklists, findings, and evidence. |
| Management Review | Provides document status, overdue review, approval, training, and obsolete-document metrics. |
Document Control with SimpleManufacturing™
SimpleManufacturing™ connects document management with Customer Management, Contract Review, Item Master data, BOMs, routings, purchasing, Work Orders, inspections, calibration, preventive maintenance, corrective action, employee training, audits, and Management Review.
| SimpleManufacturing™ Capability | Business Benefit |
|---|---|
| Document Master Records | Centralizes document number, title, type, owner, revision, status, and retention information. |
| Revision Management | Preserves current and historical revisions, changes, dates, and approvals. |
| Electronic Review and Approval | Routes drafts to assigned reviewers and approvers with complete history. |
| Effective-Date Control | Controls when approved revisions become operational. |
| Obsolete-Document Control | Prevents superseded revisions from normal use while retaining history. |
| Item Master Integration | Links product documents directly with the applicable part number and revision. |
| BOM and Routing Integration | Links documents with assemblies, components, routes, and production operations. |
| Work Order Integration | Provides employees with the approved documents applicable to the released job. |
| Quality Management Integration | Connects procedures and evidence with inspection, calibration, nonconformance, corrective action, and audits. |
| Employee Training Integration | Assigns document-related training and records completion or competency. |
| External-Document Control | Manages customer, supplier, standards, regulatory, and equipment documents. |
| Periodic Review | Schedules document reviews and records current, revise, or obsolete decisions. |
| Search and Retrieval | Finds documents by number, revision, title, part, customer, supplier, status, or keyword. |
| Role-Based Security | Controls who may view, create, revise, approve, release, retire, or archive documents. |
| Electronic Audit History | Records changes, users, dates, approvals, releases, training, and status history. |
One Controlled Document Source Across Manufacturing and Quality
SimpleManufacturing™ gives Engineering, Quality, Purchasing, Production, Inspection, Maintenance, Training, and management access to approved information from the process where it is needed.
Frequently Asked Questions About Document Control Software
What is document control software?
Document control software manages document creation, review, approval, revision, release, distribution, training, retrieval, retirement, retention, and historical records.
Why is document control important in manufacturing?
It helps ensure employees use the approved drawings, specifications, procedures, work instructions, forms, and quality requirements applicable to their work.
What documents should manufacturers control?
Controlled documents may include drawings, specifications, procedures, work instructions, forms, BOMs, routings, inspection plans, customer requirements, supplier documents, equipment instructions, and training materials.
What is document revision control?
Revision control identifies the current approved version while preserving previous revisions, change descriptions, approvals, effective dates, and historical use.
What is the difference between an approval date and an effective date?
The approval date records when authorization occurred. The effective date identifies when the revision becomes required for operational use.
Can document reviews and approvals be completed electronically?
Yes. Documents can be routed to assigned reviewers and approvers with comments, due dates, decisions, timestamps, and electronic history.
Can document changes require employee training?
Yes. Employees affected by a new or revised procedure, instruction, drawing, routing, or other document can receive training or acknowledgment assignments.
How are obsolete documents controlled?
Obsolete revisions are removed from normal operational use, clearly identified, restricted, and retained when historical evidence is required.
Can documents be linked with Item Master records?
Yes. Drawings, specifications, datasheets, programs, photographs, and other product files can be connected with the applicable part and revision.
Can documents be linked with Bills of Materials?
Yes. Documents can be connected with parent assemblies, BOM components, subassemblies, and product revisions.
Can documents be linked with routing operations?
Yes. Setup instructions, machine programs, inspection sheets, photographs, and process specifications can be assigned to specific operations.
Can Work Orders display approved documents?
Yes. Work Orders can provide employees with the drawings, instructions, specifications, quality requirements, and forms applicable to the released job.
How are customer documents controlled?
Customer Purchase Orders, drawings, specifications, clauses, contracts, and approvals can be linked with the customer, Contract Review, product, Sales Order, and Work Order.
How are supplier documents controlled?
Supplier certifications, surveys, audit reports, corrective actions, material certificates, and regulatory declarations can be linked with the supplier and monitored for expiration.
What is external-document control?
External-document control identifies and manages customer, supplier, regulatory, industry-standard, equipment, and other documents created outside the organization.
Can documents be reviewed periodically?
Yes. Review frequencies, next review dates, responsible owners, reminders, and review decisions can be recorded.
What is the difference between a form and a record?
A blank form is a controlled document. Once completed, it becomes a record demonstrating that an activity or result occurred.
Does document control software support ISO 9001 and AS9100?
It supports identification, review, approval, access, distribution, revision, external-document control, obsolete-document prevention, retention, and audit evidence.
Does software make a company ISO 9001 or AS9100 compliant?
No. Compliance depends on the organization’s quality-management system, procedures, implementation, leadership, employee competency, and objective evidence. Software supports those processes.
How does SimpleManufacturing™ manage documents?
SimpleManufacturing™ connects controlled documents with products, BOMs, routings, Work Orders, inspections, equipment, suppliers, customers, corrective actions, training, audits, and electronic history.
Control Manufacturing Documents from Creation Through Obsolescence
Effective document control requires more than storing files in organized folders. Manufacturers need controlled numbering, revision management, electronic review, approval, effective dates, employee training, operational distribution, obsolete-document prevention, retention, and complete historical evidence.
Integrating documents with Item Master data, BOMs, routings, Work Orders, inspections, calibration, maintenance, suppliers, customers, corrective actions, employee training, and audits makes approved information available where it is needed.
Create, Review, Approve, Release, Train, Use, and Control
SimpleManufacturing™ helps manufacturers reduce obsolete-document risk, improve process consistency, strengthen audit readiness, and maintain one controlled source for engineering, production, and quality information.
SimpleManufacturing™ document control software is designed for small and mid-sized manufacturers requiring integrated revision management, engineering documents, quality procedures, work instructions, electronic approvals, employee training, compliance records, and manufacturing traceability.
Request a Document Control Software Demonstration
Call SimpleManufacturing™ at 858-335-6421.