Document control: one current version of everything

Key takeaways

A document control process makes sure everyone uses the current version of your policies, procedures, templates and forms. Each controlled document has an owner, a version number, a review date and a change log, and old versions are archived. The admin outsources well. Approving content stays with the document owner.

• One master location for controlled documents.
• Owner, version and review date on each.
• Change log for every update.
• Old versions archived, not deleted or left live.

Which documents need control?

Anything people follow or rely on: policies, procedures, work instructions, templates, forms, price lists, contracts and checklists. Outsourced teams depend on these heavily, so an out-of-date procedure leads directly to errors in outsourced work.

• Which business processes should you outsource?
• Document your processes before you outsource

What does a document control process include?

A register listing every controlled document with its owner, version and review date. One master location, so copies on desktops are not trusted. A change request route, an approval step by the owner, a change log, and archiving of old versions. Reviews happen on schedule, not only when something goes wrong.

• Register of controlled documents.
• Single master location.
• Change request and approval.
• Version numbers and change log.
• Scheduled reviews.

• File naming conventions for small business teams
• Single source of truth: one place for each business fact

Which document control work can be outsourced?

Keeping the register, formatting and publishing approved changes, archiving old versions, sending review reminders to owners and checking links between documents. The owner decides what the document says and approves each change.

• Document formatting support: proposals that look right
• Internal knowledge base: answers your team can find fast

When is formal document control overkill?

When a business has a handful of documents and one person maintains them. It becomes essential once several teams, sites or outsourced providers follow the same procedures, or when customers and auditors ask to see controlled versions.

• How much volume makes a process worth outsourcing?
• Work instructions vs SOPs: which one does your team need?

What does this look like in practice?

A pattern we see: three versions of the same procedure exist, and each team follows a different one. Errors get blamed on people when the real cause is the documents.

• See client work
• BPO Solutions for UK businesses

Document control checklist

Set these up and review annually.

• Register of controlled documents.
• Owner for each document.
• Version number on every page.
• Review date and reminder.
• Change log kept.
• Old versions archived.

• Operations processes to outsource as you grow
• The process selection score: outsource, split or keep?

Next step

Tell us where your procedures and templates live today. We will suggest a register and the routine to keep it current.