What Is a Controlled Document? - AIS Software (2024)

January 2, 2017

by Rick Kaiser

A controlled document is any digital or hard-copy entity which is required by acompany, a standards organization, or a regulatory agency to be managed within a tightly controlled process that maintains the integrity of the document’s content through revisions. Examples of controlled documents include engineering drawings, industrial diagrams, operating procedures, contracts, and plans.

The process of document control manages the revisions of documents insuring that only the latest version is available to its users. At a minimum, the document control process must perform the following functions: edit, review, approval, revision, and distribution. Other desirable features include search, security, training, transmittal, and certification.

Edit

Controlled documents being edited come from three sources; existing controlled documents checked out for editing, new documents created for editing, and outside documents imported for editing. If an existing controlled document is checked out for editing, only a copy of the master document is edited to preserve the integrity of the master document. Editing should only be performed by userswho have the authorization to check out, create and import documents.

Technical Review

A controlled document must be reviewed any time it has been edited, created, or imported. Who reviews the document and how extensively it is reviewed depends on the importance of the document. The review process can involve discipline reviews across multiple stakeholders, or it can involve a technical review by a few key people. Reviews can be either linear (sequential delivery) or distributed (simultaneous delivery). Any changes found in the review cycle are returned to the editor.

Manager Approval

Approval is the final review of a controlled document. While some controlled documents can bypass the technical review, they all must pass a manager’s approval. This “second set of eyes” insures that all of the technical issues as well as the legal, financial, and MOC (management of change) issues have been addressed and resolved. The manager may disapprove the controlled document and send it back to the editor for rework.

Revision

After the controlled document is approved, the document control process must increment the document’s revision number or letter . This identifies it as the current revision as of a particular date.

Distribution

The controlled document is finally distributed either digitally or manually to all users. Distribution must be with a method that places the current document in common use and removes all earlier revisions. It should also be in a form that cannot be changed by unauthorized users outside of the document change procedure. These previous revisions, although obsolete, should be saved.

E*Doc, the electronic document management solution from AIS for industrial document control, meets all of these requirements (and more) with a user-friendly intuitive interface that allows unlimited users in an organization to instantly view and print unlimited documents from unlimited devices, at any time from anywhere.

What Is a Controlled Document? - AIS Software (2024)

FAQs

What Is a Controlled Document? - AIS Software? ›

A controlled document is any digital or hard-copy entity which is required by a company, a standards organization, or a regulatory agency to be managed within a tightly controlled process that maintains the integrity of the document's content through revisions.

What is considered a controlled document? ›

Simplistically, a controlled document is a document that must undergo formal review, formal approval, controlled distribution, controlled modification and controlled storage and access. Or, in other words, a controlled document is a document that goes through Document Control processes.

What are controlled documents in aviation? ›

Controlled documents are used to certify airworthiness of an aircraft, engines, and components. Uncontrolled documents are for general information purposes only and are not used to certify airworthiness . Controlled documents are used to certify airworthiness of an aircraft , engines , and components .

What is document control software system? ›

A document control system allows you to control who has access to specific files so that only the right people have permission to view, edit, and delete documents to mitigate the risk of information leakage.

What is an example of a document control system? ›

Some of the most commonly used document control systems tend to be electronic storage systems at their core, such as: Google Drive. Dropbox. Adobe Document Cloud.

What is not a controlled document? ›

An uncontrolled document is a concept to know in the world of documentation and info management. It's a document not approved, reviewed, or updated according to guidelines. It lacks necessary controls and oversight for accuracy and reliability.

What is the difference between controlled and non controlled documents? ›

A controlled copy is the latest version of the document and when a change is made the document needs to be retreived and replaced. An uncontrolled copy, is a non controlled copy, meaning that is not replaced when a new version is issued. Usually uncontrolled copies are printed copies,.

What is a controlled document ISO? ›

Simply put, a controlled document is a document that is subject to certain controls to ensure its accuracy and completeness. In order to be considered a controlled document, it must meet certain criteria, such as being approved by a designated authority and having a defined review and update schedule.

What are the concepts of controlled and uncontrolled documents? ›

Uncontrolled documents can be updated without change control and up-versioning. While uncontrolled documents may need some level of review and approval, that system can be managed by internal SOPs. Uncontrolled documents can be accessed by general staff, and do not need an audit trail.

What are the different types of airworthiness documents? ›

ANSWER: There are three main types of aircraft certifications. Standard airworthiness certification, export airworthiness certification, and special airworthiness certification. Within the special airworthiness category, there are many certifications.

Which is the best document control software? ›

The best document management software of 2024 in full:
  1. PandaDoc. A feature packed software. ...
  2. Templafy. An all-in-one document management solution. ...
  3. M-Files. Document software that detects duplication. ...
  4. DocuWare. Document organization moves to the cloud. ...
  5. MasterControl. DMS focused on compliance. ...
  6. XaitPorter.
Apr 8, 2024

Does SAP have a document control system? ›

Document management capabilities, including document control, are offered as part of SAP's enterprise content management application, SAP Extended Enterprise Content Management by OpenText.

What does good document control look like? ›

Your document control system should be able to support complex sequences of review, approval and publication that reflect the most sophisticated control requirements: Recurring annual or biannual review/approval sequence for quality documentation. Reminder notices when review is outstanding or regular review is ...

How do I start a document control system? ›

These are the basic steps for creating a document control system for your business.
  1. Identify documents. Identify all the documents to be managed within the control system. ...
  2. Establish quality standards. ...
  3. Name your documents. ...
  4. Create revisions procedures. ...
  5. Manage access. ...
  6. Establish archiving procedures. ...
  7. Creation. ...
  8. Review.
Aug 18, 2021

Where do document controllers work? ›

Document Controllers manage the flow of information throughout businesses. Their work ensures that relevant employees always have accurate information. During large projects, Document Controllers provide a valuable link between project team members in other departments, including finance and engineering.

What is the difference between controlled document and record? ›

Document Control focuses on the regulation and compliance of documents throughout their existence, from when they are created to when they are not needed anymore. Records Management focuses on retaining, securing, and disposing of records that serve as evidence of business activities.

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