What is document control, and how does it differ from records?
Document control is making agreements on how you draw up, approve, distribute, change and archive documents, so everyone knows which version applies. It covers your policy, procedures, work instructions and forms, on paper and digitally. It is not about as many rules as possible, but about certainty: whoever opens an instruction knows it is correct.
Distinguish between documents and records. A document directs the work and is updated, such as an instruction. A record is evidence that something happened and you no longer change it, such as a completed form, an audit report or an inspection certificate. For documents you manage versions, for records you set the retention period.
Why that matters becomes clear quickly in practice. If a fitter works with an outdated instruction or someone orders based on an old rate, an error arises that nobody can trace back to a source. Document control is therefore not an administrative duty, but the way to prevent people from working on different versions of the truth.
What belongs on every document?
A document is only controlled when you can see at first glance what it is, who is responsible for it and whether it still applies. So record the same details for every document, in the header or in the system:
- Title and document code
- Version number and date of this version
- Owner: who keeps it up to date in content
- Approver, who is not the same person as the author
- Date of the next review and the status (draft, valid or obsolete)
Naming and structure
A fixed naming convention makes documents findable. Use a code that shows type and process, for example PRO-INK-001 for the first procedure within purchasing, followed by a short, clear title. Put the version number in the metadata or header, not in the file name, otherwise you end up with files such as "final_2_new".
Organising by process usually works better than by department, because departments change and processes remain. Keep the number of documents limited: only write something down if it helps to do the work well or to demonstrate something.
Approval and changes: who may do what?
Record who may draw up documents, who reviews them and who releases them. The four-eyes principle is the minimum: the author is never the only one who approves. A new version only becomes valid after approval, and the previous version then leaves use.
Briefly record with every change what has changed and why. That summary helps users see what is different for them, and helps the auditor trace where a change came from. For urgent changes, for example after an incident, agree a fast route. A simple sequence:
- Draft and describe the change
- Content review by a colleague or the process owner
- Approval by the designated person
- Publication and notification to users
- Archive the old version as obsolete
Review cycle: keep documents up to date
A document that is not reviewed ages silently. Give every document a review date and an owner who then checks whether the content is still correct. Choose the rhythm by type: risky instructions more often, general policy less often. If there is nothing to change, still note that you checked and when.
Also review outside the rhythm, after an incident, an audit, a change in a process or in regulations. In the management review, discuss how many documents have passed their review date. That shows where the system is lagging and whether owners take their task seriously.
Read confirmation: do people know what has changed?
Publishing is not the same as informing. A new safety instruction in a folder reaches nobody. Have employees confirm for relevant documents that they have read the new version, and keep track of who has not yet. For an auditor that is the evidence that your working method is actually known.
Define the target group per document, for example per role, team or project, so nobody gets a confirmation request for something that is not part of their work. Do not ask for every small change either, otherwise everyone clicks blindly. Also briefly discuss far-reaching changes in a team meeting or toolbox.
What do you keep, and for how long?
Keep the current version of every document, and obsolete versions in an archive where nobody accidentally works with them. That way you can later show which instruction applied at a given moment, for example after an incident. Printing is a risk: a printout goes out of date immediately. So mark printouts as uncontrolled, or let employees use the digital version.
For records you set a retention period per type, depending on legal requirements, agreements with customers and your own needs. Legal periods differ per subject, so check them at the source, such as the Netherlands Labour Authority or the Dutch Tax Administration, and with your clients.
Common mistakes in document control
The same problems keep coming up in audits. They are rarely complicated and often quickly solved once you know them. Run through the list and see which ones are familiar to you.
- Several versions of the same document in different places
- Documents without an owner or review date that stay unchanged for years
- Printed instructions in a drawer that nobody replaces
- Approval by the author, or not recorded at all
- Too many documents, so nobody knows what is important anymore
How to start in practice
Start by clearing up. Make an overview of what exists now, remove what nobody uses and merge duplicate versions. Assign an owner per document and choose one place where the valid version lives. Everything outside it is no longer a source.
Then introduce the new way of working with the documents that are used most often or cover the most risk, such as safety instructions and the procedures of your core processes. Use one template with a fixed header, and let employees go through the new overview together once.
How BrydgeOne supports this
Document management focuses on one current version, with read confirmation. With Processes you map processes and link them to the standard, and Intranet shares news, policy and documents internally. With Audits you plan internal audits and log findings, for example about outdated versions.
© 2026 BrydgeOne. General information, not legal or other professional advice. No rights can be derived from this article.