Difference Between a Document and a Record Documents and records may sound alike but there is a big difference between the two. Documents are created by planning what needs to be done and records are created when something is done. Documents can change and records don’t (must not) change. DOCUMENT DEFINITION Document: Information used to support an effective and efficient organizational operation. A document consists of any information you use to run your company. Documents originate in the planning phase of the Plan, Do, Check, Act, cycle of the process approach. Since documents are planning material, they are subject to change (under the Act phase) as we obtain more information (Do phase) and compare those informational or data records (Check phase) to our original plan. Common examples of (QMS) quality management system documents include: Quality Policy (Required) Quality Objectives (Required) Quality Manual (Required) Organization Chart Process Maps Business plans Control Plans (i.e. Advanced product quality planning or APQP) Internal Audit Schedule Procedures and Work Instructions (Six Required) Approved Supplier List Purchasing Criteria Customer Requirements RECORD DEFINITION Record: Evidence about a past event. A record is generated in the “do” phase of PDCA. Records consist of any data you collect during the operation of your business QMS. Records are facts and should not change. If new facts arise that contradict the old facts (an error), then you should strike through the old fact and record the new fact. ISO CONTROL OF DOCUMENTS Documents are created as a part of your organizations planning. Therefore, ISO requires that these planning documents are approved prior to use to ensure they are adequate (appropriate). Documents need to be reviewed and updated to ensure the content is accurate. If changes are made to plans then it is imperative that the changes are identified and communicated to anyone that uses those planning documents. Users need legible, up-to-date, and readily available documents to do their job. The bottom line, documents need to be reviewed, approved, legible, up-to-date, communicated, and readily available. That is what ISO wants from the control of your documents. ISO CONTROL OF RECORDS Records are not the plan. Records are created by plans. Records are data, but data is not information. Data must be converted into information through the use of charting or trend analysis. So the requirements for records are different. Records need to be identifiable (labeled), stored, protected (uncorrupted), retrievable (you need to use the data), retained (backed-up), but disposed of when obsolete. - ISO 9001
Posted on: Sat, 20 Jul 2013 07:51:40 +0000
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