Document change control, also known as ‘version control’, is a way of organising the folder systems within your business, so documents and their various versions are filed and recorded in an easy to trace way.
This can be immensely useful for a range of different industries. Our helpful guide will explain everything you need to know.
Document change control is a process that allows you to monitor and track the different versions of a document over time.
It helps you to keep on top of how a document has changed and developed. Each time the document is modified, the control number is updated, which lets you know that you’re looking at the latest version.
This approach is especially helpful when working in digital industries or any line of work where lots of people may be working on a single document at once or over time. It allows each contributor to understand the reviewing process, retrospectively see how a document has evolved and keep track of who has made what changes.
If various compliance or legal checks are required on a particular file, for example, this allows multiple stakeholders to ‘feed in’ their contributions without things getting out of hand.
It can also be used in software creation for the same purpose.
Document change control and change management - also known as document management control - are terms that are often conflated. It’s easy to see why, but there are some fundamental differences that make sense once you break them down.
Document change control focuses on creating a standardised process for adjustments to important information. Essentially - minimising the risk of lost or incorrect information.
To help this, there are some general best practice processes which can be utilised to ensure smooth, well-ordered changes:
Change is a fundamental part of doing business. You can’t escape compliance updates, product changes or advancements in tech - and nor should you want to!
In the same way, learning to implement a document change control process simply means you can better handle significant alterations or transitions as you work.
To learn when to use change control, it’s important to understand the kind of scenarios where it is ideally suited.
These include:
While these are some common instances where careful control of document alterations is necessary, there may be other instances in your organisation where you could benefit from updates or implementation.
Project change, software updates, structural changes, policy updates and even resource allocation can all have a bearing. Always consider implementing a process to communicate, document and guide the ‘how’ of what you do.
Version control of documents is important for businesses for a number of reasons:
Having a solid version control system in place can have multiple benefits for your business.
Keeping up to date with a document is key. If not, you could be making changes to an out-of-date file and wasting time. It also helps to make sure you’re referring to the latest version, if you need to send a document to a supplier or customer for example.
Version control means you can check back to see which changes have already been made, which can save you time and prevent work being duplicated.
This tends to happen when more than one person is working on a document and confusion arises over whose job it is to work on which section. With a clear change control system in place, you can prevent these misunderstandings from happening.
There are plenty of situations where sending the incorrect version of a document can be costly. A good example would be sending an invoice with the wrong price - which could result in your business getting paid the wrong amount. Version control reduces the number of errors and makes for a more efficient and productive workflow.
When a document has many different collaborators, it can be confusing to know which version of the document you should be working on. With change control, people will automatically know which document they should be working on.
Version control allows you to check back and see who made changes to the document and when. You, as a business owner or manager, can therefore see when key decisions were made along the way. This is helpful when you’re working out of office hours and saves you time trying to work out who has made which changes, without being able to speak to them.
If you’re implementing a clear document change control process, you can boost productivity with guidelines. Guidelines can assist teams who are collaborating on a project by providing a central process for cross-functional work on each new version.
Communicating change intent and execution can reduce internal pushback. By using a centralised document change control process, you can ensure everyone is aware of how the change should function. It also provides transparency for all parties, so teams can see changes in real time as the process continues.
As a result of implementing an intelligent document change process, you’ll naturally accrue a series of traceable versions - meaning you can track changes through the document’s lifecycle. This means you have a clear timeline for audit purposes. It also ensures that each change adheres to any guidelines or regulations.
There are several different naming conventions you can use when version controlling documents.
The right one for your business will depend on a few different factors, including how many employees you have and the number of documents you want to keep track of. Below are a few examples of version control naming conventions which may be suitable for your business.
The simplest way to version control documents is with file naming conventions. For example:
This works well when you have a small number of documents and there aren’t many people working on them (ideally fewer than ten). Just remember to update the version number on the header and footers of your documents, to prevent any confusion at a later stage.
Speaking of which, for documents that need more attention or many stages of development, detailed version numbering can be extremely useful.
For this, you change the whole number to reflect major changes to the document and edit a decimal point to reflect minor amendments - such as spelling and grammatical amends.
For example, these would look like:
Creating a version control and document control table is a great idea, if you have a lot of documents or multiple people reviewing and amending them.
Each reviewer should add the version number, author name, date and changes they made to the version control sheet.
Additionally, a document control sheet can be created to oversee the process. This tracks the status of each individual document, so you can instantly see where each document in a batch is in the review process. This sheet should include the following information:
It’s useful to have access to past versions of a document if there is ever a question about a change of policy that it covers.
Not only is it good to track changes to the information within a document, but it can also be handy to keep old versions to check who made which changes at a later date.
Another way it can be beneficial, is if a situation changes and what was proposed at an earlier date is now relevant again.
On a simple level too, if someone at a senior stage of review wants to override significant changes that have been made, it may be easier to refer to an older version for the pre-alteration copy.
There are plenty of ways you can use version control effectively when managing documents.
Here are some top tips for implementing a successful document change control strategy at your workplace:
Having strict naming conventions is one of the top ways to ensure document control works. It must be consistent and clear to all employees who are accessing your files.
If you’re planning to use naming conventions as the main way to version your files, then you’ll need to make sure this is defined too, so employees follow the correct process each time. Using naming conventions tends to work best for smaller businesses who have fewer documents to keep track of.
Information architecture is the name we give to the system of folders you use to store your documents in. Usually, the best way to manage this is using a shared file storage system, which allows approved people access to the folders.
Once you’ve assigned people who have permissions to access the folders, you’ll have to teach them the structure and rules of the folder system. This allows you to ensure files aren’t altered without permission and that they are saved down securely in the right place.
Setting up separate folders for different stages in a document’s creation and review process is one easy way to manage changes.
Involving people immediately effected by changes can create inclusion, while also providing the benefit of additional perspectives. Keep in touch to those relevant to the work, giving you an opportunity to explain the changes - and the methods to implement them.
Change control boards (CCB) can function as a council for overseeing document change control processes. Through this, any issues in the process can be identified and compliance can be monitored by a responsible party. A change control board can act as both an overseer of a project and to limit access to documentation. You can even password protect important documents so that only approved people can access them. The other benefit of a CCB is that it provides a co-ordinated approach to the change control process.
By implementing a standardised change control process, with clear steps and responsibilities, you can ensure that project intent is consistent across teams and versions and create a common understanding. This boosts efficiency, increases legibility and understanding, while also reducing the risk of errors. It can also make auditing easier, with a consistent methodology used across the board. It also makes training new team members simple, regardless of experience.
Creating a risk assessment and feedback process can help you to identify pitfalls based on both theory and practical experience. This can lead to an overall refined process that boosts productivity, mitigates issues and enhances the performance of your document change control process. Think of the risk assessment as ‘prevention’ and feedback as ‘refinement’.
While you can mitigate risk, change can be difficult to plan for. What you can plan for, however, are contingencies to combat or work with change. Challenges will arise and so will opportunities for improvement of your process. Don’t default to being rigid because you have a plan you don’t want to risk deviating from. Instead, implement feedback and be responsive to how your project needs to evolve.
Version control software comes in many shapes and forms. Using a programme like Adobe Acrobat can help you stay on top of your documents with ease.
One of the best ways to do this is by switching to PDFs when documents are on a final version. This helps to maintain a latest version and signifies to the user this is the finished document they need to use.
Using Adobe’s quick online tools, it’s easy to:
…and many more.
Using PDFs can also be really handy for document sharing. This works by allowing you to send a final PDF, get comments on it from the reviewer, update and edit the document and then change the file name.
Discover the power of Acrobat today. We also have a wide range of useful business resources that you can make use of.
Are you an aspiring business owner? Inspiring entrepreneurs share their secrets for success. Learn how they did it then make your move.
Learn about Timothy Armoo's journey
The complete PDF productivity solution. Edit, convert, share and sign documents anywhere, any time. 7 days free, then £19.97 INCL. VAT.