Document Control

Comprehensive Document Control

IsoTracker ISO 9001 Document Control software provides a logical, easy to use solution for document control. Version control as each new version of a document is imported into the software can easily be tracked and managed. Users and permissions can be assigned for efficient review and approval before publication. In this way, searching for vital documents is far easier and more efficient.

Compatible & Efficient

Changing from existing systems such as paper documents or electronic files on shared folders has never been simpler with a document management solution. Files are imported into the module that sits on our servers where they are encrypted. You can then access and control your documents securely and simply. 

IsoTracker opens documents by invoking the native applications in which they were created. The document control software is compatible with any application that can be viewed over the Web, including Microsoft Office applications, Adobe Acrobat PDF, HTML, .jpg, .mpeg and others.

Documents held and accessed using the document control software range from text based documents, spreadsheets, drawings, flowcharts, project plans, multimedia files and any other files.

Security and Control

Key security features allow for document change and distribution that can only occur when authorized, such as:

• Managing and adding new documents
• Editing or changing existing documents
• Restricting availability of documents to authorized employees

Access to the document control module and to the documents is protected by user logins and access permissions. All documents are also encrypted and may not be modified, deleted or copied by those without access rights. Our system administrators conduct daily back-ups, saving your document to back up every two weeks. 

Features

Scalability:

• Internet application that can be used for all companies, from small department to large global organizations.
• Capacity to handle thousands of documents.
• Document accessibility, viewing, approval and publishing from anywhere in the world, at any time.

Standards and Compliance Management:

• Standards such as Quality Management Systems (ISO 9000), Health & Safety (OHSAS 18001), and Environmental Management (ISO 14000) is supported and controlled.
• Suitable for any Standards and Compliance Management system that requires control of documentation change and availability.
• Wide range of document can be held and accessed, including procedures, work instructions, spreadsheets, drawings, forms and other processes.

Ease of Use:

• All documents or content accessible with a browser can be accessed. These include Microsoft Office applications, Adobe Acrobat PDF, HTML pages, .jpg, .mpeg, .dwg and many other file types.
• Compatible with your existing applications to create and edit documents such as MS Office documents. Documents are viewed by selecting the application used to create each document.
• No need to retype documents. Instead, you can import single or bulk documents into our secure server using a user-friendly import tool.
• Easy to use layout that includes folders on the left and folder content on the main panel. Documents can also be quickly listed with the help of a keyword search. 

Functionality:

• Online document creation, review, approval and publishing.
• Fast and simple document retrieval with the help of folder management.
• Automatic distribution and notification of all published documents.
• Documents are version numbered with new revisions given the next incremental revision number, dependent on major or minor version change.

Workflow:

• Stringent document control cycle. New versions may only be created once relevant parties have approved each change.
• Document history is updated automatically as information is provided and document is approved. This history can be viewed easily from the module. 
• Documents can be reviewed easily, and approvers are able to leave comments for authors and other approvers.
• Check in/Check out features enable documents to be edited by their writers while retaining their original properties and approval details.
• Approval workflow can be made consecutive to follow a hierarchic process or non-sequential for a flat structure.
• Changed documents are archived automatically.

Security and Control:

• In addition to virus and access protection, all documents and passwords are encrypted on secure servers using SSL encryption.
• Document access is stringently controlled. Documents may only be viewed by staff who are given read access rights or modified by those who have authoring rights.
• Additional security features include unique username/password combination rules plus automatic user lock-out if the wrong password is consistently used.
• Daily back-ups to servers based in a different geographical location are done to add additional security.

Benefits

Most companies invest in a document control software package to enhance and simplify the maintenance of a quality management system. One of the main benefits of this tool is that it is more cost-effective to maintain formal (e.g. ISO 9000) standards. Other benefits include an improvement in the vital security aspects that ensure that the latest version is promptly available and that only approved viewers have access to documentation.

Reduced Administration Costs

• Reduction of administrative time and overhead which means greater efficiency and hence lower costs.
• Elimination of the paper trail of manual systems decreases the amount of supplies required to maintain documents, as there is less paper, copying, mailing and other related supplies.
• Huge reduction of archiving costs.
• Elimination of document distribution logjams saves time and funds.

More Efficient Operations

• IsoTracker makes it faster to find data. You do not have to search your network files with the help of a search facility. This means that every document is held in an easily accessed folder.
• Distributing paper copies is not only expensive, it is also slow. Circulating papers through the various departments of your organization can take days during these delays various employees could be working with different procedures. IsoTracker ensures that all users can view the latest version of an approved document, thereby avoiding expensive mistakes. 
• Greater responsiveness makes it easy to train new employees on how to use the system and make them productive more quickly. This means significant improvements in productivity.

Security

• IsoTracker has several layers of security starting from the login sequences to access rights to documents. Only known and approved users will be able to access the system and view what may be proprietary documentation held in the folders. Users without access to a folder will not be able to view the documents.
• The controls applied to passwords such as system lock-out if the wrong password is consistently used and restrictions on duplication of ID/password combinations reduces the risks of unauthorized users entering the system.
• Documents and passwords are encrypted on secure servers using SSL encryption. This is similar security to the methods that banks and credit card companies use.
• Daily data back-ups are performed to servers based in a different geographical location.

FAQs

GENERAL

Q. Can Document Control be used in areas other than Quality Management?

IsoTracker can be used wherever documents need to be managed and their legitimacy and accuracy checked before distribution.

Q. What response times can I expect when viewing documents?

The retrieval time will be dependent on the speed of your Internet connection and the application in which the document was created. IsoTracker uses standard applications, which ensures the fastest retrieval time possible.

Q. Can field based personnel gain access to documents? Can isoTracker be accessed internationally?

Yes, that is the wonder of the web. Anybody, who is an identified isoTracker user with Internet access will be able to use the document management system wherever they are located and at any time.

Q. Can I give our sub-contract partners access to controlled documents?

As long as the sub-contract partners have access to the Internet and are identified users within isoTracker, then they may view the controlled documents to which they have been granted access.

EASE OF USE

Q. How easy is the system to use? Will I need to change my working methods?

IsoTracker has been designed to make life stress-free for users. Folders mean that users do not have cluttered screens and see the documents within their access level. This also applies to user roles such as System Administrator, Approver, Document Administrator and Viewer where tools will only appear on their screens if they have been assigned that role.

Q. Do we have to re-write our existing procedures and other documents?

No. IsoTracker uses standard applications such as MS Word, Excel, Visio and many others to create, edit and view documents. Existing documents are directly imported without the need for re-typing or formatting. Imported documents are effectively copied over to our server where they are held securely.

Q. How does the system cope with staff changing jobs or leaving?

Changing access to different groups to reflect a change in responsibility can be done simply. Employees that have left the company are deleted from their respective groups and from the list of available users.

Q. Which third party applications do you support?

isoTracker supports any application that can be accessed through a web browser. These include all Microsoft Office applications, HTML, PDF, .jpg, .tiff, .gif and others.

DOCUMENT ACCESS AND SECURITY

Q. Can I prevent users viewing sensitive material?

Yes. All content is placed in folders and individual users or user groups are given access to these folders. A user not included on a folder’s read access list will not be able to view its documents.

Q. Can I set different levels of access for documents?

There are three different access levels for documents. The first are the users with write access to folders and documents, who can create and manage folders and the documents held within those folders. These users can check-out their documents, modify them and then check them back in. The second are the approvers who can review a document and then either approve or reject it. Finally, there are the normal users who have read-only access to documents who can only view those documents and issue change requests.

Q. How is the audit trail for a document recorded?

Each time an activity involving a document takes place, a record of that activity is automatically made. All document attributes, such as the author, approval actions and version details are recorded with user name and date whenever a document had been checked out and then checked back in.

Q. Can a document be changed outside Document Control?

Access to each document is strictly controlled through isoTracker and no changes can be made to any document without following correct procedures. All documents are stored securely and can only be edited by users who have write access to the document.

Q. Can we archive old copies of documentation?

Yes. IsoTracker archives prior versions to a special access restricted archives zone, where they are kept securely for as long as required.

Q. How many approvers can there be for a document?

Document approval rules are set by an Approval Type, which has no limit to the number of approvers. An Approval Type can be set to inform approvers in a successive or a non-successive order.

MESSAGING

Q. How does Document Control communicate changes?

Any communication of changes within isoTracker such as the posting of a document requiring approval, approval of a change request, reminder to check-out or check-in a document or the issue of an updated version, is displayed on the Summary page as well as sent via email notification.