Documentation control and release - a two-edged sword

The success or failure of a manufacturing company depends on its product documentation - its correctness and availability. In the first instance, information collection, document formats, and revision control are important aspects to ensure the correctness of the information available. In the second case, the effective distribution of the information across an international user base as quickly as possible is critical to a successful manufacturing process. This paper documents control practices in the documentation process, including standards, process procedures, engineering change control and other aspects of control necessary to ensure that the documents are complete and accurate. In this particular example, the data base consists of approximately 7,000 engineering drawings, 300 process procedures, and 400 equipment and material specifications. The paper also explores approaches to electronic document distribution, providing current documentation on a near real-time basis as changes are implemented. Finally, the paper looks at the value of bilingual documents as an aid to the user community.