How Should Organisations Manage Document Versions? 5 Practices for a Single Version Chain

Why document versions get out of control

The same document often lives at once in shared folders, personal computers, email attachments and different systems. Each department edits its own copy, until no one is sure which version is valid. Management systems such as ISO 9001 also require documented information to be controlled, including approval, identification, change control and preventing the unintended use of obsolete documents.

5 practices for building a single version chain

1. Unique numbering and storage: give every document a unique number and manage it in a single system, instead of telling versions apart by file name.
2. Define version statuses: for example draft, under review, effective and withdrawn, with only one effective version at any time.
3. Record changes and differences: for every revision, record the reason for the change and the approver, and be able to compare the old and new versions clause by clause.
4. Control permissions and access: set view and edit permissions by role, and keep records of access and downloads.
5. Manage external documents: bring customer specifications, regulations and standards under control too, and keep the mapping to the original clauses when converting them into internal formats.

What about paper and scanned documents?

Paper documents and scans can first be converted into searchable text with OCR, then brought into version control and comparison. It is still advisable to keep the original file after conversion so it can be checked later.

How NOVARK helps

NOVARK Intelligent document management consolidates the copies of the same document held across departments and systems into a single version chain, clearly marking the current valid version and obsolete versions, and keeping the full change history, role-based permissions and access audit records. Content comparison lists additions, deletions and modifications to text, tables and figures clause by clause, and paper and scanned documents can be converted with OCR first. Specification conversion keeps the mapping to the original clauses.

• NOVARK Audit
• NOVARK Doc

FAQ

How is a document management system different from cloud storage?

Cloud storage mainly solves storage and sharing. A document management system adds version status, approval workflows, change records, permission control and access auditing, so it can state clearly which version is valid.

Should obsolete versions be deleted?

Usually not. They are marked as obsolete and restricted from use, so the change history can be traced later or produced for an audit.

This article is general guidance. Adapt the approach to your organisation's size, industry regulations and data. NOVARK is an enterprise AI agent platform.