Documentation Revision/Reviews

I have a question concerning doc control. Currently we have a doc number, revision number, last revised date, review date, on our documents. However, we are trying to minimize reprinting documents (wasting paper) each time we review a document without a necessary revision. Therefore, we are contemplating removing the actual review date and documenting on a separate piece of paper that we reviewed the document. Do you think that this is ok? Do you think that it is absolutely necessary to have a review date on the document? Do auditors typically want a review date on the document? Also to show that we review the documents we are thinking of replacing the review date and showing a review period. For example REVIEW FREQUENCY:ANNUALLY so on and so forth.

I posted it here since we do BRC. You may move this to an appropriate section if needed.

dear Bets,

Amazing ! I don't think I have ever seen anybody include a review date on a document yet or seen it on any model ISO 9001 documents on the web unless there was some specific reason to re-issue the document with a new name or something. Life is hard enough already with rev. numbers and the like IMO. (thank heavens for addenda like "correction of typos and non-significant textual errors do not require a new rev.number".)

Interested to see other comments but i thought yr alternative procedure was the way everybody did it already, including a typical review period stated within the main document where it has minimum visibility. I expect the latter would be part of "verification activities section" anyway as far as HACCP related documents are concerned. [added - or, more generally, covered by part of a routine (annual?) internal audit]

Rgds / Charles.C

Hi.

I use a programme called Qpulse for storing, reviewing and revising all my documents, including the quality manual. If a document has been reviewed, I can record the date and also with a comment such as 'no change required' etc. If I update a document, full document traceability is available, includin the superceeded version.

It's a pretty good package.

Hi.

I use a programme called Qpulse for storing, reviewing and revising all my documents, including the quality manual. If a document has been reviewed, I can record the date and also with a comment such as 'no change required' etc. If I update a document, full document traceability is available, includin the superceeded version.

It's a pretty good package.

That sounds like a very good system...but also sounds expensieve
We just had our annual audit on Tuesday and Wednesday and completed with 2 miniors. We have issue date and revision numbers but no review dates. So IMHO review dates not needed..however in regard to systems and controls that relate to product legality and safety i.e HACCP plan, you need to be able to demonstrate the team reviewed the program..this can be within the HACCP review meeting.