7 replies to this topic

[Gilles]

Hello all,

 

For my job I am developing our own digital Quality Manual in MS Access. The reason for this is that I don’t want the director or me hand signing all the documents, no paper version that must be updated constantly but the biggest reason is that I like to learn new stuff, like in this case MS Access  .

 

Features I am implementing are:

·         An always up to date index with version number

·         And digital authorisation of the owner of the document

·         A history of all changes to a document

·         Only the latest version of a document available to employee’s

 

For each document I am registering the following data:

·         A unique document number

·         Type of document ( Procedure, Form or Instructions)

·         Name of the document

·         A key word (like HACCP or Packaging etc)

·         Version of the document

·         Changes made in the latest version of the document

·         Is the document authorised

·         When was the document authorised

 

So the reason why I made this topic is to ask you, are there some features or data you think I am missing? I want to make this system as complete as I can before I go and implement this in my organisation.

 

All tips are welcome

 

[Sussy]

I'd love to see that. but my question is, how often are documents being changed? 

[Watanka]

Dongilles,

 

We have something similar set up. In addition to the items you mentioned we document both the old and new version numbers referenced; the authorization digital signature and date authorized; the annual review date and digital signature of the reviewer.  Each document is linked to this information electronically.  People still like to generate hard copies and this does not prevent the occasional creative thinker from generating their own document - but that is what record audits are for

 

Good luck!

[Brian Beardsmore]

Dongilles,

 

I love the idea of doing it all yourself, and when I was a Quality Manager I just wished I had the computer skills to do my own.

 

I suggest that as part of your due diligence, you look at www.safefood360.com, contact Lassi Eronen (lassi.eronen@safefood360.com) and get a free demonstration.

 

In a cost benefit analysis you may find that it's more worthwhile going this way than developing your own.

 

 

 

Brian Beardsmore

[Gilles]

I'd love to see that. but my question is, how often are documents being changed? 

 

At my last job documents kept changing because of audits (mostly customers audits) and all auditors wanted to see something added or in an other way so this was a continous circle. Furthermore at my current job we are expanding, new machines and in the future more standards so then documents will also change.

 

 

Dongilles,

 

We have something similar set up. In addition to the items you mentioned we document both the old and new version numbers referenced; the authorization digital signature and date authorized; the annual review date and digital signature of the reviewer.  Each document is linked to this information electronically.  People still like to generate hard copies and this does not prevent the occasional creative thinker from generating their own document - but that is what record audits are for 

 

Good luck!

 

Great thanks for the tips especially the annual review! forgot about it.

People here do not have really good computer skill so making own documents its really hard for them   . This makes my job a bit easier.

 

Dongilles,

 

I love the idea of doing it all yourself, and when I was a Quality Manager I just wished I had the computer skills to do my own.

 

I suggest that as part of your due diligence, you look at www.safefood360.com, contact Lassi Eronen (lassi.eronen@safefood360.com) and get a free demonstration.

 

In a cost benefit analysis you may find that it's more worthwhile going this way than developing your own.

 

 

 

Brian Beardsmore

 

 

Thank you for the tip but I want to my own database because I like to learn how to do it. Sure it will take a lot of time but when it's done it will be something I created and know excectly how it work.

[Dood]

We currently run a Document Control database in MS Access which has a very similar concept to what you have described.

 

From an IT stand point my strongest recommendations would be the following.

Don't use Access for the actual database only the front end, speak to your IT dept about setting you up a DB on their SQL server and just use linked tables to that as a datasource. Proper SQL DB's scale a lot better the MS's own inbuilt database on access. You'll also find that the IT dept will often, but not always put higher back up priory on SQL databases over file based DB's. Plus if the file get corrupt, which happens surprisingly often with MS DB's, only the front end would be affected so role back will be simpler without any loss of actual data.

 

Lock it down, alot. Users like to poke and play and fiddle. There are a lot of effective security measures that can be taken to prevent users from access the raw data sources and editing the forms you create.

 

My last suggestion, would be to not use MS Access if you can help it. I am currently running a project to migrate our QMS Databases from MS Access to web based systems. Why? Because you have better control and a lot more usable functionality. Also legacy, how many different versions of Office are you running at your site, at one point we have 4 different version. 2003, 2007, 2010 and 2013 with my development station running 2016. Each version may handle the code you create differently, the VBA reference libraries are different for each incantation of Office, also some ActiveX control don't work across the version due to security concerns. 

Building the interface web based, will mean it will generally just work no matter what flavour of Web Browser you use. (But of course, there are exceptions to this rule!)

 

Hopefully, nothing I have said puts you off. I am a massive supporter of data automation on site. Mainly because it makes my life easier, also 99.999% of the time the data is just there when you need to present to auditors or regulatory bodies. 

 

Good luck!

[Gilles]

@ Dood

 

About the Database in SQL what do you mean by this?(maybe not a question for this forum but still :)) Do you mean do not store the documents within MS Access or the acuele data(like the main table)

 

Great tip about locking it down!

 

MS Access is already used alot in my company so it will be "easy" for the non-computer geniuses to use, they know the interface and stuff and for me its easy to learn how to adapt the current databases.

I am lucky enough that everyone uses Office 2013 and will go to 2016 soon, So I will not have the problem with different versions.

 

You have not put me off :)

 

Thanks for the tips 

[Dood]

@ Dood

 

About the Database in SQL what do you mean by this?(maybe not a question for this forum but still :)) Do you mean do not store the documents within MS Access or the acuele data(like the main table)

 

 

It would be where access handles the main tables, you can create the table in access and migrate them to an SQL serer when they are up or running. Or if you fancy the challenge, create the table in something like SQL Server Management Studio. 

Migrating can be done using the steps here. https://support.offi...07-e6e759d72924

Make a friend in the IT dept, bring doughnuts!