Jump to content

  • Quick Navigation
Photo

Ditto Marks in Records

Share this

  • You cannot start a new topic
  • Please log in to reply
9 replies to this topic

S.Mohammed

    Grade - Active

  • IFSQN Active
  • 2 posts
  • 0 thanks
0
Neutral

  • Trinidad and Tobago
    Trinidad and Tobago

Posted 26 January 2022 - 01:53 PM

Good Day everyone, 

 

I am trying to find an alternative to using ditto marks when completing records. Is there any thing under any clause or standard that suggests an alternative to the (" ") ditto marks used on records to show continuation of information?

 

 



olenazh

    Grade - FIFSQN

  • IFSQN Fellow
  • 1,363 posts
  • 439 thanks
432
Excellent

  • Canada
    Canada
  • Gender:Female
  • Location:Toronto
  • Interests:My job, church, reading, gym, horror movies

Posted 26 January 2022 - 02:03 PM

Hi S. Mohammed, welcome to our forum! I've personally never heard of any kind of recommendations in standards or GFSI schemes regarding ditto marks. 



Thanked by 1 Member:

Scampi

    Fellow

  • IFSQN Fellow
  • 5,444 posts
  • 1507 thanks
1,523
Excellent

  • Canada
    Canada
  • Gender:Not Telling

Posted 26 January 2022 - 02:16 PM

It's simply best practice not to use them  but also, given that all of the documents we produce MAY be subpoenaed, they are legally binding. Ditto marks provide no actual values therefore zero information-------one has to ASSUME that they mean the same as the information above and many government regulators will not accept them

 

Better idea, if you find that a lot of your paperwork is repetitive is to examine what you NEED to write down and remove or auto input everything else

 

 

 

Lets say you only have 3 vendors (as an example) when not put all 3 on the record, and employees need to just circle the write one............

 

Or employees need to write Yes or No,  input both, they just circle the correct abser


Please stop referring to me as Sir/sirs


Thanked by 1 Member:

Duncan

    Grade - MIFSQN

  • IFSQN Member
  • 76 posts
  • 16 thanks
19
Good

  • United Kingdom
    United Kingdom

Posted 26 January 2022 - 02:53 PM

This answer isn't intentionally facetious, but the only acceptable alternative would be to record the process data as actual values. I have heard auditors remark that using ditto marks gives the appearance that operators haven't actually carried out a documented check - so in effect dittos are intended to mean 'same value as last recorded check' but are interpreted as 'probably didn't actually perform the check'.

 

On an individual level, I sympathise with operators who have to record the same information every 15 minutes, but from the systematic/compliance perspective I don't really disagree with the auditor's remarks.


FOOD PORTAL - The web portal dedicated to the food industry

 

Food Portal provides a range of systems and tools for food manufacturers.

 

 Resource Library - Culture Survey - Confidential Reporting - Supplier Directory - Blog


Thanked by 1 Member:

Setanta

    Grade - FIFSQN

  • IFSQN Fellow
  • 1,596 posts
  • 369 thanks
382
Excellent

  • United States
    United States
  • Gender:Female
  • Interests:Reading: historical fiction, fantasy, Sci-Fi
    Movies
    Gardening
    Birding

Posted 26 January 2022 - 03:15 PM

I would advise against ditto marks.


-Setanta         

 

 

 


Thanked by 1 Member:

MDaleDDF

    Grade - PIFSQN

  • IFSQN Principal
  • 507 posts
  • 209 thanks
392
Excellent

  • United States
    United States
  • Gender:Male

Posted 26 January 2022 - 07:13 PM

Hi S. Mohammed, welcome to our forum! I've personally never heard of any kind of recommendations in standards or GFSI schemes regarding ditto marks. 

Ditto!

All my stuff is written so it just needs initialed, unless something is wrong/being written up.   If you're ditto marking it that often, just type it up and make it a sign off.



Thanked by 1 Member:

Sam D

    Grade - AIFSQN

  • IFSQN Associate
  • 38 posts
  • 3 thanks
16
Good

  • United States
    United States
  • Gender:Female
  • Location:USA
  • Interests:Travelling

Posted 28 January 2022 - 06:31 PM

I am personally against ditto marks but there is one thing I have seen being used and I don't have a problem with it; using a long continuous arrow instead of ditto marks to indicate it's a same information.   Example:  

Task                                         Time completed         Initials

Turn on the valve 1                         7:59 am                    SD

Turn on the valve 2                         7:59 am                    SD

Turn on the valve 3                         7:59 am                    SD
Turn on the valve 4                         7:59 am                    SD
Turn on the valve 5                         7:59 am                    SD

Turn on the valve 6                         7:59 am                    SD

Turn on the valve 7                         7:59 am                    SD

 

 

Task                                         Time completed         Initials

Turn on the valve 1                         7:59 am                     SD

Turn on the valve 2                                            

Turn on the valve 3                                          
Turn on the valve 4                                           

Turn on the valve 5                                             

Turn on the valve 6                                      

Turn on the valve 7

Turn on the valve 8                        7:59 am                      SD

 

Instead of filling the table with 7:59 am in all rows ,or same initials in all rows, the first and last row was filled out manually  and a continuous arrow  (---------------->)connected the first and last row.  7:59 am ---------------> 7:59 am and SD---------------> SD.

 

PS: Sorry, could not attach the picture or make an arrow here.

 

 

I would be careful what kind of documents I would allow to use these arrows though.
 
 
 


Edited by samjhand, 28 January 2022 - 06:35 PM.


oigdaym8

    Grade - Active

  • IFSQN Active
  • 23 posts
  • 3 thanks
0
Neutral

  • United States
    United States

Posted 01 February 2022 - 05:05 PM

To add on to what Samjhand wrote above, I agree that you can draw a line; however, in my experience it is always accompanied by the initials and date of who is filling in the fields. So you draw the line from rows A-G then insert the initials and date (spanning rows H-I) and then continue the line indicating same information from rows J-M. And I completely agree with the above comment regarding evaluating the forms for redundancy and eliminating non-essential info or creating fields which provide the data and require circling, etc. Hope this is not too confusing!



JFerrone

    Grade - Active

  • IFSQN Active
  • 3 posts
  • 0 thanks
0
Neutral

  • United States
    United States

Posted 03 November 2022 - 07:53 PM

Our Good Documentation Practices procedures prohibit the use of ditto marks.  Instead, we use a single line through the empty fields, not arrows.  I think the feeling is that arrows imply continuation, when you are really going from one cell to another, and no further.



Miss Frankie

    Grade - SIFSQN

  • IFSQN Senior
  • 259 posts
  • 27 thanks
54
Excellent

  • United States
    United States
  • Gender:Female

Posted 03 November 2022 - 09:27 PM

We don't use ditto marks, but do use check marks and X.

We have a legend on every page that states what the √ or X means.

So far, auditors are okay with that.





Share this

0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users