Manufacturing Document Management Solutions

MasterControl's manufacturing document management software helps general manufacturing companies attain and sustain regulatory compliance with ISO quality standards by optimizing quality processes and by keeping the quality system in a state of complete readiness for ISO audits. MasterControl's manufacturing document control software maintains all your documents in one online location (the web-based platform provides a centralized repository for storing SOPs, policies, DOPs (detailed operating procedures), templates, forms, and other documentation). A single, cohesive system for all documents makes the search for and the retrieval of documentation easier for employees and auditors.

One of the risks faced by a manufacturing company is most likely to come across is the rotation of different versions of SOPs throughout the organization. This rotation results in outdated SOPs that are still being referred to by manufacturing employees. SOPs with varying instructions can obviously result in serious product risk, non-conformities and serious consequences. To prevent the use of outdated SOPs, MasterControl's manufacturing document management system ensures that only the current version of the document is available to view by users. In addition, only a single authorized user is allowed to update the document at any given time. There are a number of change control features that specifically track and document which changes have occurred in which documents. These features help document reviewers to quickly review and approve document changes.

Another important feature of the MasterControl manufacturing document management software is the automatic tracking of all documentation under review. MasterControl tracks documents by status or by history. A document will show as either "in process" or "complete" if tracked by status. The "revision" or "approval history" of documents can also be reviewed using the history feature. In addition, MasterControl's manufacturing document control software provides a secure, time-stamped audit trail and documents the identity of anyone who creates or modifies an electronic record. The system also automatically records when a change or an action has taken place and what the changes were.

Cross-communication is a pivotal factor that can make or break any company. If the company spans to several departments or if branches spread across a region, there is a greater chance that miscommunication will occur between employees. As manufacturing processes require collaboration between various teams, it is of primary importance to keep the collaboration process organized and under control. A breakage in communication can lead to production halts which may result in the loss of capital and unwanted company audits. MasterControl's manufacturing document management software provides a collaboration workspace that allows users to view all user input and to avoid the duplication of effort. A rejected document, for example, is automatically returned to the originator for a new task, so rejected packets don't languish in the system.

When an SOP is altered, it must then be approved by a reviewer(s). The sooner the document is approved, the sooner the SOP can be circulated throughout the company. The timely approval of SOPs is very important. MasterControl's manufacturing document control software reduces document review cycle time by automating the routing and approval of documentation and by incorporating the escalation of overdue tasks. With MasterControl, company-wide policies, SOPs, and other documents that require interdepartmental collaboration move along a pre-defined workflow and can be managed electronically. Overdue tasks are automatically escalated to a manager. In addition, the release of one task can be made dependent on the completion of another task which gives managers more control over processes and the ability to reduce cycle time by prompting users immediately when a task has been completed and another task needs to be initiated.