Archive for the ‘Standards Document Control’ Category

Did you know Document Center’s Quarterly Standards Reporter can solve your documentation auditing problems?

Wednesday, January 23rd, 2013

For many of Document Center’s customers, the issue of keeping their compliance collections in good condition for the various quality and regulatory audits they face is an on-going issue.  Our quarterly Standards Reporter service is one way companies like yours have solved this problem.

This report is tailored for folks who have identified the standards and regulatory documents they need to maintain in order to pass their regular reviews (and keep their companies documentation in good order for the sake of providing their customer base with a reliable and safe product).

Working with Document Center, these customers have made sure that all applicable documents are on our notification service.  Then, once a quarter a report is generated that lists all those standards in our system.  It is provided to the customer both in paper and excel spreadsheet format.

The report itself is a listing of all the standards, titles, and the current revision levels, including the release date.  Any current document components like amendments, correction sheets, and so on are included.

We’ve got one customer who has relied on this service for years, and has even written it into the company’s quality protocols for his documentation requirements!

If you need a way to easily verify your methodology for reviewing your documents on a regular basis to assure your company and your compliance auditors that your documentation is current, consider Document Center’s quarterly Standards Reporter service.  For the low annual fee of $120.00, you too can cross another area of potential liability off your list.

More information on Document Center Inc. can be found on our website, www.document-center.com.  To order the service, contact our sales staff by phone (650-591-7600), fax (650-591-7617) or email (info@document-center.com).  We’ll be happy to provide you with all the information you need to get started on our collection maintenance program.

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ESD Association document types and our list of ESD Standards

Wednesday, December 14th, 2011

Understanding the various document numbering schema from Standards Developing Organizations (SDO’s) can be challenging for the beginning Standards Specialist.

In reviewing the standards available for Electronic Discharge Control, standards from the ESD Association top the list.  What are the different designations for these ESD standards and what do they mean?  Here’s the definitions:

  • Standard (S): A precise statement of a set of requirements to be satisfied by a material, product, system or process that also specifies the procedures for determining whether each of the requirements is satisfied.
  • Standard Test Method (STM): A definitive procedure for the identification, measurement and evaluation of one or more qualities, characteristics or properties of a material, product, system or process that yield a reproducible test result.
  • Standard Practice (SP): A procedure for performing one or more operations or functions that may or may not yield a test result. Note, if a test result is obtained it is not reproducible.
  • Technical Report (TR): A collection of technical data or test results published as an informational reference on a specific material, product, system or process.

Our webpage, Some of our best selling Electrostatic Discharge Control (ESD) Standards (with Links to the Current Document), contains a list of the ESD standards we commonly sell.  You can easily link from the page to each individual document to check the status of the document and order if needed.

Or consider looking up a document you need to order directly on our website, www.document-center.com.  You can also contact us by phone (650-591-7600), fax (650-591-7617) and email (info@document-center.com).  We’re here to help you with all your standards needs.

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ICS (International Classification for Standards) Codes can help you identify the standards you need

Thursday, April 14th, 2011

The ICS (International Classification for Standards) Codes are intended to serve as a structure for cataloging standards by subject area.  It is similar to the Dewey Decimal system for books in the library.  They’re used by standards bodies at the International Level (ISO and IEC), the regional level (CEN and CENELEC in Europe) and at the national level (ASTM International for example).   Understanding the ICS schema can help you find the standards you need to maintain the use of best practices in your organization.

The scheme is made up of 3 levels, each divided by a period.  The first level is a two digit number that specifies one of forty specific areas of standardization.  Some examples are 11 (for Health Care Technology), 25 (for Manufacturing Engineering) and 29 (Electrical Engineering).

Each of these area is then divided into 392 groups for level 2, this time a three digit number.  So for Health Care Technology, the 11.040 covers Medical Equipment, 11.060 is for Dentistry, and 11.080 is for Sterilization and disinfection.  For section 25, 25.040 is Industrial automation systems, 25.060 is Machine tool systems, and 25.200 is Heat treatment.  And in section 29, 29.020 is Electrical engineering in general, 29.030 is Magnetic materials, and 29.045 is Semiconducting materials.

Many of these level two designations still are rather broad, so there is a possible level three (for 144 of the 392 level two groups), again separated by a period.  Some examples would be 11.040.40, Implants for surgery, 25.040.30, Industrial robots, Manipulators, or 29.060.01, Electrical wires and cables in general.

You can find the documents you need by drilling down using the links to StandardsCatalog.com above which direct you to lists sorted by the ICS Code numbers.   Or you can use the references in StandardsCatalog.com to specific documents like ASTM B633 and use the link found towards the bottom of the page in the section “To find similar documents by classification.”  In the case of ASTM B633, the ICS Code is 25.220.40 (Metallic coatings).

Should you find documents you like to purchase, they are available from us at our www.document-center.com website.  Or contact us by phone (650-591-7600), fax (650-591-7617) or email (info@document-center.com).  Remember, we’re happy to answer any questions you might have about this or any standards-related topic.

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Document Center’s Standards Audit — Are your standards current?

Monday, April 4th, 2011

Here at Document Center Inc., we know that one of the most difficult tasks for Document Control personnel, or any standards user for that matter, is keeping a collection of standards current.  Documents often change without a great deal of publicity to the public sector, leaving the user vulnerable to the liability of using obsolete documentation.

So to help our customers solve this problem, we developed our Standards Audit service.  We take a list of the documents our customer is using, complete with document numbers and dates.  We review each document to confirm that the customer’s copy is complete and correct.  Any item that a customer should have is noted on a quote that includes the document number, revision information and dates.  This allows the customer to go back to the collection and confirm that indeed the items are missing or not.

Our system allows us to review standards much faster and with greater accuracy that a person might do on their own.  Knowing where to go for all information on a standard is not as easy as one might think.  For example, its not unusual for us to get a document from a source organization that’s missing an errata.

So if you have  a document collection and need some help prior to a certification review or just to gain peace of mind, contact us for a Standards Audit.

We’ll need a list of the documents you maintain, with as much information as you have, like title and revision information, including dates.  We’ll use the list to get you a quote for the cost of the audit, since this depends on how many documents you include on your list.  Then you’ll authorize the transaction with a purchase order or credit card and the audit will be done in 2 to 5 days!

You can reach us by phone at 650-591-7600, fax at 650-591-7617, or by email at info@document-center.com.  We look forward to hearing from you.

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Document Control – How to manage a Standards Collection

Friday, September 10th, 2010

Quality and Compliance professionals know the importance of standards in the business setting.  But keeping a standards collection current and correct can be a challenge for any organization.

Here at Document Center Inc., we’ve been working with standards for over 28 years.  So we’ve got some experience in collecting and maintaining standards!

Managing standards is an essential function in any organization.  Standards can positively or negatively impact your reputation and cause regulatory and quality problems.   And regulatory and quality problems eventually create legal liabilities which are much cheaper to avoid than to repair.

We believe that by separating the documentation function into 5 easy pieces, any organization can have a reliable standards system.  Here’s our plan:

Rule 1 – Define

Rule 2 – Assess

Rule 3 – Control Usage

Rule 4 – Procure

Rule 5 – Monitor

I’ll be using subsequent blogs to review the 5 Rules.  Each requires some discussion so that you are able to institute good practices throughout the standards lifecycle.

Contact us any time with any questions or for assistance.  We can be reached at our website www.document-center.com and via email at info@document-center.com.  Of course, feel free to call us at 650-591-7600 or fax 650-591-7617.

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