Why not try digital signature?

Digital signature on documents is one of the areas where technology has made a significant difference and improvement to Document Controllers’ daily tasks.

Indeed, in companies which have implemented digital signatures, Document Controllers no longer have to print documents out, to walk around offices to gather the signatures, and then to scan the signed documents in.

With digital signature, we manage only electronic copies all the way through, up to their signature point. This is really a huge gain in terms of time and manhours. Probably more than 10 minutes per document are no longer wasted.

In addition, the digital signature is available from anywhere, and one of the benefits really is that people can actually sign even if they are not in the office. We no longer have to wait for a manager to return from a business trip to physically sign a document.

One area where this has also significantly improved our lives  is signature of  transmittal sheets. Physically signing every transmittal sheet and acknowledgement of receipt can literally represent a significant part of our daily tasks. Electronic signature has significantly improved this process.

As every change in any work process, the implementation of digital signatures requires proper discussions, agreements (notably on the contractual / legal side), but it is undoubtedly a great improvement in terms of processes and workload.

An article from Consepsys Information Management 

The Document Control Tribune

The first issue of the Document Control Tribune is now available! This is a free newsletter, so do not hesitate to subscribe here: http://www.consepsys-im.com/newsletter.html

In this issue:

Why Implement Document Control?
These questions come more often than you may think: "Why do I need Document Control? Why implement it? Can't our employees/engineers do their own filing?"

Why not try electronic signature?
Digital signature on documents is one of the areas where technology has made a significant difference and improvement to Document Controllers’ daily tasks.

Mapping workflows and processes
Most times, a good graphical procedure is more efficient than plain text.

Final Documentation and Safety
Final Documentation is one of the phases whereby Document Control and Safety overlap and collide.

Download the Document Control Tribune here: http://www.consepsys-im.com/newsletter.html



An article from Consepsys Information Management

Final documentation and safety

Final Documentation is one of the phases whereby Document Control and Safety overlap and collide.

Document Controllers must always bear in mind that the documentation packages that they prepare will be delivered to production/processing plants, factories, constructed sites/buildings, control rooms etc, and that technical professionals will rely on these documents in they day-to-day activities.

The quality, the accuracy and the integrity of the delivered documentation must be flawless in order to avoid accidents.

The difficulty often lies in the fact that Final Documentation packages must be prepared in a haste, under pressure, often with additional and temporary team members, and that this phase may, in certain cases, involve literally thousands and even tens of thousands of documents.

It is challenging for anyone to deliver a flawless package in such conditions. However, the lifes of many people may depend on the quality of this work.

Practical examples of issues that Document Controllers must bear in mind when they compile final documentation may include:

- What if I overlook the fact that a page is missing in an Oil and Gas equipment isolation procedure? The maintenance/operations person in charge of isolating the equipment from incoming flammable/explosive fluids may miss a few procedural steps and wind up injured or killed;

- What if forget to include operating manuals for the maintenance of a building's lift/elevator before final documentation hand-over is signed off? The client may have to pay significant amounts of money, after close-out of the contract, to obtain this documentation at last. Maintenance of the lift/elevator may meanwhile be delayed and cause accidents.

- What if I inadvertently insert a superseded version of a technical document in the final documentation package? A whole ulterior plant/factory/site modification project may start on incorrect information and may wind up wasting significant sums of money before anyone realises the mistake. It may also put people's life at risk, for example, if excavation works are launched in an area which is not supposed to include a buried high-pressure gas pipeline.

An article from Consepsys Information Management

Engineering Control, Control of Documentation and Safety

The history of industrial accidents is filled with examples of failure of Engineering Control.

Some of us may be aware of the Flixborough accident of 1974, which claimed the lives of 28 people and which seriously injured 36 people.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flixborough_disaster

Some of us may be also be aware of the 1988 accident on the Piper Alpha platform which claimed the lives of 167 people.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piper_Alpha

The first incident occured due (in part) to a failure in Engineering Control. The second incident happened due (in part) to a failure of the site 'Permit to Work' system.

Although they were not directly linked with Document Control, in both cases, accidents were partly caused by the failure in managing important documents.

This shows that, in general, the mismanagement of documentation can have serious consequences. In this respect, Document Control requires a strong quality and safety mindset.

An article from Consepsys Information Management