Key standards
- ISO 9001 (quality management), ISO 14001 (environmental management), ISO 45001 (occupational health & safety), ISO 50001 (energy management).
Documented issues
An isoTracker article on audit failures states that poor document control is one of the top reasons organisations fail ISO 9001 audits. Documents must be easy to access, identifiable, and show only the latest version, with restricted access to previous versions. isotracker.com.
Typical challenges
- Uncontrolled shared drives with outdated procedures and forms.
- Employees unaware of version control; multiple “right” copies in circulation.
- Environmental, health & safety (EHS) and energy management documents stored separately, hindering integrated audits.
Best Practice playbook
- Centralise document control: use a document management system to store, approve, and distribute current versions. isotracker.com.
- Label and classify documents by process (quality, environmental, safety, energy) and maintain revision history.
- Restrict access to obsolete versions; archive them but prevent routine use. isotracker.com.
- Integrate management systems (ISO 9001/14001/45001/50001) to share procedures and avoid duplication.
- Train staff and audit regularly: ensure employees know where to find current documents and verify they follow them during internal audits.
References
- isoTracker article citing poor document control as a common cause of ISO 9001 audit failures and emphasising accessible, identifiable, and current documents. isotracker.com.
