Control Every Revision
Identify the current released document while retaining prior revisions, approval decisions, release dates, and obsolescence history.
ISO 9001 & AS9100 Quality Software
Document Control Software for ISO 9001 and AS9100 Manufacturers
Our document control software gives manufacturers a controlled process for submitting, reviewing, approving, releasing, revising, distributing, and obsoleting quality documents. Document owners, engineering, quality, production, and other departments can manage approvals, protect the current revision, and preserve a permanent document history.
One Controlled Source
Make the Current Approved Revision Easy to Find
Manufacturers depend on procedures, work instructions, drawings, forms, specifications, quality manuals, inspection instructions, and customer documents. When approvals, files, distribution, and revision lists are managed separately, employees can retrieve the wrong revision and document-control personnel lose visibility.
Database Providers' document control software centralizes document metadata, review assignments, approvals, release status, revision history, controlled access, and activity logs. The application supports your documented-information process; your organization remains responsible for defining applicable requirements, access rules, retention periods, and evidence of conformity.
Route Reviews and Approvals
Use no-review, reviewer-and-approver, or configurable multi-department workflows with assignments, status, comments, and reminders.
Connect Documents to Work
Classify documents by type, owner, department, customer, supplier, project, part number, purchase order, keywords, and status.
End-to-End Traceability
Controlled Document Lifecycle: From Submission Through Obsolescence
Maintain a visible status and permanent history as each controlled document moves through its approved process.
| Stage | Controlled Activities | Records Retained |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Submit | Add the source file, document number, proposed revision, description, type, owner, reason, keywords, and related records. | Submission, file identity, owner, date, and metadata |
| 2. Review | Route to the required reviewer, approver, departments, or custom review list; record comments and decisions. | Assignments, responses, comments, dates, and rejection reasons |
| 3. Approve | Confirm that required reviews are complete and obtain the designated approval before release. | Approver identity, decision, date, and approval history |
| 4. Release | Release the approved native file or an available PDF version and establish the effective revision. | Released file, revision, release date, status, and release authorization |
| 5. Distribute | Provide controlled retrieval, notification, search, download, printing, or viewing according to configured access rules. | Availability, notifications, and applicable usage activity |
| 6. Revise | Start the next revision using the prior workflow as a template, update the file and metadata, and repeat review and approval. | Change reason, proposed revision, routing, and approval evidence |
| 7. Obsolete | Release the new revision, remove the superseded revision from normal current-document use, and retain it as required. | Superseded file, obsolescence date, replacement revision, and history |
Document Library
Search by the Information Your Employees Know
Find controlled documents without browsing inconsistent network folders. Combine filters to narrow the library to the applicable document and current released revision.
- Document number, description, revision, type, and status
- Keywords, department, document owner, and reason code
- Customer, supplier, project, part number, or purchase order
- Current, under review, awaiting release, being revised, or obsolete status
- Single-record submission or configurable bulk-import methods
- Quick access to document details, routing, history, and approved files
Configurable Routing
Match the Review Process to the Document's Risk and Purpose
Not every record requires the same approval path. Select the workflow appropriate for the document and preserve who was responsible for each decision.
No Formal Review
Route designated reference or business records directly to release when your controlled process determines that a formal review is unnecessary.
Reviewer and Approver
Assign one reviewer and one approver for procedures, forms, work instructions, and other documents using a defined two-step workflow.
Custom Department Review
Require approval from selected departments or disciplines, consolidate comments, and return the completed review to the owner for final release.
Reviews, Rejections, and Reminders Remain Visible
Assigned users can see documents requiring their attention. Automated email notifications can alert owners, reviewers, approvers, and document-control personnel when a document is submitted, rejected, approved, awaiting release, or released. Reminder timing can be configured for pending reviews.
An approval record identifies the user, action, date, and related document. If your organization has regulated electronic-signature requirements, those requirements should be evaluated separately rather than assumed from a general approval workflow.
Release and Distribution
Separate Editable Source Files from Released Documents
Depending on the configured option, release the submitted native file or make an approved PDF version available for normal retrieval while retaining the source file for later controlled revision.
- Release the approved native file when appropriate
- Create and release an available PDF version of supported source files
- Control which revision appears in the current-document library
- Record release authorization and effective date
- Notify designated users or document-control personnel
- Log configured viewing, printing, and download activity
Revision and Obsolescence
Release the New Revision Without Losing the Old History
Start a revision from the current document so its metadata, owner, review type, reviewers, approvers, and release option can be reused or changed. The current revision remains identifiable while the replacement is under review.
- Identify the change reason and proposed revision level
- Retain or modify the prior routing and release settings
- Show that a current document is being revised
- Release the approved replacement revision
- Move the superseded revision out of normal current use
- Preserve revision, approval, release, and obsolescence history
Accountability and Status
Document Tracking, To-Do Lists, and Reports
Give document owners and quality personnel one place to monitor work in progress and investigate the history of a controlled document.
Review Work Queue
Documents awaiting owner review, reviewer action, approval, release, revision completion, or another configured responsibility.
Document History
Submission, review, approval, rejection, release, revision, obsolescence, and applicable usage events with user and timestamp.
Management Visibility
Documents in review, overdue assignments, awaiting release, current revisions, obsolete revisions, and activity by selected filters.
Available reports include document history, revision history, and usage logs. Because the Access front end is open source, reports and filters can be adapted to the information needed for daily administration, internal audits, management review, or external-audit preparation.
Access and Storage Configuration
Configure Responsibility, Permissions, and File Locations
Set up employees, temporary personnel, departments, document types, reason codes, customers, suppliers, projects, and storage locations to match your document-control structure.
- Role-appropriate access to document functions and records
- Separate current, review, source, and obsolete file locations
- Configurable restricted-project classifications and locations
- Company information and report personalization
- Document numbering, naming, metadata, and workflow customization
Connected Quality Records
Integrate Controlled Documents with the Rest of Your QMS
Employee Training
Connect released or revised procedures and work instructions to training assignments, competency records, and employee history.
Corrective Action
Reference the controlled documents involved in a problem and link approved document changes to corrective-action implementation.
Internal Auditing
Use current procedures as audit criteria and connect audit findings with document corrections or revisions.
Inspection and NCMR
Reference the applicable drawings, specifications, control plans, and inspection instructions from quality records.
Integrated QA Suite
Share document references and cross-module links among Documents, Training, Audits, Corrective Action, and Inspection.
Authoritative References
Review the official ISO 9001 standard overview and IAQG 9100 information.
Open-Source and Customizable
Microsoft Access Front End with Access or SQL Server Data
The software is delivered with an open-source Microsoft Access front end, including forms, reports, queries, tables, and VBA source code. Adapt fields, workflows, reports, terminology, document types, and business rules to your operation.
- Modify forms, reports, queries, tables, and VBA logic
- Add metadata, routing, notifications, and approval rules
- Integrate with existing Access applications and business systems
- Retain ownership and control of your application and data
| Deployment | Best Fit |
|---|---|
| Access front end + Access back end | Smaller workgroups seeking a fast, economical deployment on a stable local network. |
| Access front end + SQL Server back end | Growing multi-user environments needing stronger concurrency, security controls, scalability, and data-management options. |
Straightforward Licensing
Document Control Software Pricing
Purchase the stand-alone application or obtain Document Control as one of the five connected applications in the QA Suite.
Stand-Alone
$599
One-time software license
- Document Control application
- Unlimited users
- Open-source Microsoft Access front end
- Access or SQL Server back-end option
- No annual software-license fee
If purchased separately and integrated with another Database Providers module later, a $250 integration fee applies per module.
Ask About Stand-AloneIncluded in the QA Suite
$2,499
Five connected core applications
- Inspection and NCMR
- Corrective Action
- Document Control
- Employee Training
- Internal Auditing
- Unlimited users and no annual software-license fee
Implementation, customization, data conversion, training, file migration, SQL Server setup, and ongoing support are quoted separately when requested.
Frequently Asked Questions
Document Control Software FAQ
What is document control software?
Document control software manages the identification, review, approval, release, availability, revision, obsolescence, retention, and history of controlled documents. Document management can be broader; document control specifically governs approved versions and lifecycle decisions.
Does the software make our company ISO 9001 or AS9100 compliant?
No software can certify conformity. This application supports controlled-document records and workflows that an organization may configure for its ISO 9001 or AS9100 quality management system. Your organization remains responsible for applicable requirements and effective implementation.
Can we create different review and approval workflows?
Yes. Available approaches include no formal review, a reviewer-and-approver process, and configurable multi-department review. The open-source application can be modified for other routing and approval rules.
Can the system release a PDF while retaining the editable source?
Yes, for supported source-document types and configured workflows. The editable source can be retained for controlled revision while the approved PDF is made available as the released document.
Can employees retrieve drawings and other file types?
Yes. The library can reference PDFs, Office documents, drawings, images, videos, and other file types. The appropriate viewing application must be available on the workstation.
Can existing documents and metadata be imported?
Often, yes. Documents may be added individually, through a configured import folder, or with mapped spreadsheet data. Migration effort depends on existing file organization, metadata quality, duplicates, and revision history.
Can multiple employees use the application?
Yes. It is designed for multi-user operation. An Access back end may fit a smaller stable local-network workgroup, while SQL Server is commonly selected for broader concurrency, scalability, and data-management needs.
Is Document Control included in the QA Suite?
Yes. Document Control is one of the five core QA Suite applications, together with Inspection and NCMR, Corrective Action, Employee Training, and Internal Auditing.
Control the Complete Document Lifecycle
See How the Software Can Fit Your Document-Control Process
Discuss your document library, approval workflows, existing files, Access or SQL Server deployment, integrations, and customization requirements.