Version records

A document can change while retaining the same controlled identity. Each source-linked version sits under its parent document, with a sequence, description, observed date, source reference and outcome. The parent holds the current revision and version number. Reviewers can therefore see which source item was considered without treating a renamed attachment as a new document.

For example, a safety procedure may be corrected after publication. The controller records the incoming source item under the existing parent and identifies the prior published revision. A correction has its own operation run and compensating step; the successor version does not replace earlier entries. This distinction matters when a reader asks what the organization had approved before the correction.

• Parentage. Every version belongs to a specific controlled document.
• Source identity. The source reference and source record ID identify the incoming item considered for review.
• Outcome. Pending, Accepted and Rejected distinguish a version waiting for a decision from one with a recorded result.

Choose a sequence convention and decide what the description must tell the reviewer. Agree how source record IDs and references map to the repository where the content lives. If a source system supplies the data, review its mapping from source fields into document fields before import. The mapping record includes its version, field names, transform rule and effective date, so the team can explain a later migration or correction.

Define the point at which a version is accepted and who checks that the source content matches the document’s classification and access policy. Keep this decision separate from publishing the parent document. The version outcome tells the team what happened to the candidate; the review decision identifies the reviewer and the parent revision considered.

Use an incoming procedure revision that has a source ID already recorded. The Document Controller finds its existing parent, adds the candidate version and checks its sequence and source reference. The Document Reviewer can inspect the source and record a decision against the intended revision. If the candidate is rejected, the outcome and reason should remain understandable without removing the prior accepted version.

Then rehearse a correction to a published revision. Compare the old and successor version records, the updated parent revision, the correction run and the assigned verification action. The old entry should remain available for an authorized historical review, while the current parent directs readers to the new controlled state.

• Versions awaiting outcome — Review candidate source items that still need a recorded result.
• Document register — Return to the parent record and its current revision.
• Returned reviews — Find revisions that need another pass before publication.

Follow the revision and review process and the correction process.