Definition of Controlled Documents
Controlled documents (also called managed documents) are documents that go through a fixed document life cycle – from creation and approval to publication and archiving. Their review, approval, distribution and retirement are under control.
From a document management point of view, this means that:
- documents cannot simply be deleted – the company must be able to prove which version applied in the past, so old versions are archived instead,
- each version goes through defined statuses: Draft > Valid > Archived,
- it is always clear which version is valid and when each previous version was valid.
In other words, creation, publication and retirement are under control – hence the name "controlled".
Examples of controlled documentation in the company
Controlled documentation is used for all documents that people or processes are governed by – wherever it must be clear which version is valid, from when, and until when the previous version applied. Most often these are:
- company policies, work procedures (describing processes, duties and obligations)
- manuals, product documentation, guidelines and datasheets
- ISO documentation
- standards
Controlled documentation ensures that employees always have the valid version of a document available.
How policy administrators work with controlled documents
Policy administrators manage the whole document life cycle in the policy and manual organizers. Documents cannot be deleted – instead, each version moves from one status to the next:
- Draft – the default status of every newly uploaded document. Only the policy administrator can see it, and it stays a draft until you set it as valid.
- Valid – the current version that everyone must follow. Only a valid version can be published to the policy portal. You can set the validity date and the effective date separately.
- Archived – a version that is no longer valid. It is never deleted and stays in the document history.
The validity date says from when the document applies, the effective date says from when people must start following it. Usually both dates are the same, so you only fill in the validity date. Use a later effective date when employees need time to get familiar with the document in advance – for example, a policy valid from 1 November that takes effect on 1 January.
What controlled documentation means for employees
For employees, valid and effective documents are what matters – typically policies, work procedures or manuals they must follow. The employer must make them available to employees in an accessible form.
- Employees always work with the valid version of each document.
- They can see all published valid documents on the company policy portal, also on their phones.