ISO 9001: 2000 Quality Management System Design
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18.2 Generic Numbering System
In many cases, the documentation system is a mixture of online and hard copy. This raises the issue of just what type of numbering system will work concurrently. One possible approach is to have the online format as shown in Table 18.2.
| Dept | Tier II | 2 | 852 | 12 | 01 |
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| (Directory) | (Subdirectory) | (Level) | (Element of Standard) | (Document) | (Revision level) |
In this table, we see the following:
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Only eight integers or alphas are needed.
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It permits 99 tier III documents for every tier II document.
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The department and tier II levels do not require a number because they are in computer directories and subdirectories.
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The level number is either 1, 2, 3, or 4 for the various tiers.
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The element of the Standard would run from 004 to 853.
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The document number runs from 01 through 99.
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Revision control runs up to 99.
When hard copy documents are required, we would simply add the operating departments code name. For example, quality assurance (QA), and the type of document (CAP for corrective action procedure) would form QACAP28521201 = the first revision of the QA tier II corrective action procedure, document number 12.
Alternative to Numbered Online Systems Because of the use of hyperlinks and clearly defined subdirectories, it is common to find online systems that do not use a numbering system at all but simply link to titled documents. Thus, the system would simply link you to the corrective and preventive action process document, which resides in a subdirectory dedicated to quality-assurance documents. The use of numbering systems is generally found with documentation systems that have been in use for many years, particularly in aerospace, military, and medical environments.
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