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Dori and I have both worked under FDA and ISO. A few years ago, my
company happily switched from "meaningful" document ID numbers to simple
numbers backed by a spreadsheet (not even a database!).
I like having a document control procedure that I can easily show,
explain, and justify to an auditor -- preferably, in less time than it
takes to prepare the next infusion of sugar and caffeine.
Still, I am ever mindful of Eli Lapp: "There is never only one way." The
previous document control procedure with "meaningful" numbers was fully
compliant -- but also cumbersome and complex.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: neilson
> Sent: Friday, November 16, 2007 1:54 PM
> To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> Subject: Re: Document Naming Conventions
>
> Dori admonishes:
>
> > Previous discussions on this list have warned _strongly_ against
> > trying to make document identification numbers somehow "meaningful".
>
> I totally agree, having been involved with documents that had
> "meaningful" numbers. Here are some further ideas:
>
> - There is something to be said for a system that uses long
> numbers that are self-verifying...
>
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