Change Control for Documentation

[Gene Kim-Eng]

Most of the best companies I've worked with use the
same change order system that applies to any other
part.  Proposed changes are documented in an ECO
(Engineering Change Order) that describes the change, 
why it is needed and what the priority is.  The ECO
is evaluated, and if the proposed change does not drive
an immediate revision it is put into the release system
as "defer to next revision" change.  Any attempt to 
release a new revision that does not reference the 
ECO will result in a flag in the release system that
has to be resolved, either by making the change or
deferring it again.  The companies I've worked with
that treated documentation differently from "real
product" have all turned out to be bad experiences.

Gene Kim-Eng


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Beth Agnew" <Beth.Agnew at senecac.on.ca>
> What change control methods do you use for documentation in your 
> organization? In draft stages, I incorporate feedback, corrections and 
> changes into subsequent drafts, but as we get closer to deadline, I 
> typically go to a "bug priority" method that parallels those used in 
> software development. Anything considered a "showstopper", in that it 
> would cause the user trouble if left unchanged in (or left out of) the 
> final manual gets immediate attention and may even affect release date. 
> Other changes that are important but not particularly urgent may get 
> into the current manual or be prioritized for the next edition, 
> depending on how close we are to release. Nice-to-haves are incorporated 
> into the next version of the documentation.
> 
> I'm sure there are variations on the above. What have you found to work 
> in your shop?