The document control of today is an integrated system accessible anywhere, anytime. Document control/management spending is ranked as the third most planned software purchase for 2006, estimated at $46.6 million, according to Quality Magazine's capital spending survey (December 2005, p. 52).
At its simplest form, document control is a system for distributing and controlling documents. For a manufacturer, such documents can include procedures, work instructions or manuals, control plans, and standards and specifications. Companies can invest in a manual document control system, such as an administrator who files and handles all the company's documentation and keeps track of distribution records, or invest in an automated document control system such as a software, client-server or Web-based initiative.