DraftInternalISO 9001ISO 14001ISO 27001

SW-IMS-PRO-001

Document Control Procedure

Version

1.0

Owner

IMS Owner

Effective Date

TBD

Review Date

TBD

Document Control Procedure

Document ID: SW-IMS-PRO-001-v1.0
Effective Date: [TBD]
Review Date: [TBD]
Owner: IMS Owner
Approved by: [TBD]

1. Purpose

This procedure establishes the process for creating, reviewing, approving, distributing, updating, and controlling documents within Swedwise's Integrated Management System (IMS). It ensures:

  • Documents are properly identified, versioned, and traceable
  • Documents are reviewed and approved before use
  • Current versions are available to those who need them
  • Obsolete documents are identified and removed from use
  • Changes to documents are controlled and documented
  • Documents meet ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 27001 requirements

2. Scope

This procedure applies to all controlled documents within Swedwise's IMS, including:

  • Policies: High-level management statements
  • Procedures: Step-by-step process instructions
  • Guidelines: Best practice recommendations
  • Role Descriptions: Responsibilities and authorities
  • Forms and Templates: Standardized data collection tools
  • Registers: Lists of assets, risks, objectives, etc.
  • IMS Manual: Overall system description
  • Training Materials: LMS content and awareness materials
  • Work Instructions: Detailed technical instructions (as applicable)

This procedure applies to all Swedwise locations and all staff who create, approve, or use IMS documents.

Out of Scope:

  • External documents (customer contracts, supplier documentation, standards)
  • Personal working documents and drafts
  • Project-specific documents not part of the IMS
  • Records (covered by Records Management Procedure)

3. Definitions

Term Definition
Controlled Document An IMS document subject to version control, approval, and distribution management.
Document Owner Person responsible for maintaining document content and initiating updates.
Document Approver Authority who approves documents for release (typically IMS Owner or Management Team).
Master Copy The official, approved version of a document maintained in the IMS repository.
Obsolete Document A document that has been superseded by a newer version or is no longer applicable.
Version A specific iteration of a document, identified by a version number (e.g., 1.0, 1.1, 2.0).
Document ID Unique identifier assigned to each document (e.g., SW-IMS-PRO-001).
Frontmatter YAML metadata block at the beginning of a Markdown document containing document properties.
Git Version control system used to track document changes and history.
Status Document state: Draft, Review, Approved, Obsolete.
Classification Sensitivity level: Public, Internal, Confidential, Restricted.

4. Document Identification and Numbering

4.1 Document ID Format

All IMS documents are identified using the following format:

SW-[SYSTEM]-[TYPE]-[NUMBER]-v[VERSION]

Example: SW-IMS-PRO-001-v1.0

Components:

Component Description Values
SW Swedwise prefix Fixed: SW
SYSTEM Management system IMS, QMS, EMS, ISMS
TYPE Document type POL, PRO, GUI, ROLE, FRM, REG, TRN, MAN
NUMBER Sequential number 001-999 (unique within TYPE)
VERSION Version number Major.Minor (e.g., 1.0, 1.1, 2.0)

System Codes:

  • IMS: Integrated Management System (cross-domain documents)
  • QMS: Quality Management System (ISO 9001)
  • EMS: Environmental Management System (ISO 14001)
  • ISMS: Information Security Management System (ISO 27001)

Document Type Codes:

  • POL: Policy
  • PRO: Procedure
  • GUI: Guideline
  • ROLE: Role Description
  • FRM: Form/Template
  • REG: Register
  • TRN: Training Material
  • MAN: Manual

4.2 Version Numbering

Version numbers follow the Major.Minor format:

  • Major version (e.g., 1.0 → 2.0): Significant changes requiring re-approval

    • Structural changes
    • Changes to responsibilities or authorities
    • Changes to processes that affect compliance
    • Changes that require retraining
  • Minor version (e.g., 1.0 → 1.1): Editorial or clarification changes

    • Typo corrections
    • Formatting improvements
    • Minor clarifications that don't change intent
    • Updated contact information

Initial Release: Always starts at version 1.0

4.3 Frontmatter Metadata

All documents include YAML frontmatter with the following required fields:

---
document_id: SW-IMS-PRO-001        # Unique ID (without version)
title: Document Control Procedure  # Document title
doc_type: procedure                # Document type
version: "1.0"                     # Current version
status: draft                      # Current status
classification: internal           # Sensitivity level
owner: IMS Owner                   # Document owner role
effective_date: [TBD]              # When document takes effect
review_date: [TBD]                 # Next scheduled review
standard:                          # Applicable ISO standards
  - ISO 9001
  - ISO 14001
related_documents:                 # Related document IDs
  - SW-IMS-POL-001
---

Status Values:

  • draft: Document is being created or revised
  • review: Document is under review by stakeholders
  • approved: Document is approved and in use
  • obsolete: Document has been superseded or withdrawn

Classification Levels:

  • public: Can be shared publicly
  • internal: For Swedwise staff only
  • confidential: Restricted to specific roles
  • restricted: Requires special authorization

5. Document Creation Process

5.1 Initiation

Step 1: Identify Need

  • Document need identified by: IMS Owner, management, audit finding, process improvement, regulatory requirement
  • Document type and scope determined

Step 2: Assign Document Owner

  • IMS Owner assigns Document Owner based on subject matter expertise
  • Document Owner added to Document Register

Step 3: Assign Document ID

  • IMS Owner assigns next available document ID from Document ID Register
  • Document ID reserved to prevent duplicates

5.2 Drafting

Step 1: Use Approved Template

  • Document Owner retrieves appropriate template from /templates/ directory
  • Template includes required frontmatter and section structure

Step 2: Create Document

  • Document created in Markdown format in appropriate directory:
    • Policies: /content/ims/policies/
    • Procedures: /content/ims/procedures/
    • Guidelines: /content/ims/guidelines/
    • Role Descriptions: /content/ims/role-descriptions/
    • Forms: /content/ims/forms/
    • Registers: /content/ims/registers/
    • Training: /content/ims/training/
    • Manual: /content/ims/ims-manual/

Step 3: Complete Frontmatter

  • Fill in all required frontmatter fields
  • Set status to "draft"
  • Set version to "1.0"
  • Classify document appropriately

Step 4: Write Content

  • Follow template structure
  • Use clear, actionable language
  • Define responsibilities clearly
  • Include cross-references to related documents using document IDs
  • Add examples or appendices as needed

Step 5: Internal Review (Optional)

  • Document Owner may request informal review from colleagues
  • Incorporate feedback before submitting for formal review

Step 6: Commit to Git

  • Document Owner commits draft to Git repository with descriptive message
  • Example: git commit -m "Draft: Document Control Procedure"

5.3 Review and Approval

Step 1: Submit for Review

  • Document Owner changes status to "review" in frontmatter
  • Sends review request to:
    • Subject matter experts
    • Affected departments
    • IMS Owner
    • CISO (for security-related documents)
    • Quality Lead (for quality-related documents)
    • Environmental Lead (for environmental documents)

Step 2: Review Period

  • Reviewers have 5 working days to provide feedback (unless urgent)
  • Feedback captured via:
    • Comments in Git pull request
    • Email to Document Owner
    • Tracked changes in separate copy

Step 3: Incorporate Feedback

  • Document Owner reviews all feedback
  • Makes necessary revisions
  • Documents review comments and resolutions in Document Review Log (SW-IMS-FRM-001)
  • Commits updated version to Git

Step 4: Final Approval

  • Document Owner submits to Document Approver:
    • Policies: Require Management Team approval
    • Procedures, Guidelines: Require IMS Owner approval
    • Role Descriptions: Require relevant manager + IMS Owner approval
    • Forms, Registers: Require IMS Owner approval
    • Training Materials: Require IMS Owner + subject matter lead approval

Step 5: Approval Granted

  • Approver reviews final version
  • Approver provides written approval (email or digital signature)
  • Document Owner updates frontmatter:
    • Status changed to "approved"
    • Effective date set (typically 7 days from approval to allow distribution)
    • Review date set (typically 1 year from effective date, or as specified)
    • Approver name recorded

Step 6: Publish

  • Document Owner commits approved version to Git with tag
  • Example: git commit -m "Approved: Document Control Procedure v1.0"
  • Example tag: git tag SW-IMS-PRO-001-v1.0
  • Document automatically published to web platform

5.4 Distribution and Communication

Step 1: Update Document Register

  • IMS Owner updates Document Register (SW-IMS-REG-002) with approved document details

Step 2: Communicate Availability

  • IMS Owner sends announcement to affected staff:
    • Document title and ID
    • Effective date
    • Link to document
    • Summary of what's new or changed

Step 3: Training (if required)

  • For documents requiring training:
    • Training materials developed
    • Training delivered before effective date
    • Training records maintained

Step 4: Access Control

  • Documents published to web platform with appropriate access controls:
    • Public: Available to all
    • Internal: Login required (all Swedwise staff)
    • Confidential: Role-based access
    • Restricted: Individual authorization required

6. Document Change Management

6.1 Requesting a Change

Who Can Request:

  • Any Swedwise employee
  • Document Owner
  • IMS Owner
  • Audit finding
  • Management directive
  • Regulatory change

How to Request:

  • Submit change request using Improvement Suggestion Form (SW-IMS-FRM-002) or email to Document Owner and IMS Owner
  • Include:
    • Document ID
    • Reason for change
    • Proposed change description
    • Urgency (routine, important, urgent)

6.2 Evaluating Change Requests

Step 1: Initial Assessment

  • Document Owner and IMS Owner review request within 3 working days
  • Determine:
    • Is change necessary?
    • Is it major (new version) or minor (editorial)?
    • What is the impact?
    • What is the priority?

Step 2: Approval to Proceed

  • Major changes: Require IMS Owner approval to proceed
  • Minor changes: Document Owner can proceed
  • Rejected changes: Requestor notified with rationale

6.3 Implementing Changes

For Major Changes (version increment):

  1. Document Owner creates new draft:

    • Increment version number (e.g., 1.0 → 2.0)
    • Set status to "draft"
    • Make changes to content
  2. Follow full review and approval process (Section 5.3)

  3. Upon approval:

    • New version published
    • Old version marked "obsolete" (status changed, effective date ended)
    • Document Register updated

For Minor Changes (editorial corrections):

  1. Document Owner makes changes

    • Increment minor version (e.g., 1.0 → 1.1)
    • Keep status as "approved"
    • Make corrections
  2. IMS Owner performs quick review

  3. Commit to Git with description

  4. Update Document Register

  5. No re-approval required

6.4 Emergency Changes

For urgent changes (e.g., security incident, regulatory requirement, critical process failure):

  1. Document Owner notifies IMS Owner and Management Team
  2. Change implemented immediately in draft form
  3. Interim approval by IMS Owner (verbal or email)
  4. Full approval process completed within 5 working days
  5. Change communicated immediately to affected staff

7. Periodic Document Review

7.1 Review Schedule

All documents reviewed on a regular basis:

Document Type Review Frequency Triggered Reviews
Policies Annually Management review, regulatory changes
Procedures Annually Audit findings, process changes
Guidelines Every 2 years Technology changes, best practice updates
Role Descriptions Annually Organizational changes, responsibility changes
Forms/Templates Every 2 years Process changes, usability issues
Registers Quarterly (content), Annually (format) Ongoing updates
Training Materials Annually Regulatory changes, process updates

7.2 Review Process

Step 1: Review Notification

  • IMS Owner sends review reminder to Document Owner 30 days before review date
  • Document Owner confirms receipt

Step 2: Document Owner Review

  • Document Owner reviews document for:
    • Accuracy and completeness
    • Alignment with current processes
    • Compliance with standards
    • Clarity and usability
    • Need for updates

Step 3: Review Decision

  • No changes needed: Document Owner notifies IMS Owner, review date extended (typically +1 year), no version change
  • Minor updates needed: Follow minor change process (Section 6.3)
  • Major updates needed: Follow major change process (Section 6.3)

Step 4: Document Review

  • Document Owner completes Document Review Log (SW-IMS-FRM-001)
  • IMS Owner updates Document Register with review completion

7.3 Overdue Reviews

  • IMS Owner monitors review dates
  • Overdue documents flagged in Document Register
  • Document Owner reminded weekly until review completed
  • Escalated to Management Team if >30 days overdue

8. Obsolete Document Management

8.1 When Documents Become Obsolete

Documents become obsolete when:

  • Superseded by a new major version
  • Process or activity no longer applicable
  • Merged with another document
  • Standard withdrawn
  • Organizational decision to discontinue

8.2 Obsolescence Process

Step 1: Mark as Obsolete

  • Document Owner or IMS Owner changes status to "obsolete" in frontmatter
  • Add "OBSOLETE" watermark to document header
  • Set effective end date

Step 2: Replace with New Version (if applicable)

  • Add reference to superseding document ID
  • Explain reason for obsolescence

Step 3: Remove from Active Use

  • Remove from navigation menus
  • Add redirect to new version (if applicable)
  • Mark as obsolete in Document Register

Step 4: Retain for Records

  • Obsolete documents retained in Git repository for historical reference
  • Retained for minimum 3 years or as required by regulation
  • Accessible via Git history or archive section

Step 5: Communicate

  • IMS Owner notifies affected staff of obsolescence
  • Provides link to replacement document

9. External Documents

9.1 Definition

External documents are created outside Swedwise but used within the IMS, including:

  • ISO standards (ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 27001)
  • Customer specifications and requirements
  • Supplier documentation and certificates
  • Regulatory guidance
  • Technical references

9.2 Control of External Documents

Step 1: Identify Need

  • Document Owner or IMS Owner identifies need for external document

Step 2: Acquire and Verify

  • Obtain from authoritative source
  • Verify authenticity and currency
  • Check for updates/revisions

Step 3: Register

  • Add to External Document Register (part of SW-IMS-REG-002)
  • Record: Title, Source, Version/Date, Location, Review Date

Step 4: Distribution

  • Store in designated location (e.g., /reference/external/)
  • Mark as "External Document - Not Under Swedwise Document Control"
  • Provide access to those who need it

Step 5: Review Currency

  • IMS Owner reviews external documents every 6 months to ensure current versions
  • Update or replace as needed

10. Document Storage and Access

10.1 Master Repository

Location: Git repository at /content/ims/

Structure:

/content/ims/
├── policies/
├── procedures/
├── guidelines/
├── role-descriptions/
├── forms/
├── registers/
├── training/
└── ims-manual/

Access:

  • IMS Owner: Full read/write access
  • Document Owners: Write access to their documents
  • All Swedwise staff: Read access to approved documents (subject to classification)

10.2 Web Platform

Location: https://ims.swedwise.se (or internal URL)

Features:

  • Dynamic rendering from Markdown
  • Search functionality
  • Document cross-linking (automatic document ID resolution)
  • Version history access
  • PDF/DOCX export
  • Access control based on classification

10.3 Backup and Recovery

  • Git repository backed up daily to remote server
  • Web platform database backed up daily
  • Recovery time objective (RTO): 4 hours
  • Recovery point objective (RPO): 24 hours

11. Inputs and Outputs

Inputs

  • New document need (IMS Owner, management, staff, audit finding)
  • Change requests (any employee, audit, regulation)
  • Review schedules (Document Register)
  • Feedback (reviews, audits, usage)
  • Templates and formats

Outputs

  • Controlled documents (approved and versioned)
  • Document Register (updated)
  • Document Review Logs
  • Obsolete document notifications
  • Training materials (for new/changed documents)
  • Git commits and version tags

12. Roles and Responsibilities

Role Responsibilities
IMS Owner - Maintain this procedure
- Assign document IDs
- Maintain Document Register
- Monitor review dates and enforce deadlines
- Approve procedures, guidelines, forms
- Coordinate document reviews
- Manage access controls
- Ensure compliance with this procedure
Document Owner - Create and maintain assigned documents
- Ensure content accuracy and currency
- Coordinate reviews and approvals
- Respond to change requests
- Conduct periodic reviews
- Update documents as needed
- Communicate changes to affected staff
Document Approver - Review documents for approval
- Ensure documents meet requirements
- Provide approval or rejection with rationale
- Approve changes to controlled documents
Management Team - Approve policies
- Allocate resources for document management
- Review document control effectiveness in management review
Subject Matter Experts - Participate in document reviews
- Provide technical input
- Validate accuracy of content
All Employees - Use current, approved documents
- Follow documented procedures
- Submit improvement suggestions
- Report issues with documents
- Participate in document reviews when requested

13. Records to Maintain

Record Retention Period Location Owner
Document Register (SW-IMS-REG-002) Current + 5 years IMS Repository IMS Owner
Document Review Logs (SW-IMS-FRM-001) 3 years IMS Repository Document Owner
Approval Records (emails, signatures) Life of document + 3 years Email/IMS folder Document Owner
Change Requests 3 years IMS Repository IMS Owner
Obsolete Documents 3 years minimum Git archive IMS Owner
Git Commit History Indefinite Git repository IMS Owner
Training Records (for documents requiring training) As per Training Procedure LMS database Training Coordinator

15. Monitoring and Measurement

Document control effectiveness is monitored through:

Metric Target Frequency
Documents reviewed on time >90% Quarterly
Average review turnaround time <5 working days Monthly
Obsolete documents removed 100% within 7 days Ongoing
Documents with correct frontmatter 100% Quarterly audit
Change requests responded to 100% within 3 days Monthly
Staff awareness of document locations >85% Annual survey

Results reported in Management Review.

16. Continuous Improvement

This procedure is subject to continuous improvement:

  • Lessons learned from document audits are incorporated
  • Staff feedback on usability is reviewed
  • Git workflow optimized based on usage patterns
  • Web platform features enhanced based on needs
  • Benchmarking against industry best practices

Suggestions for improvement should be submitted using the Improvement Suggestion Form (SW-IMS-FRM-002).


Appendix A: Document Creation Checklist

Use this checklist when creating a new IMS document:

  • Planning

    • Document need identified and justified
    • Document Owner assigned
    • Document ID assigned by IMS Owner
    • Scope and audience defined
  • Drafting

    • Appropriate template used
    • Frontmatter completed with all required fields
    • Document ID matches assigned ID
    • Version set to 1.0
    • Status set to "draft"
    • Classification assigned appropriately
    • Content follows template structure
    • Responsibilities clearly defined
    • Related documents referenced by document ID
    • Clear, actionable language used
  • Review

    • Status changed to "review"
    • Reviewers identified and notified
    • Review comments collected
    • Feedback incorporated
    • Document Review Log completed
  • Approval

    • Final version submitted to approver
    • Approval received (written record)
    • Status changed to "approved"
    • Effective date set
    • Review date set (typically +1 year)
    • Approver name recorded
  • Publication

    • Committed to Git with tag
    • Document Register updated
    • Announcement sent to affected staff
    • Training scheduled (if required)
    • Access controls configured

Appendix B: Document Review Log Template

See SW-IMS-FRM-001 - Document Review Log Template


Document Control

Version Date Author Changes
1.0 [TBD] [Author] Initial release

Approval

Role Name Signature Date
IMS Owner
Management Team Representative