Our documentation course explains the hierarchy and structure of information to be placed in your quality manual, procedures, instructions, and forms.

Practical exercises help students gain the necessary skills for writing readable and usable documents. These exercises can be tailored to produce some of the key documents in your project plan.

Individual assistance can be arranged in document clinics to help authors prepare process flowcharts and write their assigned documents. If desired, our consultants can write the necessary documents with input from the process owners and users.

Our consultants will help you step through the writing process:

• Plan: What is being written? Why are we writing it?
• Investigate: Collect information and generate ideas.
• Organize: Group your thoughts into a document outline.
• Write: Create a draft document in the agreed format.
• Review: Ask process users to look at the draft document.
• Test: Use the document to validate it is correct and complete.
• Approve: Submit it for management review and approval.
• Train: Ensure users are trained before issuing the document.
• Issue: Make it available in the document control system.
• Maintain: Revise the document to keep it valid and current.

Read about our Quality System Documentation course.

System Procedures

The purpose of a procedure is to specify the way an activity is performed. It identifies what is done and by whom. It defines when and where the activities are performed. It even explains why the activities are done.

However, if detailed directions on how to carry out a task are needed, the procedure normally refers to a work instruction for more of an explanation.

A procedure not only describes a departmental process, it defines the job responsibilities and authority for the persons involved in the process.

Some specific procedures are required by ISO 9001. Others are necessary as seen fit by the organization to ensure critical activities are properly handled.

The procedures themselves are proof the necessary documentation is in place, plus they generate quality records for evidence of process conformity.

If you would like to arrange for consulting services for your organization, please submit a proposal request.

If you have any questions about our services, please call us at 770-517-7944. You may also contact us by fax at 770-517-7945 or email to Larry@WhittingtonAssociates.com.