Acquiring and assigning document numbers
In logicDCMS multiple concepts are possible in assigning document numbers to documents.
Three types of document numbers can be used, internal document numbers, client document numbers and vendor document numbers.
These can be used separately or in combination.
Advice to the company making use of logicDCMS as their document control system is to primary make use of internal document numbers, if necessary in combination with client and/or vendor document
numbers.
Advantage of internal document numbers is that they are directly available when needed. The internal document controller can provide these.
And your company is 'in control', not any other company !
Client document numbers have to be acquired and often take more time as communication with the client to get these is necessary.
Sometimes numbers will be provided at the start of the project, but that is not the case for additional documents.
logicDCMS offers a procedure to aquire client document numbers. It is based on so called DNRF forms ( Document Naming Request Forms ).
These forms can be registered in logicDCMS. Outstanding DNRF forms and returned forms can be made visible. Assigned client document numbers can be automatically read from the forms and added to
the internal list of documents.
For proper monitoring, internal document numbers, are necessary !
Why are internal document numbers necessary for the DNRF procedure ?
For a simple reason: as long as the client document number is not assigned, a document has no reference.
Sometimes the document title is used as the reference. A dangerous way of relating requested and acquired documents. On extra space in a title and gone is your reference.
It can only work if the client handles the DNRF requests very strictly, which you can not rely on
Vendor document numbers can be useful as well. In particular when you don't require that a vendor uses your internal document numbers for his documents
Consider allowing a vendor to use his own document numbers in case he has proved to have a decent numbering system, otherwise make agreements about using your internal document numbering.
Never allow a vendor to use only descriptions in his filenames. Descriptions are unreliable in identifying documents.