DOCUMENTS

- Documents originate in the “planning” phase of the Plan, Do, Check, Act, cycle of the
process approach
- Consist of any information you use to run your company
- Can be changed/revised

Ex.
1. Quality Policy – This pertains to a document that states the commitment or directive of
the management of the company. This is a document because quality policy may
change once there is a change in management.
2. Business plans – This states the plans of a company, what it wants to achieve and how
it can implement such plans. This is also a document because it may change from time
to time especially when the company sees threats as well as opportunities in the
implementation of the business plan.
3. Purchasing criteria – The criteria in selecting suppliers may vary/change and can be
revised based on the discretion of the end-users.
4. Forms – A form is a document which is needed in the planning phase. It hopes to gather
information for use of the company. It can be revised.
5. Work Instructions – Work instructions specifies how the process will be implemented.
This is a document because the manner of doing the procedures may vary/change
based on the observations of the end-users and based on the feedback of the
customers.

RECORDS

- Generated in the “do” phase of PDCA

- Consist of any data you collect during the operation of your business QMS
- Cannot be changed

Ex.
1. Minutes of Meeting – Minutes of meeting cannot be revised, thus, it is a record.
2. Supplier Evaluation – Once suppliers have already been evaluated, the evaluation report
is permanent and cannot be changed.
3. Filled out forms – Once the forms are already filled out, they are records which cannot
be changed. If changes are made, this may indicate falsification of documents.
4. Legal Proceedings – All legal proceedings cannot be changed, modified or revised. They
must remain intact and considered permanent records.
5. Accomplishment Report – Accomplishment reports are records because they cannot be
changed as they contain the information on what the company has achieved for a
specific period of time.