Document management pertains to the creation, modification, and obsolescence of documents. Organizations need strong document control departments in order to advance and sustain the aims of continuous improvement. Documents are media: they can be paper documents or electronic documents, they can be databases, spreadsheets, work instructions. Anything that is needed to ensure the proper operation of the quality management system is a likely candidate for document control. Document control assures that the most current version is used, assures availability when needed, and serves an essential communicative function within the organization. There are six basic components of the document management system. These include the identification of documents to be included, storing, archiving, distribution and retrieval of documents, as well as protection and audit control. Document management enhances productivity, reduces costs, fosters information exchange, improves corporate transparency, allows for easy access, and provides a compact means for storage and retrieval. Documents define to the organization, its customers, and constituents how things will be done as pertains to processes. Records are our evidence that these activities have been completed. From an ISO perspective, we must be able to show that our processes are suitable, adequate, and effective. Records help us, in part, satisfy the effective dimension. Policies outline what we do and serve as the framework for the organization's missions, goals, and purpose. The means and method for controlling the process will be outlined in a policy. Processes define how things happen. Without processes, much of what we hope to control, as part of our effort to drive improvement, would not be possible. Procedures define how we do it. Typically, procedures are SOPs or job aids. SOPs describe how to perform a set of actions using step-by-step instructions. Written SOPs help to ensure consistency, accuracy, and quality. Quality procedures and documents, in general, are clear, concise, user-friendly, explicit, accurate, and up-to-date. Documents promote employee understanding and consensus; they are the centerpiece for training and help to inform the organization of steps in the process that are critical toward satisfying the customer. Documents can be more effective over verbal instructions. Verbal instructions are often not heard, misunderstood, quickly forgotten, or difficult to follow. Document control is not without pitfalls. Some of the more common issues include use of obsolete versions of the document, excessive distribution and citation. An intricate document control system prides itself on the ideals of a place for everything and everything in its place and the one source model. If critical information can be found within the pages of multiple documents, should there be a change, then every document citing this information must also be changed. This can create an enormous issue in revision control and increase the likelihood of conflicting information. Confining to one source eliminates this concern. Other problems include poor control of external documents and a lack of stakeholder engagement in the creation, refinement, and control process.