Document Version Control Vs Document Revision Control

In today's digital workspace, document version and revision control are essential for maintaining the integrity and accuracy of engineered product documentation. This blog aims to demystify these two crucial aspects of document management, explaining what version and revision control are and showcasing how Tina5s effectively achieves and streamlines these controls.

What is Document Version Control?

Version control is crucial for documents and files that are being editing or worked on, up to the document’s release point. Key aspects of version control include:

• Version History – This aspect of version control preserves every edit applied to a document during the in-work phase of the document lifecycle.

• Edit Control – This aspect ensures that no two individuals can simultaneously edit the same document, thereby avoiding overwriting each other's changes.

• Access Control – Essential in version control, this function restricts access to documents that are being worked on. Such control is imperative in environments such as construction sites, or manufacturing areas where released controlled documents should only be permitted.

• Identification – An integral component of version control, this involves assigning unique identifiers to each version of a document as it is being worked on and is evolving. This step is critical to avoid confusion, particularly during the review, approval, and release stages.

What About Document Revision Control?

While Version Control focuses on the in-work stage of a document's lifecycle, Revision Control is dedicated to controlling documents and files that have been released. The key aspects of revision control include:

• Revision History – This involves keeping a comprehensive record of a document at each release point throughout its lifecycle. It also includes documenting the reason behind each change for every release, offering valuable insight into the document's evolution.

• Access Control – Similar to version control, it's crucial to regulate who can access different revisions. For instance, engineers might need access to the entire revision history, but those implementing the information (i.e. construction or maintenance) will generally only have access to the latest released version.

• Identification – Each document in its released form is distinctly identified with a unique ID number, a revision number, and its current lifecycle state. For example, a document revised thrice might be identified in the Revision History as follows:

  • 01-99-DWG-CIV-0237, R0 (SUPERSEDED)

  • 01-99-DWG-CIV-0237, R1 (SUPERSEDED)

  • 01-99-DWG-CIV-0237, R2 (RELEASED)

How Tina5s Enables Document Version and Revision Control

Tina5s offers a suite of advanced features to enable efficient and secure document version control and revision control. These features work together to ensure precise management and tracking of documents throughout their lifecycle. Below are key functionalities of Tina5s that contribute to its effectiveness:

• Sync Utility – This feature ensures version preservation and streamlines the authoring process, allowing for seamless updates and edits to documents.

• Revision Threading – Tina5s automatically connects all releases of a document, creating a comprehensive Revision History. This feature preserves the entire evolution of a document in an organized and accessible format.

• File Lock – The File Lock mechanism is crucial in maintaining document integrity. It guarantees that only one author can work on a file at any given time, thereby eliminating the risk of inadvertent file overwrites.

• Lifecycle Based Access Control – Tina5s offers a highly configurable security framework. This framework enables the establishment of rules determining who can find, view, or download versions and revisions of a file or document, based on the file’s current lifecycle state.

• Automated Identification – Through configurable metadata and revision numbering schemas, coupled with Tina5s' elegant version numbering system, it’s guaranteed that documents are unambiguously identified. This feature, coupled with automated lifecycle status logic, is vital in maintaining clarity and consistency across document versions and revisions.

These features collectively ensure that Tina5s not only efficiently manages document versions and revisions but also enhances overall workflow and document security in complex project environments.

If you’re interested in learning more about how Tina5s takes the pain out of document version control and revision control, let’s talk!