If documents such as manuals are not revised on a regular basis, information may become outdated and obsolete, or mistakes may be made due to inability to cope with current operations, leading to various problems. Therefore, manual revision is an essential part of a company’s operations.
However, many people may be concerned that they do not know how to revise manuals, or that the version control is time-consuming and troublesome.
In this issue, we will focus on an overview of version control and how to solve the time and effort required to revise manuals for below people.
- “I want to reduce the time and effort required to revise manuals.”
- “I want to be able to quickly revise manuals with version control correctly.”
- “I want to know how anyone can easily revise manuals”
If you want to know how to manage version control manuals easily, this article will not only help you understand the version control, but also help you find an easy way to manage your manuals.
Contents
What is version control?
This section provides an overview of version control. In order to implement a meaningful version control, you must understand the purpose and timing of the revision by referring to the following.
Purpose of version control
The purpose of a version control is to reflect changes in the business.
Specific changes include “changing or updating work rules” or “introducing new equipment”. If the manual is not revised when changes are made, some employees will continue to work according to previous procedures, resulting in problems and work errors.
Therefore, it is essential to revise documents such as manual to prevent problems from occurring in the field and to ensure that everyone can work smoothly.
Difference between Revision and Revision
While “revision” refers to changing the notation in a book or document to make it easier to understand, “amendment” refers to redefining an existing rule.
For example, changing the content of a manual to match the specifications of the latest equipment or changing the wording of an explanation is a “revision. On the other hand, “amendment” is used to review the existing price of a product or service and set a new price.
In other words, “revision” is correct when improving the whole of contents of an existing documents. However, in some cases, “amendment” is used to define new items in accordance with legal revisions or changes in work rules.
Timing of version control
The ideal timing for a version control is quarterly or semi-annually, or at least once a year.
If the manual is not revised while operations are being updated daily, there will be a discrepancy between the manual and actual practices. This can easily lead to operational problems caused by outdated procedures that do not fit in the workplace, or to the creation of a workforce that is not used to the manuals anymore.
Therefore, it is necessary to periodically revise documents in order to prevent problems and the creation of a workforce. However, if documents are managed on paper, it is time-consuming and tedious to rewrite the text from scratch and print it out again each time it is revised.
IT tools such as Stock, which allow documents to be edited easily from either a PC or a smartphone, make it possible to revise documents quickly and hassle-free.
What is the importance of version control?
The following explains the importance of version control.
- Preventing documents from becoming a formality
- Prevent problems and mistakes in business operations
If the manual is not revised, it will no longer be able to respond to changes or additions in the business, and it will lose its meaning as a manual that “shows the correct procedures”.
A manual that is not useful will eventually not be used, and it will not be able to unify operations at the work site, which will lead to the creation of a workforce that belongs to a particular department. Therefore, it is important to regularly revise documents so that their contents are adapted to on-site practices and prevent them from becoming a personalization.
Without version control, employees will use outdated information and procedures in their work, which can easily lead to work errors and problems.
Therefore, manuals should be updated regularly to keep up with changes in operations at the site. By updating the manual regularly, you can ensure that employees always follow the correct information and perform their work smoothly.
Thus, version control is essential to keep operations running smoothly. Also, be sure to share the revised document with your team to ensure that there are no gaps in understanding among the members.
3 Steps｜Procedures for version control
This section describes the procedure for revising a manual in 3 steps. Follow the steps below to revise the document to make it a manual(example for this topic) that will be utilized.
(1) Identify areas for revision
First, identify the areas in the manual that need to be revised.
Specifically, this can be done by conducting a survey of the areas of the document that need improvement or by investigating whether there are any changes in the business.
By focusing on the voice of the field in identifying areas for revision, you can create a document that is in line with practical operations.
(2) Create a revision history
After revising the areas identified by the survey, create a “revision history”.
Creating a revision history means recording information related to the revision, such as the content, background, and history of the revision. By keeping a revision history, it is easier for employees to find the revised sections, and it also prevents them from accidentally reading an outdated manual.
However, since verbose text is difficult to read, it is generally presented in a tabular format.
(3) Update regularly
Once the revised manual is in place, it should be updated regularly based on feedback from the field.
In the field, changes in circumstances will often lead to changes in procedures, additions, and deletions. In addition, there is a possibility that employees in the field will express their opinions about improvements to the SOPs and manuals that have been introduced.
Therefore, by updating the manual regularly in response to “changes in operations” and “feedback from the field”, you can create a manual that is beneficial to your employees.
How to write a revision history
In general, the revision history should be written in a tabular format with the “edition number”, “date of issue”, and “content of revision” as shown below.
| Date of publication | Revision details | |
|---|---|---|
| 1st edition | Jun, 2000 | First edition |
| Second edition | October 21, 2021 | Page 3: Correction of typos Page 5: Added description of equipment |
| Third edition | October 4, 2023 | Page 10: Title changed from “–” to “xx” |
If there are many revisions, they should be made in the following order. Example sentences are also provided for reference.
- Write the edition number on the cover page.
- Next to the cover page, insert a “Preface” that describes the background and history of the revision.
- Next to the Preface, insert a table with the edition number, publication date, and details of the revision.
- After the revised text, insert a “Revision Note” explaining the reason for the revision.
- At the end of the book, a “Revision Index” should be inserted as a summary of the revision notes.
As described above, changing the way the revision history is written according to the granularity of the revisions will make it easier to convey to the reader.
Best tools for version control of documents
The following is the best tool that can help relieve the burden of version control of documents.
Version control is essential to prevent documents from becoming personalized and to prevent operational errors. However, when version control is made in paper documents, it takes time and effort to revise and share them, and even if revisions are made, there is a possibility that they will not be properly communicated to employees.
Therefore, “IT tools that instantly reflect changes in documents” can be used to create an environment in which documents can be managed without hassle. However, if the tool has many functions and is complicated to use, employees may not be able to master it, so choose a tool that “anyone can use easily”.
In conclusion, the tool you should choose is Stock, a tool that allows you to easily change and check documents from your smartphone as your business changes, and that anyone can use immediately.
Revising a documents in “Notes” of Stock allows you to share it with any member of the team in real time. The “Edit history” in the notes allows for intuitive version control, so you can instantly see what has been revised and what needs to be corrected in the document.
Stock| A best tool that makes it easy for anyone to manage version control
The simplest tool to stock information "Stock"
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Stock is the simplest tool to stock information. Stock solves the problem, "there is no easy way to stock information within the company".
With Stock, anyone can easily store all kinds of information, including text information such as requirements, images, and files, using the Note feature.
In addition, by using the "Task" and "Message" functions, you can communicate with each topic described in the Note, so that information is not dispersed here and there and work can always be carried out in an organized manner.
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Summary of version control objectives, procedures, and writing methods
We have focused on the purpose, procedure, and writing method of version control.
Version control is essential to prevent problems caused by out-of-date information and to prevent the creation of a workforce that is not part of the organization. In addition, by creating a revision history and regularly improving the documents based on feedback from the field, it is possible to create documents that can be used in the field.
However, with paper documents, there is a possibility that version control will not be properly made and the latest information will not be shared with employees, even if revisions have been made. Therefore, “IT tools” are essential for manuals, as they allow revisions to be shared instantly.
In conclusion, “Stocks” that allow even non-IT company employees to easily revise documents should be implemented to create an environment where everyone can check the latest and most accurate information.
Free registration takes only 1 minute, so using Stock to ease the burden of version control.
