All revisable documents follow a controlled document life cycle using a revision scheme that includes current revisions, working revisions, versions, and their attached files.
The following description and image details how a document progresses through the Document Life Cycle:
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You create a new document from a master template as a new Working Revision. After sign off, the document is locked and set as the Current Revision (A1).
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The Current Revision (A1) is revised to create a new Working Revision (B1, Version 1), so you can edit the files in a document. Only working revisions can be edited.
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The Working Revision (B1, Version 1) is checked out to edit files, which creates Working Revision (B1, Version 2). Any requested attached files are downloaded to your local machine for editing.
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When you finish making edits to the Working Revision (B1, Version 2) or any later version, and it is complete, you can sign off the Working Revision to create a new Current Revision (B1), which is locked to prevent any further change.
The document life cycle revision process in the image above is summarized by the following:
Create |
A new document is created from a master and enters the system as the WORKING REVISION A1. |
Sign off |
Files are attached to the document and ready to be issued and locked, sign off the revision to create a CURRENT REVISION A1. |
Current Revision |
The status of the revision that was signed off is changed to CURRENT, and the document is considered Issued. |
Revise |
The CURRENT REVISION A1 is revised, which creates a new WORKING REVISION B1, VERSION 1. The CURRENT REVISION A1 is still the Current revision and the most recently approved and issued revision, but it is marked as undergoing change. |
Edit Files |
The Edit Files command is used, which creates WORKING REVISION B1, VERSION 2, and the attached files are downloaded to a client device for editing. The WORKING REVISION B1, VERSION 1 marked as undergoing change. |
Check In |
The document's attached files are uploaded and checked in as a new WORKING REVISION B1, VERSION 2. The WORKING REVISION B1, VERSION 1 is set to SUPERSEDED. |
Replace Files |
The WORKING REVISION B1, VERSION 2 is updated using the Replace Files command, which replaces existing files with files of the same name. This creates a new WORKING REVISION B1, VERSION 3. The WORKING REVISION B1, VERSION 2 is set to SUPERSEDED. |
Sign Off |
The WORKING VERSION B1, VERSION 3 is signed off and is set as the new CURRENT REVISION B1. The previous existing CURRENT REVISION A1 is set to SUPERSEDED. |
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The example shown is for demonstration of the overall process only. This process can vary depending on your system, the revision scheme, access permissions, and the commands used as shown.
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Each time a working revision document is edited, a new version is created and the previous version is set as SUPERSEDED. However, all superseded revisions and their versions are retained and can be viewed in the system.