Concepts
1. Manual Document Control
Manual document control involves physical handling of documents, either in hardcopy or electronic format. This method can be laborious as it includes tasks such as printing, sorting, filing, and retrieving documents. Its major drawback is the potential for human error and the substantial time needed to efficiently manage complex documentation architecture. Nonetheless, for smaller projects with minimal documentation, this method might be feasible.
2. Automated Document Control
The exponential advancement of technology has made it possible to automate most aspects of document control. This process involves using document management software or systems that can manage, store, track, and retrieve documents. Automated document control enhances efficiency, reduces human error, ensures greater consistency, and offers robust security measures.
Business Analysis Documentation Management Tools
1. SharePoint
SharePoint is a popular platform for document management, and it supports version control and audit trails. This tool provides a centralized location for document storage, making it easier to find, share and collaborate on documents. It can enforce control over document metadata, streamlining the search and retrieval of documents.
2. Confluence
Confluence offers robust document management features, ranging from version control to wiki-style collaborative editing. It also provides a traceability matrix, useful for tracing requirements throughout the project life cycle.
3. Jira
Jira is primarily a project management tool, but its features expand to document management, particularly when used with Confluence. Jira can compile and track requirements, with the ability to attach necessary documents to these requirements.
| SharePoint | Confluence | Jira | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Version Control | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Traceability Matrix | No | Yes | No |
| Collaboration | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Integrates with Other Tools | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Techniques for Document Control
1. Versioning
Versioning helps in maintaining multiple variants of a document. With each significant amendment, the document version gets updated. A commonly followed version control method is Semantic Versioning, wherein the version number consists of three digits (major.minor.patch).
2. Requirements Traceability
A traceability matrix links project requirements back to their origin. This tool allows stakeholders to understand the purpose of a requirement, undertake impact analysis for potential changes, and validate that all requirements have been met.
By utilizing these methods for document control, potential PMI-PBA candidates can foster a systematic approach towards managing documents, while maintaining requirements traceability and versioning. Remember, the right method and tool for your project can vary based on the project’s complexity and team’s preference. Thus, it’s critical to understand the features and limitations of different document control methods and tools, and select the most appropriate one.
Answer the Questions in Comment Section
True or False: Document control is a method for managing and controlling documents according to regulatory requirements.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Document control is a method which follows various global regulatory requirements to maintain and manage documents related to a project or business.
The purpose of Requirements traceability is:
- a) To track the project’s evolution
- b) To ensure that requirements are met
- c) Both A and B
Answer: c) Both A and B
Explanation: Requirements traceability helps to track the project’s evolution from inception to completion and ensures that all requirements are met through every stage of the process.
Which is not a method of document control?
- a) Version control
- b) Regulatory compliance
- c) Access control
- d) Coding
Answer: d) Coding
Explanation: Coding is not a method of document control. It is a process of creating software, not managing documentation.
Versioning is beneficial for:
- a) Enhancing the performance of the system
- b) Tracking changes
- c) Reporting purposes
- d) All of the above
Answer: b) Tracking changes
Explanation: Versioning is especially beneficial for tracking changes and ensuring previous versions can be retrieved for reference.
Multiple users can update a document simultaneously in a document management tool.
- a) True
- b) False
Answer: a) True
Explanation: Document management systems often offer concurrent editing where multiple individuals can edit a document at the same time.
Defining access levels according to roles is identified as which document management technique?
- a) Version Control
- b) Access Control
- c) Change Control
- d) Audit Trail
Answer: b) Access Control
Explanation: Access Control is the method where access levels are defined according to the roles of team members to prevent unauthorized access.
From a document management perspective, an Audit Trail refers to the tracking of system usage.
- a) True
- b) False
Answer: a) True
Explanation: An Audit Trail is a security-relevant chronological record that provides documentary evidence of the sequence of activities in a system.
Project management tools are mandatory for creating Requirements traceability matrix.
- a) True
- b) False
Answer: b) False
Explanation: A requirements traceability matrix can be created with simple tools like Excel. However, project management tools offer more advanced functionalities.
Paper-based document management system is recommended for large scale projects.
- a) True
- b) False
Answer: b) False
Explanation: For large-scale projects, a paper-based system is not efficient. Digital document management systems offer better control, accessibility, and efficiency.
Document versioning is a process of:
- a) Listing the versions of a document
- b) Keeping track of all changes made to a document
- c) Deleting previous versions of a document
- d) None of the above
Answer: b) Keeping track of all changes made to a document
Explanation: Document versioning is a process of keeping track of all changes made to a document, ensuring that previous versions can be recovered if necessary.
Document control is only necessary for regulated industries.
- a) True
- b) False
Answer: b) False
Explanation: Document control is crucial for any sector, not just regulated industries. It helps prevent errors, preserve information, stay compliant, improve communication and enforce process consistency.
Requirements traceability is a technique that helps to manage change requests.
- a) True
- b) False
Answer: a) True
Explanation: Requirements traceability help monitor changes as it offers a complete view of the requirements and their implementations, making it easier to manage change requests.
Great post! Documentation management tools are crucial for maintaining document integrity and traceability.
In my experience, using a centralized repository like SharePoint enhances document control and versioning.
Thanks for the detailed overview, this will help in my PMI-PBA preparations!
I suggest using Git for version control. Its branching and merging capabilities are unmatched.
Appreciate the info! This blog post is exactly what I needed.
Currently we’re using Confluence for documentation control. It’s been quite effective.
Any thoughts on using JIRA for requirements traceability?
Does anyone have experience with IBM Rational DOORS for document control?