Records

In the document control or quality management sense, a “document” is not the same as a “record”. 

Successful businesses will have a set of policies, plans and procedures – these are all important documents, but these do not provide the record of them being followed.

When there is a necessity to prove that an activity, control, test, checklist or procedure has been completed, there should be a record of that.  The record is the evidence.

A procedural document says “do”; a record says “done”. 

Having a procedure is great; having a record that the procedure is being followed is even better.