Factory operating control
Protect Production Decisions with Controlled Data and Documents
A controlled factory record identifies its source, version, time, equipment, product, author and correction history. Controlled documents identify the approved revision and effective use point. Both must remain accessible to authorized users without allowing silent overwrites or obsolete instructions.
01 · Buyer or factory inputs
Information the decision needs
- Document and record inventory by factory process
- Ownership, approval and effective-date rules
- Paper, software, controller and cloud locations
- Access, backup and recovery requirements
- Retention and local review needs
- Correction, change and obsolete-copy controls
02 · Operating objective
What completion should achieve
Ensure operators and decision-makers use the current approved instruction while preserving trustworthy evidence of what actually occurred.
03 · Required controls
Turn the objective into controlled work
- 01
Classify documents, forms, raw data, reports and software assets
- 02
Assign owner, approver, revision and effective date
- 03
Make current instructions available at the correct point of use
- 04
Remove or identify obsolete copies without destroying required history
- 05
Preserve original records and append traceable corrections
- 06
Test backup, restore and access continuity for critical digital assets
04 · Factory interfaces
What connects to this decision
- Engineering drawing to installed configuration
- Recipe and setting sheet to production batch
- SOP revision to training and authorization
- Raw machine data to KPI report
- Software backup to maintenance and supplier support
05 · Evidence to collect
Records that make review possible
- Master document and record register
- Approval and revision history
- Point-of-use current-version check
- Correction and access audit trail
- Backup and restore verification
06 · Common failure modes
Do not confuse a pattern with a confirmed cause
1Operators keep uncontrolled local copies
2Reports overwrite raw data without preserving source
3A recipe changes without document or training update
4Backups exist but recovery has never been tested
07 · Responsibility boundary
Name who confirms each part
| Role | Possible responsibility in this stage |
|---|---|
| Operations owner | Defines the operating condition, assigns the record and confirms that actions fit the production plan. |
| Quality owner | Defines product-status, sampling, release and escalation controls within the factory system. |
| Maintenance owner | Confirms safe technical work, equipment condition, evidence and restart requirements. |
| Supplier / Allot Tech | Reviews the documented interface or symptom and coordinates project-specific questions within the agreed scope. |
08 · Completion criteria
Evidence that the stage can advance
- Current documents are identifiable and available
- Records preserve source and correction history
- Obsolete versions are controlled
- Access and retention responsibilities are assigned
- Critical digital information can be restored through an approved process
Decision support
Questions operating teams ask
Should every machine file be available to every user?
No. Access should match authorized roles while ensuring critical recovery and support information is not trapped with one person.
Can a spreadsheet be a controlled production record?
Yes when ownership, version, input, protection, correction, review and retention are defined for its actual use.
Editorial responsibility: Allot Tech (Suzhou) Co., Ltd. · Last updated .