Issues

• Procedures and product standards are often created in multiple files and often cannot be managed as a single document
• Approval and version control on a file-by-file basis would require many signatures and would make rejected versions visible to everyone

Solution

• Links to multiple documents can be managed together as one (Packaged document functionality)
• Users can only see valid versions

Detailed explanation

There may be times when you want to review and approve documents with many pages, such as product standards, procedures, and manuals, or documents created in different applications (MS-Word, MS-Excel, PDF, etc.), as if they were a single document. Previous document management systems only allowed review and approval on a file-by-file basis, not on a document-by-document basis. In such cases, a single document had to be approved multiple times, making the approval date, effective date, and expiration date of the document unclear.

Perma Document allows you to bundle multiple files together and treat them as a single document for review and approval. In addition, version control and status management are possible just like for individual documents.

Issues

• When creating or updating procedure manuals, it is important to properly manage training records, including the level of understanding

Solution

• It is also possible to set test questions for each procedure manual and restrict access to them unless they are passed (Training history management functionality)

Detailed explanation

ISO 9001 requires the documentation of quality manuals, procedures (SOPs), etc., and also requires the keeping of records of training regarding these documents. There are many different documents, and it is extremely difficult to keep records of education and training for each document (and each version when they are revised).

Issues

• I want to let people refer to documents, but is there any way to prevent them from being leaked?

Solution

• Printing and downloading can be controlled based on permissions (Document protection functionality)

Detailed explanation

All documents handled in business, such as product information, customer information, work procedures, and personnel information, contain confidential information. If these documents were to be leaked, the company would suffer disadvantages, such as a loss of social trust. In addition to the cases we see in the news, there are probably many near misses we experience in our daily lives.

If you want to allow users to view documents even if they contain confidential information, but do not want them to be able to print or download them, Perma Document allows you to freely set whether printing or downloading is possible depending on the permissions.

In addition, by adding information about the viewer and the date and time to the header and footer, you can prevent printed documents from being lost or files from being leaked.

Issues

• There is a risk that old documents stored on a computer will be used for business purposes

Solution

• It is possible to limit the latest and valid documents to viewing on the browser (Document protection functionality)

Detailed explanation

You may have had the experience of updating the procedures used in your work, only to find that you still used the old procedures saved on your computer.

Perma Document prevents old documents from being used for business purposes by displaying them in the browser and not downloading them to the computer.
Even if you view an old document in Perma Document, the signature page and watermark (indicating valid or invalid) are still visible, preventing mistakes.

Issues

• There are disadvantages to using paper documents, such as the risk of losing them, so we would like to switch to using them electronically, but this is costly

Solution

• Users can easily create formats, eliminating the need for system engineers and reducing costs. Each person in charge takes turns filling out and signing
• Management is possible in accordance with ALCOA+, which is required in the pharmaceutical and manufacturing industries. Change history is also recorded, and data cannot be tampered with (Custom document functionality)

Detailed explanation

I assume you are using a record format similar to that of an application document, where the person in charge fills out and stamps it, then passes it on to the next person, who then adds to the form and stamps it, and then passes it on to the next person. If you use physical paper application documents, you won't know who is holding them and there is a risk that they will get lost. Another issue was that it took time when locations that were physically far apart were involved. Previously, in order to digitize such information, it was necessary to develop a program and create an application for each record format, which was extremely costly.

With Perma Document, business personnel can create record formats with just a few simple settings without having to write any programs. This record is created by each user in turn using a workflow, with each user entering only the parts they are responsible for. Additionally, users can use electronic signatures instead of seals.

Furthermore, it is designed to be completely tamper-proof, making it ideal for customers who are particular about product/business quality.

Issues

• Ensuring data integrity for paper records takes a huge amount of work

Solution

• Administrators can easily create record forms, and staff can enter records with electronic signatures and in a format that cannot be tampered with (custom application function)

Detailed explanation

Both of these controls are necessary to prevent a decline in product quality due to fraudulent records, but managing paper-based records to ensure they comply with regulations requires a huge amount of effort.

Issues

• If non-conformances or changes occur, multiple documents must be created and approved in an orderly manner, and training must be managed, but there is a risk of missing tasks

Solution

• Centrally manage the progress of multiple documents. Status is automatically reflected, making overall management easy (Theme management functionality)

Detailed explanation

The essence of nonconformity and change management work is to clarify what needs to be done and manage progress. It takes more effort to manage progress than it does to clarify what needs to be done.

With Perma Document, you simply define the documents and events you need, and the progress status will be automatically reflected based on the document's workflow history. This information is designed to be unable to be tampered with by anyone after it is created, so you can be assured that you will be able to undergo an audit without having to check for relevance again.

Issues

• I want to share documents with external parties and leave a record of confirmation (signature) from both parties in the system. Security is also a concern

Solution

• Create users for external partner companies and share documents securely (IP restrictions, encryption, permission settings). Use workflow to record both signatures

Detailed explanation

In today's business, division of labor and collaboration with other companies is essential. In such cases, documents will inevitably need to be created jointly and checked by both parties. Sharing via cloud services has become increasingly common in recent years, but it comes with several challenges.