Document Control¶
MatStream provides a robust foundation for document control — managing controlled documents with formal revision history, approval workflows, and organisation-wide visibility. Because documents are entities in MatStream, they benefit from exactly the same versioning, lifecycle, and relationship capabilities as any other item in the platform.
What is document control?¶
Document control is the discipline of managing documents that are subject to formal approval, revision tracking, and access control. Typical controlled documents include:
- Work instructions and standard operating procedures (SOPs)
- Quality manuals and quality plans
- Engineering specifications and standards
- Test procedures and validation protocols
- Safety data sheets and regulatory documents
- Drawings and technical references
The key requirements of document control are:
- Every document has a formal revision history
- Changes must go through an approval process before release
- The current approved version is always clearly identified
- Superseded versions are retained but clearly marked as obsolete
- Access to documents is controlled by role
MatStream meets all of these requirements out of the box — configured to match your process, not a vendor-defined template.
Install the worked example¶
The Setup Wizard can install the full model and an optional sample in one pass:
- Open the workspace in MatStream Manage and go to Setup.
- Select Document Control Configuration.
- Leave Document Control Sample Project selected for the worked
P-2026-0042 - Cooling Water Pump Skidscenario. - Review the selection and click Apply.
The configuration creates controlled documents, outgoing transmittals, incoming submittals, document issue lines, three lifecycles, numbering and revision schemes, print templates, and operational worklists.
How MatStream handles document control¶
Documents as entities¶
In MatStream, a controlled document is an entity — just like a part or assembly. Your administrator configures one or more document categories with the properties relevant to your document types. For example:
| Category | Typical properties |
|---|---|
| Work instruction | Process area, revision date, effective date, owner |
| Quality manual | Standard reference, scope, approval authority |
| Engineering specification | Applicable parts, standard, issue date |
| Test procedure | Test type, applicable product, equipment required |
| Safety data sheet | Chemical name, hazard classification, supplier |
Each category has its own lifecycle definition, revision scheme, and numbering scheme — configured independently to match the approval process for that document type.
Revision control¶
Every controlled document in MatStream has a formal revision history. When a document is approved and released, MatStream assigns a permanent revision label — for example:
- Issue 1, Issue 2, Issue 3 (numeric scheme)
- Rev A, Rev B, Rev C (alphabetic scheme)
The revision label is immutable once assigned. Superseded revisions are retained in full — you can always view the exact content and approval history of any previous issue.
Transmittals and submittals¶
A Transmittal records documents sent to work preparation, a client, third party or supplier. A Submittal records an incoming package expected from a supplier or third party. Both use Document Issue Line occurrences as their contents.
When a transmittal moves from Ready to Issue to Issued, or a submittal from Expected to Received, MatStream pins every line's definition link to its current document version. If the document later advances from revision A to B, the historic package continues to open and print A. This is the core audit boundary: current library content may change, an issued package may not.
Package properties record the recipient, distribution channel, purpose, issue date, response due date, external reference, internal owner and response status. Live worklists expose open packages, expected and overdue responses, and rejected lines requiring a new document revision.
Approval workflows¶
Documents move through a configurable lifecycle. A typical document control lifecycle might look like: Draft → In Review → Approved → Active → Superseded ↓ Rejected → Draft (rework required)
At each transition: - Only authorised user groups can trigger the transition - The transition is permanently logged with who approved and when - Lifecycle state permissions prevent editing of approved documents
This gives you a fully auditable approval process that satisfies quality management system (QMS) requirements.
File attachments¶
The actual document content — whether a Word file, PDF, or other format — is attached to the entity version as a file. MatStream:
- Links the file to the specific revision it belongs to
- Retains previous revision files permanently
- Displays PDF documents in the built-in PDF viewer without leaving MatStream
- Tracks who uploaded each file and when
When a new revision is created, the previous file is preserved and a new file can be attached for the updated content.
Linking documents to other entities¶
One of MatStream's most powerful document control capabilities is the ability to link documents to other entities. For example:
- A work instruction linked to the process it supports
- An engineering specification linked to the parts it applies to
- A test procedure linked to the assembly it validates
- A safety data sheet linked to the raw material it describes
These links are bidirectional — the part knows which specifications apply to it, and the specification knows which parts it covers. When a part is revised, you can instantly see which documents may need to be reviewed via the where-used relationship.
Document numbering¶
MatStream automatically generates unique document numbers from configurable numbering schemes. For example:
| Document type | Numbering scheme | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Work instruction | WI-{YYYY}-{NNN} |
WI-2026-001 |
| Quality manual | QM-{NNN} |
QM-042 |
| Engineering spec | ES-{YYYY}-{NNN} |
ES-2026-018 |
| Test procedure | TP-{NNN} |
TP-007 |
No manual numbering. No risk of duplicate document numbers. Numbers are assigned automatically on creation.
Access control¶
Document access in MatStream is controlled at multiple levels:
| Level | What it controls |
|---|---|
| Group permissions | Which user groups can view, edit, or approve documents |
| Lifecycle state permissions | What users can do based on the document's current state |
| Property permissions | Which groups can see sensitive fields |
| Tab permissions | Which groups can see specific sections of the document record |
For example, draft documents might be visible only to the authoring team, while approved documents are visible to the whole organisation.
Satisfying QMS requirements¶
MatStream's document control capability is designed to satisfy the document control requirements found in quality management standards such as ISO 9001. Specifically:
| QMS requirement | How MatStream satisfies it |
|---|---|
| Documents must be approved before use | Lifecycle approval workflow with transition permissions |
| Current version must be identifiable | Revision label and lifecycle state clearly shown |
| Changes must be reviewed and approved | New revision goes through the same approval workflow |
| Obsolete documents must be retained | Superseded revisions are permanently retained |
| Access must be controlled | Role-based permissions at multiple levels |
| Changes must be traceable | Full transition history and version audit trail |
Note
MatStream provides the technical foundation for document control compliance. Whether it satisfies your specific regulatory requirements depends on your industry, jurisdiction, and the way you configure and use the platform. Consult your quality manager or compliance advisor for guidance.
A typical document control workflow in MatStream¶
Author creates a new Work Instruction entity → Number assigned automatically: WI-2026-047 → Entity starts in Draft state Author fills in properties → Process area, owner, effective date Author attaches the document file → Word or PDF uploaded and linked to this version Author links the work instruction to related entities → Linked to the assembly process it supports Author submits for review → Lifecycle transitions to In Review → Transition logged: who submitted and when Reviewer approves the document → Lifecycle transitions to Approved → Transition logged: who approved and when Document goes live → Lifecycle transitions to Active → Revision Issue 1 assigned — permanent and immutable → Document becomes read-only to most users One year later — process changes require an update → New revision created — starts in Draft → Author updates content, attaches new file → Goes through approval again → Released as Issue 2 → Issue 1 automatically moves to Superseded — retained for reference
Who uses document control in MatStream?¶
| Role | How they use MatStream |
|---|---|
| Document author | Creates and edits documents, attaches files, submits for review |
| Reviewer | Reviews document content and approves or rejects transitions |
| Document controller | Manages the document register, monitors approval status |
| Quality manager | Configures document categories, lifecycles, and access controls |
| All staff | Read-only access to current approved documents |
Getting started with document control in MatStream¶
- Configure document categories — define your document types with the properties your process requires. See Categories.
- Configure lifecycle definitions — define your document approval workflow. See Lifecycle.
- Configure numbering schemes — define your document numbering templates. See Numbering schemes.
- Set up user groups — define who can author, review, and approve. See Users & groups.
- Create your first document — follow the Quick start guide for a step-by-step walkthrough.
Next steps¶
- Quality Management — link quality records to controlled documents and part revisions
- PLM — manage engineering parts and assemblies alongside your controlled documents
- Core concepts — the building blocks of the platform