The reference version of a business document
Only one version is authoritative. Everything else is a draft, a copy or history.
By DocPilot team1 min read
Without a reference version, document management comes down to hunting for PDFs. This satellite covers the principle for any business document — distinct from versioning a contract, which is more specific.
Minimum rules
- One folder / one record per logical document
- A visible “current” marker
- Drafts kept out of the active view or clearly labelled
- Decisions tied to the current version only
DocPilot keeps the document’s journey and makes it easier to find the right version; the DocPilot DMS is designed for this kind of living repository.
Frequently asked questions
- How do you mark the reference version?
- With an explicit status in the repository (“current”) and one rule: every business decision relies on that version, not on an e-mail attachment.
- How is this different from contract versioning?
- The principle is the same, but contracts add amendments and deadlines. Here we cover procedures, policies, scans and general business documents.
- What should you do with old versions?
- Keep them as readable history if you need them for audits, without letting them compete in “active” search results.
One source of truth per document
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Free resource
Download the checklist: 25 points to set up effective contract management.
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