Hi Seems to work for us, but it does take time and lots of it. With EDRMS being installed all we do to promote good metadata will not be wasted as it's use will be mandatory soon (for electronic records anyway). Just don't let em grind you down. Paul -----Original Message----- From: The UK Records Management mailing list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Susan Mansfield Sent: 06 April 2006 13:21 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Version Control Standards Hi All, We need to track versions manually and are doing so through our naming convention, adding a version number to the document name. We think we've come up with as simple a process as possible. I know that simplicity does compromise the finer nuances of version control but is the compromise we wanted to make. My comment is that NOBODY GETS IT! We are training Records Management Champions in person on this (to cascade it on). They are possibly more inclined towards records management. Yet I am met with a sea of blank faces each time I introduce the version control topic. I wish I had just used single, whole incremental numbers, v1, v2, v3 etc. If anyone is introducing any form of version control the lessons we have learnt are to give a great deal of though to how you will introduce it and how you will explain it to people whatever format it actually takes. Regards, Susan Susan Mansfield Records Manager Strategy Directorate Scottish Enterprise 150 Broomielaw 5 Atlantic Quay Glasgow G2 8LU Direct Line: 0141 228 2485 Fax 0141 221 3217 E-mail: [log in to unmask] -----Original Message----- From: The UK Records Management mailing list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Paul Dodgson Sent: 06 April 2006 12:57 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Version Control Standards Dear All It appears my nice standards went hay wire! I attach a verswion in free text below. A pdf version is avail on request Version Control at Leicestershire County Council Background This piece of work has been developed because of a need to identify versions of documents held by Leicestershire County Council in a consistent way to support administrative use and the standards of BIP 0008 and ISO 15489 (and possibly some impact with ISO 9000). There is also a need to be compliant with EGMS and this work may well inform the custodians of EGMS in relation to a new element. For reasons of legislative compliance (FOI, DPA etc) and other legal requirements we need to be able to evidence decisions relating to versions of documents/records. Information sharing with other organisations requires a consistent framework for version control. What is a draft in one organisation may well be published in another if version control is not consistent with commonly understood and adhered to standards. Version Control Options There is very little advice and guidance in the UK relating to Version Control Standards. Indeed Google yielded only two pages with a specific search for "Version Control Standards" It is well acknowledged that control is required to provide evidence of what is the latest version and what makes it different from its predecessor. I have seen many variations of version control, for example:- Draft version 1 Version 0.1 Draft Draft 1.0 Draft 1 0.01 The latter is my description of the first version control for a piece of work. We need to evidence the validity of a document/record as it moves through its lifecycle or its existence in a records continuum. Whilst we can have a version control number with clear rules, as version move through iterations, we need to understand what changes were made from its earlier version. This provides some tangible relevance to the document/record value. Version Control at Leicestershire County Council At Leicestershire County Council we are starting to develop better records management practices as we move into EDRMS. In scope but not dependent upon a move to EDRMS is version control. EDRMS provides a far more comprehensive set of version control management tools. However, we are not dominated by EDRMS and will not be for sometime to come. Even when we are, we need to ensure our values remain consistent relating to version control. We have experimented with many of the above and have now come upon a standard which we believe works well and is sustainable over time. Version Control Standards The first prepared/saved content is valued as 0.01, if not complete. We choose not to use 0.1 for the following reason. A first final version would benefit from the following mark 1.0. A minor release update following on from this would be 1.1, thus the first number after the decimal is reserved for release minor updates. For example, the following represents a typical document standard of version control: Version Control Standards 0.01 (still draft) Version Control Standards 0.02 (still draft) Version Control Standards 0.03 (still draft) Version Control Standards 1.0 (First final version - i.e. put to its designed use) Version Control Standards 1.01 (an update draft of version 1.0, not yet released) Version Control Standards 1.02 (still an update draft, not yet released) Version Control Standards 1.1 (a minor update in final format released for use) Version Control Standards 1.11 (a draft update to version 1.1) Version Control Standards 2.0 (a major update - final version released for use) Conclusion This paper has been released for use/comment. Please provide any views to [log in to unmask] . This paper is copyright LCC (c) and may be used as recipients see fit without licence. ______________________________________________________________________ Scottish Enterprise Network http://www.scottish-enterprise.com Address and Contact Numbers 150 Broomielaw 5 Atlantic Quay Glasgow G2 8LU. Tel: +44 (0)141 248 2700. Fax: +44 (0)141 221 3217 Message is sent in confidence for the addressee only. It may contain legally privileged information. The contents are not to be disclosed to anyone other than the addressee. Unauthorised recipients are requested to preserve this confidentiality and to advise the sender immediately of any error in transmission. _______________________________________________________________________ Leicestershire County Council - rated a 'four-star' council by the Audit Commission _______________________________________________________________________ This e-mail and any files transmitted with it are confidential. If you are not the intended recipient, any reading, printing, storage, disclosure, copying or any other action taken in respect of this e-mail is prohibited and may be unlawful. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender immediately by using the reply function and then permanently delete what you have received. Incoming and outgoing e-mail messages are routinely monitored for compliance with Leicestershire County Council's policy on the use of electronic communications. The contents of e-mails may have to be disclosed to a request under the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Freedom of Information Act 2000. The views expressed by the author may not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Leicestershire County Council. Attachments to e-mail messages may contain viruses that may damage your system. Whilst Leicestershire County Council has taken every reasonable precaution to minimise this risk, we cannot accept any liability for any damage which you sustain as a result of these factors. You are advised to carry out your own virus checks before opening any attachment.