A document control coordinator ensures that organizational documents are prepared, maintained, distributed, updated, and stored according to the organization’s document management standards.
A document control coordinator is usually responsible for the documents related to a project or administrative support for a department within an organization.
Hundreds and even thousands of documents are generated in organizations every day. Without proper document control and management procedures, organizations may
- Lose or find it hard to track important documents.
- Use inaccurate or obsolete documents.
- Fail to perform regular document updates.
- Update documents without proper review and approval.
- Share documents with unauthorized persons or organizations.
What is a Document Control Coordinator?
Document control refers to the profession and practice of ensuring that approved document management standards are followed for document creation, review, modification, issuance, distribution, and accessibility.
Document control is a key component of organizational risk management.
Document control procedures ensure that the information contained in organizational documents is accurate and up-to-date, is updated regularly and that the proper process for documents updates is followed.
Document control procedures also ensure that inaccurate or obsolete documents are removed.
Why is Document Control Required?
Simply put, organizations cannot function properly without standards-based document control. Without document control, the only thing that would exist is chaos.
The purpose of document control is to ensure that users trust documentation. Document control is required to ensure that organizational documents are
- Created after going through the proper review and approval process.
- Distributed to authorized personnel only.
- Accessible.
- Accurate and up-to-date and able to provide administrative support.
Document control creates auditable records of document creation, modification, and exchange.
What Does a Document Control Coordinator Do?
Even though there will be some similarities, each industry has its own document control requirements. For example, the document control requirements of the healthcare industry will be very different from those of the chemicals industry.
Over time, the respective industries have developed their own documentation standards that have been worked on, reviewed, and approved by highly experienced professionals from those industries.
International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has developed a set of quality standards that companies voluntarily adhere to. Many companies prefer to be ISO certified as it demonstrates that the company follows established standards and best practices, and helps companies to stand out from the competition. ISO emphasizes quality management, document control standards, customer and regulatory requirements for any company.
Document control requirements also vary from country to country.
A bachelor’s degree in fields such as business administration, information management, or a related discipline can provide a strong foundation for this role.
As a document control coordinator, you have to learn about the document standards that are specific to the industry that you work in or want to work in. You then have to ensure compliance with those standards as you work on a day-to-day basis. A crucial skill for maintaining the accuracy and integrity of documents is data entry. Additionally, technical editing is part of the responsibilities for ensuring quality and managing documentation.
Why Does an Organization Need a Document Control Coordinators?
Just as there are specialized employees in all departments, such as accounting, finance, engineering, HR, logistics, and administration, specialized document control coordinators are required to ensure that organizational documents comply with industrial and organizational document control standards and procedures.
It’s a full-time job that requires skills, time, and effort. As a document control coordinator, you will be in charge of document control for a project or a department. You will often work in a fast-paced environment requiring excellent organizational skills. You will work as a member of a document control department that is managed by a document control manager. Interpersonal skills are essential for effective communication and collaboration within the workplace.
Document Control Duties and Responsibilities
As a document control coordinator, you will need to:
Manage internal and external documents
As a document control coordinator, you will manage the organization’s internal and external documents, ensuring that they are accurately categorized, securely stored, and easily accessible. This responsibility includes setting up and maintaining filing systems, both digital and physical, to streamline document retrieval and storage.
Your role will involve regularly updating and organizing documents to reflect the most current information, ensuring that all stakeholders have access to the latest versions.
Check the compliance and quality of documents
You will be responsible for ensuring that all documents meet the organization’s quality standards and compliance requirements. This includes conducting thorough reviews to verify the accuracy, completeness, and consistency of documents.
Enforcing these standards will help prevent errors and ensure that documents adhere to legal and regulatory requirements, maintaining the organization’s integrity and compliance.
Ensure that document management processes meet legal and regulatory requirements
It is essential to ensure that the organization’s document management processes comply with all applicable legal and regulatory standards. You will be tasked with keeping up to date with these requirements and implementing any necessary changes to the document control system. Your efforts will help mitigate risks associated with non-compliance and protect the organization from potential legal issues.
Distribute documents to relevant personnel
A key part of your role will involve distributing documents to the appropriate personnel in a timely manner. You will need to ensure that documents are delivered to the right individuals or teams who require them for their work. This responsibility requires careful coordination and communication to ensure that everyone has the information they need when they need it.
File documents in physical and digital records
You will maintain organized and secure filing systems for both physical and digital records. This includes cataloging documents in a way that allows for easy retrieval and ensuring that files are properly archived according to the organization’s retention policies. Your work will ensure that documents are preserved for future reference and are protected against loss or damage.
Retrieve documents as requested by employees and clients
You will act as the primary point of contact for retrieving documents requested by employees or clients. This responsibility involves quickly locating and providing the required documents while ensuring that access is granted only to authorized individuals. Your efficiency in this role will help facilitate smooth operations and maintain trust with clients.
Liaise with clients and contractors
You will regularly communicate with clients and contractors to coordinate document-related activities. This may include sharing documents, obtaining necessary approvals, and resolving any issues related to document control. Effective liaison will ensure that all parties are aligned and that projects progress smoothly.
Maintain confidentiality around sensitive information
You will be entrusted with handling sensitive and confidential information, and it will be your responsibility to protect this information from unauthorized access. This involves implementing strict security measures and ensuring that all document control procedures uphold the highest standards of confidentiality.
Prepare reports on the progress of documents
You will regularly prepare reports to track the progress of documents within the organization. These reports will provide insights into the status of document reviews, approvals, and distribution, helping to identify any bottlenecks or delays. Your reporting will support informed decision-making and help ensure that projects stay on track.
Train and assist team members in document control procedures and tools
You will provide training and support to team members on document control procedures and the tools used for document management. This responsibility ensures that everyone understands the processes and can use the tools effectively, contributing to a consistent and efficient approach to document control across the organization.
Prepare status reports to track project milestones and ensure compliance with prg equivalent guidelines
You will prepare detailed status reports that track project milestones and ensure compliance with PRG equivalent guidelines. These reports will provide a clear overview of project progress, highlight any issues, and ensure that all document-related activities align with organizational and regulatory requirements. Your work will help keep projects on schedule and compliant with necessary standards.
Document Management Skills
The skills you will need as a document control coordinator will vary from industry to industry and from organization to organization. You can consider the following list as a helpful guide.
- Good verbal communication skills are essential for interacting with clients, customers, and staff. Good written communication skills are also important.
- Knowledge of document management procedures and standards
- Ability to follow procedures and processes
- Responsiveness.
- Familiarity with project management
- Familiarity with computer-based productivity tools such as MS Word and MS Excel
- Familiarity with Electronic Document Management Systems (EDMS)
- Typing and editing skills
Average Salary
The average document control coordinator’s annual salary will vary based on a number of factors such as:
- Experience
- Industry
- Location
- Specialized knowledge and experience with document control tools.
The salaries of document control coordinators in the US range from $45,320 to $129,700, with a median salary of $85,240.
FAQs
Here are answers to the questions regarding document control coordinators:
Does a document control coordinator need a Bachelor’s degree?
The debate about the importance of Bachelor’s degrees is a long one and is not likely to end anytime soon. Bachelor’s degrees cover a wide range of topics related to the discipline. They impart an extensive body of knowledge to the participant. Bachelor’s degrees are also expensive and require up to four years to complete.
You need a Bachelor’s degree if you intend to go into R&D (after doing a Master’s and even a Doctorate afterward), or if a job or career that you are interested in requires the degree. The fact is that a lot of what is learned during a Bachelor’s degree is never applied in real life. However, there is no denying that a degree lends a certain amount of credibility, and that is why degrees are valued in the marketplace.
In the real world what really matters are skills. If you want to work as a document control coordinator, instead of spending a lot of time and money on getting a degree, you can get a bit of “focused education”. In other words, a certification will go a long way toward giving you a strong background in the field and will also equip you with knowledge about the different aspects of the discipline that you need to learn. You will learn the rest through on-the-job experience.
However, weighing the benefits of obtaining a bachelor’s degree, such as the broad knowledge and credibility it provides, is important against the costs. While practical skills may be more valuable in the workplace, a bachelor’s degree can still play a significant role in career advancement and opportunities.
What is the difference between a document control coordinator and a document control manager?
A document control coordinator is responsible for a project or department. A document control manager is responsible for the whole organization and manages a team of document control professionals. A document control coordinator carries out the actual tasks related to document management. A document control manager manages a team, implements systems such as procedures, software and tools, and has overall responsibility for the organization.
What is the career path for a document control coordinator?
Once you gain experience working as a document control coordinator, you can take advanced courses and complete additional certifications to broaden your knowledge and develop new competencies. You can learn about the art and science of management and take on the role of a senior document control coordinator or a team leader. In time and with further experience, you can take on the role of a document control manager.
One of the major benefits of working in organizations is that you learn how organizations work. You learn
- How to work as a member of a team.
- Management skills.
- Project management skills.
- Networking skills.
- Budgeting and costing.
- Computer-based productivity, project management, and document control tools.
- How other departments like HR, finance, logistics, IT, and others work.
- Organizational processes and procedures.
- And so much more.
With all this knowledge and understanding, and your experience as a document control coordinator, you can also choose to pursue other career paths, such as project management and cost control.
Is document control software the same as document control?
Document control software is a tool used for document control. On the other hand, document control is a discipline, a set of practices and standards that are required to maintain the accuracy, relevance, and trustworthiness of documents.
Do you have to know document control software to work as a document control coordinator?
As a beginner in the field, you don’t need to have experience with document control software to get a job as a document control coordinator. However, for positions that require more experience, such as senior document control coordinator, it is beneficial and may be necessary to have experience with relevant software tools.
Do you need to know all document control standards to work as a document control coordinator?
It is impossible for anyone to have complete knowledge of all the different document control standards that exist. And neither is it required.
Each industry or business has its own regulatory requirements such as legal and tax-related requirements, and business-related requirements such as how to develop new products and how to increase sales. The document control standards of an industry or business reflect these requirements.
When you work in an industry or business, over the course of time you will learn the relevant standards, procedures, and best practices related to document control. When you move to another industry, you will have to learn new standards.
However, the mindset of following standards and best practices will help you wherever you go. This mindset will allow you to work effectively even if a certain procedure is not known or does not exist. This mindset will even allow you to create new procedures and standards because you know the purpose and importance of document control.
Our organization is committed to providing equal employment opportunities and prohibits discrimination based on various characteristics, including national origin. This commitment is part of our broader diversity, equity, and inclusion initiative aimed at fostering a respectful and inclusive workplace.
If you are new to document control and are looking to learn more, we recommend taking our Technical Writing Certification Course, where you will learn the fundamentals of managing technical documentation.
