Sharepoint is a good solution, so long as the servers on the back-end have a robust backup system. In the last couple of years I went through some difficulty in proving this was true for my ISO 17025 lab certification efforts. The problem I found was the I.T. department policies, or rather non-adherence to them. In the end, I suppose this a possible issue for any file server.
Once file retention and security are established, I really like the document revision system provided on Sharepoint. It is very configurable at the library level with checkin/checkout capability and even keeps full copies of each revision with an opportunity for notes on what the revision was about. The disadvantage is you must work the documents while online. Possibly a hybrid approach where you work offline up to a certain point and then move files online is a good solution. You can also control permissions by assigning different people or groups to different levels of access; none, read-only, edit, full control. Another advantage is if you go to the next level, you can put into place workflows with approvals by reviewers. Very nice. I had requirements from the agency, as part of the client witness program, for retaining raw data (taken from instrumentation or scans of handwritten data), derived data (processed in spreadsheets), and finally the reports and report attachments. All are very possible on Sharepoint and can be linked together. After learning the rudiments of Sharepoint design, you can turn this into a full dashboard system and not simply another layer of file management using your windows explorer. Project progress, KPIs, work requests, all are possible. Doug Douglas E Powell [email protected] 970-646-3732 http://www.linkedin.com/in/dougp01 Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry -----Original Message----- From: Ron Pickard <[email protected]> Date: Tue, 3 Jan 2012 16:08:37 To: <[email protected]> Reply-To: Ron Pickard <[email protected]> Subject: [PSES] A compliance archival query Happy New Year to all of you and I hope that this new year finds itself to be rewarding an prosperous for us all. And embarking into the new year, I will be looking into ways to improve my compliance folder and record archival and retrieval system. At this point in time I do not as yet know if this will involve modifying or upgrading the system (SharePoint) or replacing it with something else. To that end I would appreciate (and other group members may also find this info beneficial) if anyone is willing to share what overall systems they're using (canned, custom or home grown) and possibly recommend any along with experiences they've had with them (pro or con). If agreeable, I will tabulate the feedback and provide it back to the group. I look forward to your reply. Best regards, Ron - ---------------------------------------------------------------- This message is from the IEEE Product Safety Engineering Society emc-pstc discussion list. To post a message to the list, send your e-mail to <[email protected]> All emc-pstc postings are archived and searchable on the web at: http://www.ieee-pses.org/emc-pstc.html Attachments are not permitted but the IEEE PSES Online Communities site at http://product-compliance.oc.ieee.org/ can be used for graphics (in well-used formats), large files, etc. Website: http://www.ieee-pses.org/ Instructions: http://listserv.ieee.org/request/user-guide.html List rules: http://www.ieee-pses.org/listrules.html For help, send mail to the list administrators: Scott Douglas <[email protected]> Mike Cantwell <[email protected]> For policy questions, send mail to: Jim Bacher: <[email protected]> David Heald: <[email protected]> - ---------------------------------------------------------------- This message is from the IEEE Product Safety Engineering Society emc-pstc discussion list. To post a message to the list, send your e-mail to <[email protected]> All emc-pstc postings are archived and searchable on the web at: http://www.ieee-pses.org/emc-pstc.html Attachments are not permitted but the IEEE PSES Online Communities site at http://product-compliance.oc.ieee.org/ can be used for graphics (in well-used formats), large files, etc. Website: http://www.ieee-pses.org/ Instructions: http://listserv.ieee.org/request/user-guide.html List rules: http://www.ieee-pses.org/listrules.html For help, send mail to the list administrators: Scott Douglas <[email protected]> Mike Cantwell <[email protected]> For policy questions, send mail to: Jim Bacher: <[email protected]> David Heald: <[email protected]>
