DMS Consultants for UK Manufacturing: What to Look For

Manufacturing document management has requirements that a generic DMS consultant may not understand. Our main guide covers how to find and hire a DMS consultant. This article covers the manufacturing-specific requirements you should verify before hiring.

What Makes Manufacturing DMS Different

Manufacturing organisations manage several document types that don't exist in most other sectors:

• Quality documentation: Inspection reports, non-conformance reports, corrective action reports, batch records — often linked to specific production runs and required for customer audits
• Technical documentation: Engineering drawings, CAD files, BOMs (Bills of Materials), work instructions — documents with strict version control requirements where using an outdated version causes production errors
• Certificates and approvals: Material test certificates, supplier approvals, customer-specific quality plans — often required for traceability in aerospace, automotive, medical device sectors
• Shopfloor access: Workers on the production floor need to access work instructions, quality documents, and job cards at the machine — from tablets, terminals, or shared PCs, not desktop workstations

ISO 9001 and Quality Management System Requirements

ISO 9001:2015 clause 7.5 specifically addresses documented information — what must be maintained, how it must be controlled, and what must be retained as evidence. A DMS consultant working in manufacturing should understand:

• The difference between "documented information to be maintained" (controlled documents: procedures, work instructions) and "documented information to be retained" (quality records: inspection reports, NCRs)
• Version control requirements — only the current approved version should be accessible at the point of use
• Approval workflows — new documents and revisions require approval by defined individuals before release
• External documents (customer drawings, standards) require identification and control
• Obsolete documents must be protected from unintended use

A consultant without ISO 9001 knowledge will miss these requirements in the DMS configuration. Your ISO 9001 certification auditor will find them.

ERP Integration

Most manufacturers run an ERP system (SAP, Epicor, Sage 200, Access, SYSPRO, Infor). Documents often need to link to ERP records: an inspection report links to a production order; a delivery note links to a sales order; a job card links to a works order. A consultant with manufacturing experience understands what these integrations need to look like and can specify them properly.

Sector-Specific Compliance

Aerospace (AS9100): Even stricter document control than ISO 9001. FOD (Foreign Object Debris) prevention documentation, first article inspection reports, flow-down requirements from prime contractors.

Automotive (IATF 16949): PPAP documentation (Production Part Approval Process), control plans, MSA studies, SPC records — all need to be managed and traceable.

Medical devices (ISO 13485 / MDR): Design history files, Device Master Records, Device History Records — strict retention requirements and traceability.

If your manufacturing business operates under any of these standards, your DMS consultant needs specific experience with the documentation requirements, not just general document management experience.

Questions to Ask a Manufacturing DMS Consultant

• Have you implemented a DMS for an ISO 9001-certified manufacturer? Have you supported their surveillance audit?
• How do you handle engineering drawing version control — specifically ensuring only the current approved revision is accessible?
• What's your experience with ERP integration? Which ERP systems have you connected to a DMS?
• Have you set up shopfloor document access — tablets, terminals, or shared devices on the production floor?
• Have you worked with manufacturers under IATF 16949 / AS9100 / ISO 13485?

The Right DMS for Manufacturing

Generic DMS platforms often lack manufacturing-specific features. Platforms with strong manufacturing track records include: M-Files (strong metadata-driven retrieval for technical documents), DocuWare (good for quality and production documentation), SharePoint with a specialist overlay, or sector-specific systems like Ideagen Quality (formerly Qualtrax) for quality management documentation. A consultant with manufacturing experience knows which platform suits which manufacturer type.