Keeping Pace with Change: Maintaining Technical Documentation under the EU Machinery Regulation

The Challenge of Ongoing Compliance

Imagine a scenario: a machine is delivered, but after some time in operation, a safety upgrade becomes necessary. Here's where the challenge arises:

• Updating Existing Documentation: Technical manuals and instructions need to reflect the modifications, ensuring users understand the new safety procedures.

• Maintaining Traceability: The link between the implemented changes, the updated documentation, and the original risk assessment must be clear.

• Timely Delivery of Updates: End-users need prompt access to revised information to ensure continued safe operation of the machinery.

Excosoft: Streamlining Post-Delivery Documentation Maintenance

Excosoft's solutions offer functionalities specifically designed to address these challenges:

• Single-Sourcing for Efficient Updates: Skribenta, the CCMS, utilizes single-sourcing, where reusable content components form the building blocks of technical documentation. When a change is made, only the relevant component needs updating, automatically reflecting the change across all manuals and instructions.

• Version Control and Revision History: Skribenta tracks all revisions to documentation components. This ensures clear traceability between the original documentation, implemented changes, and the updated instructions. Users can access previous versions if necessary.

• Automated Content Delivery: Topic Finder, the CDP, allows for automated content delivery. When a component is updated in Skribenta, Topic Finder can automatically push the revised information to the online user manuals or knowledge base. This ensures end-users receive the latest safety instructions promptly.

Benefits of Using Excosoft for Ongoing Documentation Maintenance

By adhering to the new Machinery Regulation requirements for technical documentation, manufacturers gain several advantages:

• Reduced Time and Effort: Single-sourcing minimizes the time and effort required to update documentation after significant changes.

• Enhanced Accuracy and Consistency: The centralized management of components in Skribenta reduces the risk of errors or inconsistencies in the updated documentation.

• Improved User Safety: Automated content delivery through Topic Finder ensures users have immediate access to the latest safety information regarding the modified machinery.

Conclusion

Maintaining up-to-date technical documentation is an ongoing responsibility under the EU Machinery Regulation. Excosoft's CCMS and CDP solutions empower manufacturers to meet this requirement efficiently, ensuring ongoing compliance, user safety, and a streamlined post-delivery documentation management process. By leveraging Excosoft's tools, manufacturers can focus on delivering safe machinery solutions with the peace of mind that their documentation reflects the latest modifications.