Choose a naming pattern.
Use a product reference, document type, version and date when those facts are known. Keep the pattern readable. Avoid a chain of files named final, final2 and final-again.
A file being present does not mean it has been reviewed.
Synthetic example: “WF-001_product-description_v03_2026-10-16.pdf”. The name is a filing aid, not proof of approval.
Keep the original and the context.
Retain the file you received and record who supplied it. If you create a working copy, distinguish it from the original. Keep the question or task that the document was intended to support.
A checksum can identify identical files even when the filenames differ. It does not validate the contents.
Show what has changed.
Write a short change note rather than asking the next person to compare every page. If an earlier specialist decision relates to an older version, preserve that relationship in the history.
Do not overwrite the only copy of a reviewed document and leave the previous decision attached as though nothing changed.
Decide who can access it.
Keep private product material in an access-controlled workspace. Export only what is needed for the recipient and purpose. Agree retention and deletion procedures with the person responsible for the records.
A naming convention supports traceability. Access, review and retention require their own controls.
An organisational workflow guide. This article does not define regulatory obligations or certify a product. Specialist regulatory guidance has a separate review gate.
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