Build a defensible system for managing and controlling both quality system documents and project-specific documents in compliance with AISC certification requirements. This module prepares steel fabricators and structural steel erection companies to demonstrate disciplined document control to AISC auditors, avoid scope errors, and reduce AISC certification cost. Buyers referencing the AISC certification list or the list of AISC certified fabricators expect to see evidence that your company keeps documents accurate, current, and properly communicated.
Document control is one of the first systems reviewed in the AISC quality certification program. Without it, companies fail to show consistent use of the quality manual, procedures, drawings, and contract documents. AISC auditors use the AISC audit checklist to confirm that all controlled documents are reviewed, approved, and revised properly. Buyers searching what is AISC certification or how to become AISC certified assume that a certified steel company keeps its drawings, revisions, and approvals under control. Sloppy document handling is one of the fastest ways to lose credibility, certification, or contracts.
All quality-affecting documents—such as the quality manual, procedures, and forms—must be reviewed for adequacy and approved by the same authority level that issued them. AISC auditors want to see documented approval of changes and annual reviews that confirm documents are still valid. Companies that keep current approvals reduce the risk of findings that drive up AISC certification cost.
Every revised document must be clearly marked with revision identifiers and dates. The Quality Assurance Manager is responsible for monitoring current revisions and ensuring obsolete versions are removed from circulation. AISC auditors frequently ask for evidence that staff are not using old procedures or outdated drawings. Buyers reviewing the aisc certified erector list expect that companies in the program can prove they work only to current standards and project documents.
Controlled documents must be available to all personnel who use them, whether in the shop or in the field. This includes internal documents and project drawings such as contract documents, shop drawings, erection drawings, and RFIs. Communication of revisions is critical. Companies that fail to show how changes are distributed to relevant teams often get cited by AISC auditors. Buyers comparing structural steel erectors and steel fabricators look for proof that revisions are communicated quickly and effectively to avoid mistakes in fabrication or erection.
Beyond the quality system, AISC certification requires companies to control project-specific documents such as change orders, RFIs, owner requirements, and contractor requirements. AISC auditors review how these documents are tracked from receipt to final disposition and distribution. A defensible system shows:
Buyers and auditors alike expect to see organized records—contract documents, change orders, transmittals—that demonstrate control of project requirements. Weak project document control is a common reason companies need AISC certification consultants or risk needing to regain AISC certification.
Stage a package for the AISC documentation audit and on-site review that includes:
AISC auditors will look for alignment between your document control system and the real records in use. Any mismatch will be flagged on the AISC audit checklist.
Buyers searching AISC certification training, AISC certification consultants, AISC certification cost, and AISC certified fabricator requirements expect suppliers to maintain airtight document control. Procurement teams checking the AISC certification list or list of AISC certified fabricators see document discipline as proof that a company can reliably handle drawings, revisions, and quality requirements on active jobs. Failure here raises red flags and often leads to lost bids or removal from preferred supplier lists.
These issues are frequent audit findings and directly undermine buyer confidence. They also create exposure to costly rework.