Required Role: Workspace Manager (Manager Mode)
Applies to: Approved documents
Availability: Must be enabled for your organisation by Kivo Support
Document Controls allows Workspace Managers to update a document's control number, effective date, review-by date, and periodic review date directly on an approved document without creating a new version or going through a full workflow cycle. Every change requires a reason and is recorded in the document's audit trail.
Overview
In regulated environments, certain document metadata fields, particularly control numbers and version label dates, occasionally need to be corrected or updated without changing the document's content. Document Controls provides a dedicated interface for making these updates and is available exclusively in Manager Mode on the document's Controls tab.
Every change requires a documented reason and is recorded in the document's audit trail, helping support traceability requirements under 21 CFR Part 11, EU Annex 11, and ISO 13485.
Available ControlFields
The following fields are editable via Document Controls when they have been set on the document:
Field | Description | Reason category required |
Control Number | The document's unique identifier or sequence number. The field label may be customised in your workspace (e.g. "SOP Number", "Document ID"). | Document Control Number Change |
Effective Date | The date from which the current approved version is considered in effect. | Version Label Change |
Review By | The date by which the document must next be reviewed. | Version Label Change |
Periodic Review Date | The date after which the document becomes eligible for a periodic review cycle. | Version Label Change |
Note: Only fields that have already been set on the document are displayed in the Controls tab. If a document has no control number or version label dates, the tab will show a message that no controls are set.
How To Edit Document Controls
Document Controls is only accessible in Manager Mode. Ensure Manager Mode is active before following these steps.
Open the document you want to update.
In the Manager Mode navigation, select the Controls tab.
Click the field you want to edit (Control Number, Effective Date, Review By, or Periodic Review Date). Each field has an inline edit button.
In the edit modal, update the value and select a reason from the dropdown. If no predefined reason fits, enter a custom reason in the text field.
Click Update to save the change.
The change takes effect immediately and is recorded in the document audit trail with the acting user's name and the reason provided.
When Document Controls is Available
The Controls tab is only shown when all of the following conditions are met:
The Document Controls feature is enabled for your organization
You are in Manager Mode
The document has at least one approved version
The Controls tab will not appear, or will show a disabled message, in any of these situations:
Situation | Behaviour |
Document has no approved version | Tab is hidden; message shown: "Document controls are available on approved documents" |
Document is an alias | Tab shows: "Document controls are managed on the source document." Edit from the source document instead. |
Document has been deleted | Tab shows deletion date; editing is not available |
Manager Mode is not active | Controls tab does not appear |
Reason Definitions
Every Document Controls edit requires a reason. Reason options come from two configurable categories in your workspace:
Document Control Number Change: Used when editing the Control Number field.
Version Label Change: Used when editing Effective Date, Review By, or Periodic Review Date.
Workspace Managers can configure the available options for both categories in Workspace Settings > Reason Definitions. Each category supports predefined reasons and a free-text "Other" option.
Audit Trail
All Document Controls changes are recorded in the document's audit trail. Each entry includes:
The name of the Workspace Manager who made the change
The field that was updated
The old and new values
The reason selected or entered
A timestamp
This record is immutable and can be reviewed at any time via the document's Audits tab in Manager Mode or by users with appropriate access.
