Just-in-time Document Release

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Ever tried to swim upstream while carrying 10 bricks? That’s what happens when we flood a project with documents long before anyone needs them.

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🔎 The Problem and a quick tip

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We’ve all seen it. Documents are released way too early, requirements are still shifting, drawings are not stable, and work instructions are written before the process exists. Everything gets approved… and then reality hits.

Design updates roll in, suppliers push new constraints, and interfaces change. Suddenly, you’re revising released documents again and again, burning change numbers and confusing everyone.

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Tip: Release documents just in time, when the downstream user actually needs them. Not earlier, not later.

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✨ Why “Just-in-Time” Release Matters

• Minimises waste: less time spent maintaining outdated docs.
• Increases agility: documentation evolves with the product, not ahead of it.
• Reduces risk: fewer chances that someone uses the “wrong” version.
• Improves clarity & accountability: every release is a conscious, traceable event.

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🛠️ How to do “Just-in-Time” Document Release 

1. Define release gates up front. In your CM plan, identify phases or triggers that justify a formal release, e.g., after the requirements freeze, module design sign-off, before procurement, pre-production, etc. CM2 promotes a dataset-based release approach rather than all-at-once or whenever you feel like it.
2. Release when downstream users need it. If procurement needs a long-lead item, release its documentation even if the full BOM isn’t ready. And yes, CM allows that.
3. Use a formal release mechanism with revision control. Every released document gets an identifier, a date, and a baseline reference, making it traceable. Once released, changes are controlled via a closed-loop change process.
4. Treat docs like parts: no “stockpiling.” Just as modern manufacturing embraces lean or Just-In-Time manufacturing to avoid excess inventory and waste, apply that lean logic to documentation, too. Only release what you need, when you need it.
5. Synchronize with actual workflows and avoid “fake readiness.” If documentation is released too early, teams may act on outdated or placeholder info. If released too late, it creates bottlenecks and risks rework. Use configuration-status accounting to track what’s released and what’s still draft.

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🧩 Conclusion

In a robust configuration management program, formal release isn’t a “one-and-done” event; it’s a rhythm. As the project matures, documents flow through baselines, but only when they are “needed and stable,” a CM2 Just-in-Time mindset. 

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🔁 So let’s drop the  “ready-all-docs-early” and “release-all-at-once” approaches and move to “release-on-demand.”

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Check out the other How Do YOU CM2? posts.

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Copyrights by the Institute for Process Excellence

This article was originally published on ipxhq.com & mdux.net.