ISO 9001 external document control

When I audit organizations, I find different document control methodologies in place. Some organizations stamp their controlled documents as “Controlled Copy”, and other organizations do not stamp their controlled documents. 

ISO 9001:2015 is very generic and does not provide any “how to” control documents. So, my answer is: you have to follow what your internal procedures require. Remember you can have different procedures for internal and external documents. It is up to your organization to define the rules. As an auditor I just want to check if documents are in the right version and accessible by who needs to use them. And of course, to check if the organization follows its internal rules. There is no technical answer to your question, it is just a matter of opinion.

The following material will provide you information about external documents:

- ISO 9001 – What does “external documents control” mean in ISO 9001? - https://advisera.com/9001academy/blog/2019/02/04/what-does-external-documents-control-mean-in-iso-9001/

- free online training ISO 9001:2015 Foundations Course – https://advisera.com/training/iso-9001-foundations-course/

- book - Managing ISO Documentation: A Plain English Guide - https://advisera.com/books/managing-iso-documentation-plain-english-guide/