Machinery technical documentation management (Technical File, risk assessment, EC Declaration, instructions for use, Annex V) is often fragmented: scattered files, different versions, inconsistencies. Software for managing machinery technical documentation centralizes everything, keeps the history, and generates the mandatory documents consistently. Here are the best practices and how to choose a tool.
Why Centralize Machinery Technical Documentation Management?
The documentation required for CE marking is extensive: the Technical File, the risk assessment, the EC Declaration, the instructions for use and maintenance, Annex V certificates. Keeping it all in folders and emails means a risk of wrong versions, misaligned documents and difficulty during an audit. Centralizing with machinery technical documentation management software guarantees a single source of truth, versioning and automatic document generation from the same data.
What Should Machinery Technical Documentation Management Software Do?
- Centralized archive: Technical File, risk assessment, EC Declaration, manual, Annex V in a single project per machine
- Versioning and a change history for audits and authorities
- Consistency: the same data in every generated document (no copy-pasting)
- Checklists and workflows (e.g. Annex VII) so nothing gets forgotten
- Annex V management (safety components, supplier certificates)
- Long-term retention (10 years) and export for inspections
Reesly ProTip
Reesly is machinery technical documentation management software: a single environment for the Technical File, risk analysis, EC Declaration, manual and Annex V. Documents that stay aligned, with versioning and automatic generation. Discover the features and request a demo.
Technical Documentation Management: Best Practices
- A project per machine (or per series) with every document linked
- Machine and manufacturer data entered once and reused everywhere
- The risk assessment as the foundation for the manual and Technical File
- Tracked revisions and versions (date, owner)
- Compliant backup and retention (at least 10 years for the File)
Frequently Asked Questions About Machinery Technical Documentation Management
How do you manage machinery technical documentation?
Centralize it in software: the Technical File, risk assessment, EC Declaration, manual, Annex V. Use versioning, checklists (Annex VII) and a single source of data to avoid inconsistencies.
How long should machinery technical documentation be kept?
The Technical File must be kept for at least 10 years from the date the last machine of the series was built. Documentation must be available to authorities on request.
Which software should you use for machinery technical documentation management?
Look for: a centralized archive, versioning, the Technical File (Annex VII), risk assessment, EC Declaration, manual, Annex V. Reesly brings all of this into a single flow.
More on this topic: Machinery Technical File Software, CE Marking Software, Online CE Nameplate Generator, How to CE Mark a Machine.