Where spreadsheets and shared folders work well.
For a very small team with a handful of documents and a few people to train, a spreadsheet and a shared folder can be enough. They are familiar, flexible and cost nothing extra. If the person who maintains them is disciplined and the volume is low, there is no reason to buy software just to have it. Be honest about whether you are in that situation today and whether you will be in a year.
Where they start to strain.
Strain appears when more people touch the files and more questions are asked of them. A spreadsheet does not enforce who approves a change, does not keep a trustworthy record of earlier versions of a document unless someone does that by hand, and does not remind anyone that a course is overdue. Searching across several spreadsheets for one person’s training history is slow at exactly the moment an auditor is waiting.
What about SharePoint?
SharePoint and similar document platforms are a real step up from a loose folder. They offer version history and permissions, and approval flows can be configured, for example with Microsoft’s automation tools. If your company already has Microsoft 365, that capability may already be available to you, and an IT person can shape it to your process.
The trade-off is that the manufacturing-specific parts, such as the review stages, change summaries, training assignments and sign-off, have to be designed, built and maintained by someone in your company. That is a good choice when you have that person and want full control, and a poor one when you do not.
Side by side.
This table compares what each approach typically gives you for these two jobs. The STRATUM column is limited to what this site describes as available today.
| Need | Spreadsheets and folders | SharePoint-style platform | STRATUM today |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revision history for a document | Manual, easy to get wrong | Built-in version history | Revision history kept with the document |
| Approval before release | By email or habit | Configurable with extra setup | Submission and approval stages with a change summary |
| Who can read and change | Folder permissions at best | Permissions, configurable | Locations and role-based permissions |
| Assigning training with due dates | Manual tracking | Needs custom setup | Courses, assignments and due dates |
| Quizzes and sign-off | Paper or separate tools | Needs custom setup | Quizzes and sign-off requirements |
| Completion records by person | One sheet per course, if kept | Needs custom setup | Completion records |
| Cost to set up | Low | Depends on licensing and IT time | See plans; paid subscriptions are not open yet |
| Fit for audit questions | Depends on discipline | Depends on how it was built | Depends on your process; no guarantee of compliance |
How to decide.
Ask three questions. How many people need to approve changes or complete training? Who will maintain the tool if the person who built it leaves? How long does it take today to answer an audit question about one document or one person? If the answers are few, someone dependable, and minutes, stay where you are. If the answers are many, nobody, and days, a purpose-built workflow is worth a pilot.
What STRATUM does not replace.
STRATUM Document Control and Training do not replace your quality system, your judgment about who approves what, or practical skill assessment. ERP, MRP, Production and broader quality tools remain under development and are not included in today’s plans, and paid subscriptions are not open yet.
See plans and pricingWhat’s live and what’s comingDocument control checklist for manufacturers