Keeping notes

[Valeron]

One of the real pains at work was documentation - for ISO 9000, FMEA's, etc., all shared on Lotus Notes - I had to update my progress on Gantt charts on a regular basis. I vowed when I retired, I would not document anything , and I'm managing fairly well so far! I have to really scout around to find a pen & paper when I actually need them. The other day, I found my cheque book hiding in a drawer - the last date I wrote a cheque was 2018!
Dave

I can relate to not wanting to do documentation after being inundated with it in my career, especially in the latter years as regulations etc dictated more and more.

I have reduced my documentation in most parts of my life now I've stopped working and once I'm more experienced in modeling I'll drop it there too. For now it's more of a learning aid for me.

Mike

[Tim Marlow]

I can relate to not wanting to do documentation after being inundated with it in my career, especially in the latter years as regulations etc dictated more and more.

I have reduced my documentation in most parts of my life now I've stopped working and once I'm more experienced in modeling I'll drop it there too. For now it's more of a learning aid for me.

Mike

Totally get that after being immersed in the pharmaceutical cGMP universe for well over thirty years. Thinking about it that way, working as I did may well have been why I kept notes. I was simply used to documenting everything I did. Now I’m retired I have broken the habit. Good post Mike!

[dave]

Totally get that after being immersed in the pharmaceutical cGMP universe for well over thirty years. Thinking about it that way, working as I did may well have been why I kept notes. I was simply used to documenting everything I did. Now I’m retired I have broken the habit. Good post Mike!

Fully understand that I spent 15 years working in a GLP certified lab for 15 years. Everything checked, recorded, logged, signed and dated.

[Tim Marlow]

Fully understand that I spent 15 years working in a GLP certified lab for 15 years. Everything checked, recorded, logged, signed and dated.

Yep, it’s a whole different world isn’t it. If it’s not written down, it’s a rumour, and if it’s not signed and dated, it’s graffiti Did you have witnessed second checks on critical operations as well? Had a lot of arguments with the QA bods over those. They are supposed to be used only on steps that can’t be proven any other way (such as witnessed critical chemical additions, ie did it go in or not?), but they wanted them in just to make sure the operators did their jobs properly, like pressing a mixer start button at the right time.

[BattleshipBob]

This is one thing I going to use, I far too often forget to do something, on KGV, forgetting to add PE for example, sailed on merrily then D'oh! Also I often spray parts then realise I had not done many others in the same colour!!

[Tim Marlow]

This is one thing I going to use, I far too often forget to do something, on KGV, forgetting to add PE for example, sailed on merrily then D'oh! Also I often spray parts then realise I had not done many others in the same colour!!

I write notes on the instruction sheets for that Bob, only crossing them out when they are done.

[BattleshipBob]

I write notes on the instruction sheets for that Bob, only crossing them out when they are done.

I have only just started doing that, tad late!! Normally i can build a StuG on auto pilot but a ship Noooo, so will try a notebook

[Allen Dewire]

Also I often spray parts then realise I had not done many others in the same colour!!

Amen to that 'Admiral' Bob as it's the same here. You clean the AB and then, BAM, you see more things you forgot to spray in that color...

[BattleshipBob]

Amen to that 'Admiral' Bob as it's the same here. You clean the AB and then, BAM, you see more things you forgot to spray in that color...

A' men to that Allen

[dave]

Yep, it’s a whole different world isn’t it. If it’s not written down, it’s a rumour, and if it’s not signed and dated, it’s graffiti Did you have witnessed second checks on critical operations as well? Had a lot of arguments with the QA bods over those. They are supposed to be used only on steps that can’t be proven any other way (such as witnessed critical chemical additions, ie did it go in or not?), but they wanted them in just to make sure the operators did their jobs properly, like pressing a mixer start button at the right time.

Yes, key points had to be double checked and QA were an almighty pain in the proverbial, far more of a problem than the GLP inspectors from the authorities.

[Tim Marlow]

Amen to that 'Admiral' Bob as it's the same here. You clean the AB and then, BAM, you see more things you forgot to spray in that color...

The most expensive thing we use is time, so get organised and save some young Allen….

[Allen Dewire]

So true Tim and I guess I should work on that, being retired too.....Thanks Dad!!!...

[Tim Marlow]

Yes, key points had to be double checked and QA were an almighty pain in the proverbial, far more of a problem than the GLP inspectors from the authorities.

That was their job, to be fair, the QP signing off was legally responsible for the quality of the product after all……
As to inspectors we got the MHRA, the FDA, and the Japanese FDA regularly so had at least one major audit per year. I expect the European FDA is now included after Brexit. The FDA, for example, sent in four to six investigators for two weeks. They had the attitude that you were hiding things and they were going to find out what they were (hence called investigators not inspectors). One year they inspected about three thousand different documents!
For about the last twenty years my role was to be wheeled in front of the auditors to explain why any anomalies were not a problem to my part of the process…..quite stressful to some, but I just treated it like part of the job, and actually got on quite well with some of them. Got quite good at “time wasting” when hosting as well. After all, while they were talking to me they weren’t trying to find fault elsewhere :tongue-out3:

[PaulinKendal]

The most expensive thing we use is time, so get organised and save some young Allen….

This is true. However...

I often find myself in a reverie at the bench, thinking deeply about nothing in particular. Just looking, looking, looking at what I'm (supposed to be) working on.

This feels like a massive waste of time. But thinking deeply about what we do (and waiting for ideas to form about how we might do it) is an important part of the process, surely?

But note-making is still, for me, absolutely essential.

[Scratchbuilder]

I keep a file on the pc with all photos of the build, plus notes/sketches on the drawings if I am scratchbiulding. But if it is a kit having modifications again I keep photo's on file but make notes on the instructions.