Glossary · Document and evidence governance
Internal technical documentation
Also known as: Internal documentation (manufacturer)
German: interne Technische Dokumentation
In technical documentation following VDI 4500 Blatt 1, internal technical documentation is the product-related documentation that a manufacturer creates and keeps itself — specifications, calculations, test reports, the risk assessment, the technical file and a copy of the documentation delivered with the product — as evidence of how the product was developed and made.
- Technical documentation
- Compliance
- Standards
- German source term
In one sentence
Internal technical documentation is what the manufacturer creates and keeps as evidence: specifications, test reports, risk assessment and technical file.
Example
For a filling machine, the manufacturer's internal documentation holds the requirements, the circuit diagrams, the risk assessment, test reports and the declaration of conformity, plus the delivered manual as a reference copy.
How it applies
- Who keeps it: "Internal" describes who creates and keeps the documentation — the manufacturer — not only that it is confidential. Parts of it are shown to others: the technical file is made available to market surveillance authorities on request, and test reports go to notified bodies or customers under contract.
- Evidence: The internal documentation shows how requirements were met, from the risk assessment to the test reports. It is the basis for the documentation that leaves the company.
- Retention and control: It is kept under document control for the retention periods set by product law and contracts.
- Context: The context card Internal and external technical documentation explains the pair and its everyday misreadings.
Internal vs. external technical documentation
External technical documentation leaves the manufacturer and goes to operators and users; internal technical documentation stays with the manufacturer as evidence. A copy of the external documentation is part of the internal one. Both together are the manufacturer's technical documentation.