What is file version control and how is it applied?
File version control involves saving each change as a new version of a document, allowing you to revert to previous states when needed. The document name remains unchanged; the system records who uploaded which version and when. This replaces the chaotic practice of using filenames like 'final_final_v3'. This guide explains what version control achieves and how it is implemented within an organisation.
Why does the 'son_final_v3' issue occur?
The person preparing a quote saves the initial version, the second version with customer comments, and the third with manager corrections. Since the file system deletes the old one when saving with the same name, everyone wants to protect themselves and adds a suffix to the name: "quote_final", "quote_final_last", "quote_final_last_v3".
This method may seem to work in the short term, but it leaves three questions unanswered: Which is valid? What changed between them? Who made the change? Sending the wrong version to the customer or reflecting an old price on the invoice are common consequences of these questions remaining unanswered.
How does version control work?
In version control, a document has only one name. When the same document is updated and re-saved, the system moves the previous version to the version history instead of deleting it, incrementing the version number. The latest version always appears in the list; older versions remain in the document's history with the uploader's name and date.
When it is necessary to revert to an older version, that version is restored. Restoring during good version control is also considered a change: the old content is added as a new version, intermediate versions are not deleted. This way, it is possible to undo the 'undo'.
How many versions should be retained?
Saving every change indefinitely fills storage space quickly; saving very few versions weakens the security net. For most organisations, keeping the last five to ten versions is sufficient to cover a document's draft, review and approval stages.
Be cautious before reducing the version count: when the limit is lowered, the oldest versions exceeding the limit are deleted and cannot be recovered. Therefore, it is important to see the number of affected files before lowering the limit.
What rules should be set to switch to version control?
- "Stop appending suffixes to names.The current version is always saved with the same name in the same folder.
- "Clean up old copies. Determine which copy among those with 'last' or 'final' suffixes is valid; notify the team before deleting others.
- "Mark important stages with notes. A note like "Sent for customer approval" indicates which version went out.
- "Determine who has the right to revert. Viewing and restoring old versions should be open only to those responsible for the document, not everyone.
In which scenarios is version control most useful?
- "Quote and contract negotiations: The version history shows which version was sent to the other party and what changed subsequently.
- "Price lists and tables: a table saved with an incorrect formula is corrected within minutes by reverting to the previous version.
- "Policy and procedure documents: show which rules were valid on which dates; during audits, older versions can be displayed if asked.
- "Technical drawings and design files: revisions are tracked as versions of the same document rather than separate files.
- "Co-authored reports: for documents contributed to by multiple people, the version row indicates who uploaded which version.
What are common mistakes in version control?
The first mistake is continuing to add a version suffix after moving to a system with version control. A file uploaded as “teklif_v4” becomes a new file, not a new version; history is split in two. Reminding users of this habit in the first weeks after migration ensures the process settles.
The second error is saving a document with the same name in different folders. Version history belongs to a document within a single folder; when a file with the same name is uploaded to another folder, it starts as a separate document. A document must have a single 'home'; if needed elsewhere, links should be used instead of copies.
The third error is keeping the version count lower than necessary. To save storage space, reducing the limit to one or two may cause you to lose most versions uploaded within a few hours during an intense negotiation week. When setting the limit, consider how many times documents are typically revised.
How is version history used in a dispute?
When a dispute arises with a customer about "what price did we agree on?", the version history of the quote shows which version was uploaded by whom and on what date. Notes left for key milestones ("sent to customer", "approval received") also clarify which version went out. This record bases the dispute on the document, not memory.
How to prepare the team for switching to version control?
Version control technically opens within a day, but habits change over weeks. On the first day of transition, it is sufficient to explain a single rule to the team: 'Save the new version of the document with the same name, in the same location.' Everything else is a consequence of this rule.
Opening and showing version history together in the first weeks helps everyone see why the rule is important. Watching a team member correct a wrong change by reverting to an old version in a few seconds is more convincing than a long training session.
Do not rush to clean up copies with 'last' or 'final' suffixes in old files. As documents are used, their owner determines the valid version and deletes others; within a few months, old copies decrease automatically. If bulk cleaning is performed, deleted copies remain in the trash bin for a while longer, preserving the possibility of recovery.
How does SmartFiles solve this?
No file is overwritten in SmartFiles. A file uploaded with the same name to the same folder becomes a new version; the version number increases by one in the list (e.g., v3 → v4) and the previous version remains in the version history.
Users with history permission see all versions in the file's Versions tab, along with the person and date of upload; click Roll back to this version to revert to an earlier state. The rolled-back content is added as a new version; none of the intermediate versions are deleted.
The organisation administrator selects between 0 and 10 old versions to be retained for each file. When reducing the limit, a warning is shown first for the versions that will be deleted.
Version rows show the size, uploader, and date of each state; the requested version can also be downloaded. Notes left on the file and assigned approval tasks keep a record of which version went to the customer or was approved, alongside the document. The same version history is listed in the SmartFiles mobile app.
Version history and trash binView version history and revert to an older versionSet the number of versions to keep