Rule #3 for preventing version-control problems is this:
Pass version control clearly.
What does that mean?
It means being explicit about who has version control at any given time.
It doesn’t mean sending emails like this: “I have reviewed the file.” That tells me what you did, but not who now has control of it.
It doesn’t mean sending emails like this: “The file is back on the shared drive.” That tells me where it is, but not who now has control of it.
Instead, it means sending emails like this: “I have completed my review of the file. It is in the folder ‘Ready for final review.’ I pass control to you (or to Joe, or whoever).” That tells me what you did, where the file is, and who now has control of it.
Excessive? Nope. Just clear.
This is one of a short series on preventing version-control problems.
Version control: The file-naming and handling conventions intended to prevent earlier versions of documents from being used in place of the current version, and to prevent two people from working on a document in parallel, creating two versions that must then be reconciled at great waste of time and loss of sense of humour.