IMS Folder: IMS Documents for Staff
Getting the current IMS documents in front of every member of staff has usually meant building an intranet, buying ISO software or asking an IT department for help. IMS Folder needs none of them. It gives a company's staff a simple, secure web page for reading the current IMS documents, straight from the company's IMS folder in Dropbox, and all it takes is that Dropbox folder and a web browser. It is part of alphaZ Control and is free to use for our remote support clients.
How IMS Folder Gives Staff the Current IMS Documents
Each company has its own page at imsfolder.com. Staff log in with their work email address and a one-time code sent to it, so there is no password to remember, no account to set up and no Dropbox needed on their side. They see the company's IMS folder laid out just as it is in Dropbox, with its policies, procedures, forms and registers.
There is nothing to install and nothing to maintain. The IMS team keeps working in the Dropbox folder exactly as before, and it can be on a free Dropbox account. Changes show on the page within a few minutes. Nothing can be uploaded or changed on the page, so staff always see the documents as the IMS team issued them, and drafts and superseded versions can sit in folders called Draft or Archive, or starting with _ or x-, where staff never see them.
Reading, Searching and Downloading IMS Documents
- Search, by file name, folder name or document code. A search for F-Q36 finds it however it is typed.
- Read online, with PDFs, Word and PowerPoint documents and pictures opening in the browser. Any file can be downloaded, and spreadsheets download to open in Excel.
- The home page, with a welcome message, dated updates and pictures written by the company's IMS team.
- Phones, with the same folders and search, and a browser stays logged in for 14 days.
Acknowledging IMS Documents for ISO Compliance
ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 all require the policy to be communicated within the organisation (clause 5.2), and the people doing work for it to be aware of the policy and of how their work contributes (clause 7.3). Keeping a record that a reissued policy or a changed procedure has reached everyone can mean sign-off sheets and chasing people.
IMS Folder makes it one click. The IMS team asks staff to acknowledge a document, and it shows on everyone's home page with an I've read this button until they confirm. The IMS team can see who has confirmed and when, which named people are still to do it, and download the records as a spreadsheet. If the document changes afterwards, IMS Folder says so, staff can be asked to confirm the new version, and the earlier confirmations stay on record. That gives a dated record for each version, alongside the company's own training and toolbox talks. IMS Folder sends staff no emails about it, so the company tells its people in its usual way.
Secure Access to IMS Documents for Remote Support Clients
The IMS team decides who can log in: everyone with a company email address, named people such as an external auditor or staff without a company email address, or both. IMS Folder is secure by design. There are no passwords to steal, each login code lasts 10 minutes, and access is checked on every page, so removing someone takes effect straight away. The connection to Dropbox can only read, and each company's pages are kept separate and out of search engines.
IMS Folder is a simple, easy to use way to give every member of staff the current IMS documents, and it is free to use for our remote support clients.
Document Control for ISO Management Systems
Quality Awareness Requirements Under ISO 9001
Workplace Safety Awareness Requirements Under ISO 45001
Published: 9 November 2026