Everyone knows “Quote_final_new_2_corrected.docx”. As long as one person works alone on a file, that is still manageable. As soon as several people exchange versions, the question becomes tricky: which version did the customer receive? Who changed the price, and when? Sound document versioning answers these questions without anyone having to maintain file names. This guide explains what versions, change history and locking achieve, which rules help in everyday work and where the law requires anything at all.
Why file names are not versioning
File names with “final”, “new” or a date are an attempt to create order by hand. They fail for three reasons. First, the sequence is not reliable: two people independently assign “v3”. Second, the name says nothing about what has changed and why. Third, old versions stay in email attachments and on local drives, and one day the wrong one is used again.
Versioning means that the system numbers the versions, records who filed them and when, and leaves the earlier states unchanged. The file name stays the same; the system keeps track of the number.
Distinguish version, change history and lock
Three things are often mixed up:
- The version concerns the file itself. Each new file becomes a new version with its own number. Earlier versions remain retrievable.
- The change history of the details concerns the description of the document, such as amount, date, contact or validity. It shows who changed which field from which value to which value and when, even if the file itself remained unchanged.
- The lock regulates who may edit at the moment. It prevents two people from filing versions at the same time that overlap.
All three are needed because they catch different errors: overwriting a file, an unnoticed change to a figure in the description, and parallel editing.
Rules for versions in everyday work
The following is practice and not a statutory requirement. It has proved its worth in many businesses:
- One file, one source. The document lives in one place. Anyone who needs it links to it instead of sending it as an attachment. Attachments are snapshots.
- A new version only for a change in content. Anyone who files a new version after every small correction creates a flood of versions. Bundle changes until the version means something worthwhile.
- A short comment on the version. A sentence such as “Wall cupboard added, discount included” saves comparing later.
- Restoring does not mean turning back. Anyone who needs an old state again files it as a new version. The chain remains complete, and you can see that and when a step back was taken.
- Separate draft and final version. As long as a document is a draft, it may change. With approval or signature it is closed. After that there are no silent changes, at most a new version with a reference to the earlier one.
- Maintain the details and the file together. Anyone who reverts the file also checks whether the amount and date in the details still match.
Edit at the same time without losing versions
Parallel editing is the most common reason for lost changes. Two approaches have proved their worth:
- Locking: Anyone who edits a document locks it for editing. Everyone else sees who has locked it and does not file a version of their own. After editing, the lock is released. A clear habit is important: anyone who forgets the lock blocks the others.
- Joint editing in the browser: With Office documents, several people work in the same file and see one another. The individual intermediate states then do not each form a version in their own right.
A further stumbling block is local copies. Anyone who downloads a file, changes it and uploads it again is working on a state that may no longer exist in the meantime. A warning on filing (“the version has changed”) is therefore important.
When the law has a say
For most working documents, such as draft quotes, minutes or concepts, the law prescribes no versioning. It is different for accounting records and vouchers. Under Art. 957a, para. 3 of the Code of Obligations (CO), a voucher is any written record on paper or in electronic or comparable form that is necessary to be able to trace the business transaction or fact underlying a posting. For them, Art. 3 of the Ordinance on Accounting Records (GeBüV) requires that they are kept and retained, or captured and retained, in such a way that they cannot be changed without this being detectable. How the retention of accounting documents is regulated as a whole is shown in the guide Bookkeeping obligations for SMEs. Art. 958f, para. 3 CO permits electronic retention, provided that consistency with the underlying business transactions and facts is ensured and the records can be made legible again at any time.
It follows that a version history is a useful building block when a document is a voucher, but not the proof on its own. Whether a specific filing system meets the requirements depends on the whole procedure. This guide does not cover other obligations, such as those on contracts or personnel files; they are set out in the respective specialist guides.
Practical example: Keller Holzbau AG
Keller Holzbau AG is a fictitious carpentry company. In September 2026, a quote is prepared for a kitchen in Musterstadt. The amount is stored as a detail on the document. This is how the quote proceeds:
| Date | Event | Version | Amount per details |
|---|---|---|---|
| 08.09.2026 | First quote after the customer meeting | 1 | CHF 38’400.00 |
| 10.09.2026 | Wall cupboard added after measuring up (CHF 2’450.00) | 2 | CHF 40’850.00 |
| 14.09.2026 | Discount of 5 per cent included (CHF 2’042.50) | 3 | CHF 38’807.50 |
| 17.09.2026 | Customer waives the discount, version 2 is needed again | 4 (content of version 2) | CHF 40’850.00 |
The amounts add up: 38’400.00 plus 2’450.00 gives 40’850.00; 5 per cent of that is 2’042.50, and after deducting it 38’807.50 remains. Two things matter from a versioning point of view. On 14.09., planner Marco Brunner locks the document for editing. When office manager Sandra Keller wants to file a correction at the same time, she receives the message that the document is locked by another person, and waits. On 17.09., version 2 is not “played back” in reverse but filed as version 4. The chain 1 to 4 remains complete. Since the restoration concerns only the file, Sandra Keller changes the amount in the details back to CHF 40’850.00 by hand. The history of the details then shows three entries for the amount with person and time, so that it can later be traced why the figure jumped back and forth.
On 24.09.2026, the customer accepts the quote. The quote is archived; the file and versions can no longer be changed afterwards, and the details only with a stated reason.
Checklist
- The document lives in one place and is linked instead of sent as an attachment
- New versions arise only from a change in content, with a short comment
- Anyone who edits locks the document and releases the lock afterwards
- Earlier versions are never overwritten but, if necessary, restored as a new version
- After a restoration, the details (amount, date, validity) have been checked
- The history of the details is consulted when figures change
- Closed documents are marked as such; changes afterwards need a reason
- For vouchers and accounting records, the procedure is documented and agreed with the fiduciary
How KMU | base helps
In Docu | base you work on the document page; it opens from the list under Documents.
1. Versions. Every new file you file on the document becomes a version in its own right. Under Versions you see the versions, upload a new one (“Upload new version”) and optionally add a comment on the version. You restore an older version via “Restore as new version”. If you file the same file as the current version again (same checksum), no new version is created. Each version is filed as its own immutable archive entry.
2. History of the details. In the History of details section you see who changed which field from which value to which value and when.
3. Locking. Under Status you lock the document with “Lock for editing”. After that, nobody else can file a new version at the same time; after editing, you release the lock with “Release lock”. If you open an Office document via “Edit in Word” (Excel and PowerPoint likewise), it is locked for you as long as it is open, and every save becomes a new version. This requires drive access.
4. Closing. While “In progress”, you can change the document; with “Archive” you close it, and after that no further changes are possible. On archiving, the file and versions remain unchanged. Authorised people can later correct filing details such as fields, document type, company or folder only with a mandatory reason; the history of the details records who changed what and why. Certain document types, such as incoming invoices, are archived immediately.
5. Compare versions. If you use the AI functions of Docu | base, you select two versions on the document page, Docu | base calculates the differences, and the AI briefly explains what is new and what is dropped. The basis is the recognised text of the document; layout and images are not compared.
What Docu | base cannot do: when restoring, only the file is retrieved; you maintain the details separately. And the lock does not stop you from copying a file locally; it protects the filing system, not the downloaded copy.
If you would like to try it yourself, take a look at the Demo or open a test account. If you have questions, we will help you via the Contact page. You will find the current terms under Pricing.
Sources
- Ordinance on Accounting Records (GeBüV, SR 221.431), Art. 3, as at 1 January 2013: fedlex.admin.ch (German original), accessed on 27.10.2026.
- Code of Obligations (OR, SR 220), Art. 957a, para. 3 and Art. 958f, para. 3, as at 1 October 2026: fedlex.admin.ch (German original), accessed on 27.10.2026.
This guide does not replace legal or tax advice. Information as at 27.10.2026.