Product tools · Handover stage
BetaMRB compiler: map approved records to the customer's index and plan the final record book
The MRB Compiler maps your approved documents to the customer's index template and plans the final record book. It flags index entries with no document, duplicates, unapproved or superseded files and documents the index doesn't list. You get a cited compilation manifest for document controllers and quality engineers to finish the package from.
MRB Compiler is in beta. Request access and we onboard each team ourselves: we run your first real documents with you and check the results together.
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What goes in and what you get out
What goes in
- Customer index template (required)
- Approved documents (required, several files)
- Cover sheet (optional)
What it checks
- Generate PDF bookmarks
- Apply continuous page numbering
- Insert section separator pages
- Attach native files
What you get out
- A compilation manifest: each index entry with the document mapped to it, in index order
- Findings for index entries without a document, duplicates, unapproved or superseded files and documents not in the index
- A quote from the index and the document behind each mapping
- CSV or JSON export of the manifest
Who uses it: Document controllers, Quality engineers, Project managers.
20 questions about the MRB Compiler
What is MRB compilation?
MRB compilation is putting the approved quality records into the final manufacturing record book the customer asked for. The records are ordered to the customer's index, usually with section separators, bookmarks and page numbers, and often delivered as one PDF. It is the last step before handover, and the customer checks the result against their index.
What does the MRB Compiler do today?
In beta, it plans the package. It reads the customer's index template, maps each approved document to its index entry, and produces a cited compilation manifest in index order. It flags entries with no document, duplicates, unapproved or superseded files, and documents the index doesn't list. It returns the manifest as CSV or JSON; final PDF assembly is something we discuss during onboarding.
Does the MRB Compiler produce the final bookmarked PDF?
Not in the current beta. The beta returns the compilation manifest that sets out what goes where, in CSV or JSON. The tool has settings for bookmarks, page numbering, separator pages and native attachments, but please don't plan on it writing the final PDF yet. If you need the assembled PDF, raise it when we onboard your team.
Which documents do I upload?
Two are required: the customer's index template and your approved documents. You can add a cover sheet. The index tells the compiler which sections and documents the book needs, in which order. Upload only documents that are approved for the book, because the compiler flags unapproved ones rather than including them. It reads PDF, Word, Excel and CSV files.
What is an MRB index template?
An MRB index template is the customer's list of the sections and documents the record book must contain, in order. It often gives section numbers and titles, such as material certificates, welding records and test reports. Some customers also set naming, cover sheets and format. The index is what the customer checks the finished book against.
How do you compile an MRB by hand?
Teams copy each approved document into folders that follow the index, check revisions, add separator pages, then merge the files into one PDF. They add bookmarks and page numbers and build a contents page. On a large order this can take days, and it is easy to include an old revision or miss a section.
What are the most common MRB compilation mistakes?
Common mistakes are an index entry left empty, the same document filed twice, an unapproved document included, an older revision used instead of the current one, and a document filed that the index doesn't ask for. Titles that don't match the index exactly make all of these easier to miss. The MRB Compiler flags each of these cases.
Why does the compiler flag unapproved documents?
A record book should only hold approved documents. A document still issued for review, or returned with comments, should not be compiled into the final book. If one is uploaded, the compiler reports it as unapproved instead of mapping it in. That keeps a draft from reaching the customer by mistake.
What happens when an index entry has no document?
The compiler reports the entry as unresolved and does not mark the package complete. The finding quotes the index entry, so your team can see exactly which record is missing. Many teams run the MRB Readiness Check first to close these gaps, then use the compiler once the folder is complete.
Does the compiler match documents with different titles from the index?
It tries to. Document titles often differ from index wording, so the compiler looks at the document's content and number, not only its file name. Where a mapping is not clear, it is reported for a person to confirm rather than guessed. Check the mappings in the manifest before you assemble the book.
What does the customer expect from a compiled MRB?
They expect it to follow their index exactly, in the same order, with every section filled and every document approved and current. Many expect one searchable PDF with bookmarks, continuous page numbers and separator pages, plus a contents page. A book that departs from the index is usually returned, which can delay final payment.
What is in the compilation manifest?
The manifest lists each index entry in order with the document mapped to it, and quotes the index entry and the document so each mapping can be checked. It also lists findings: entries without a document, duplicates, unapproved or superseded files and unmapped documents. Your team can use it as the build list for the final book.
How is the MRB Compiler different from the MRB Readiness Check?
The MRB Readiness Check compares your whole documentation folder with the customer's instructions and reports what is missing, awaiting approval or at the wrong revision. The MRB Compiler starts from approved documents and plans the final book, mapping each one to its index entry. Use the readiness check to close gaps, then the compiler to plan the package.
What is a superseded revision and why is it flagged?
A superseded revision is an older version of a document that a newer revision has replaced. If both are uploaded, the older one should not go into the book. The compiler flags superseded revisions so only the current one is mapped. Filing the wrong revision is a common reason a customer returns a record book.
Who uses the MRB Compiler?
Document controllers and quality engineers usually compile the record book. At smaller makers, the project manager often does it. The manifest is also useful to the people chasing missing records, because it shows exactly which index entries are still empty and which document belongs where.
Does the MRB Compiler send the book to the customer?
No. It prepares a manifest for your team. Your document controller decides when the book is complete, assembles the final package and sends it. The compiler does not approve documents, change their status or contact the customer. Treat the manifest as a careful plan that points to the exact index entries and documents.
What are the limits of the MRB Compiler?
It only works with the documents you upload and the index you give it. It does not check whether each record's content meets the specification; other tools do that. The beta returns a manifest, not the final assembled PDF. It reads text and tables, not drawings. The tool is in beta, so we review each team's first runs with them.
Can I attach native files such as spreadsheets?
Some customers want native files, such as the original spreadsheets, delivered with the PDF book. The compiler has a setting for native attachments, which is off by default. In the current beta the output is the manifest, so how native files are packaged is something to agree with us during onboarding, based on your customer's instructions.
Is the MRB Compiler available now?
The MRB Compiler is in beta. You can request access, and we onboard each team ourselves: we agree a real index template and set of approved documents to start with, run it with you, and check the manifest together. That is also when we discuss final PDF assembly. Document Review, our production tool, is generally available.
Which tools come before the MRB Compiler?
The MRB Compiler is the last tool in the lifecycle. Just before it, MRB Traceability Verification checks the links between records, such as weld to welder or tag to certificate, and the MRB Readiness Check confirms every required document is present and approved. Running both first means the compiler works from a complete, consistent set of records.
Where it sits in the order lifecycle
Related standards, guides and templates
Try the MRB Compiler on your own documents
Tell us which documents you want to check first. We set up your workspace and run the first package with you.