On document-intensive projects, the costly mistakes rarely come from missing files. They come from the wrong revision reaching the wrong person.
Keep identities distinct
Document identity, revision, internal version and formal issue are different things. Treating them separately keeps the record traceable.
A lifecycle you can follow
Draft → Submitted → Under Review → Approved → Issued → Superseded or Withdrawn → Archived.
Freeze what you issue
A formal transmittal records the exact versions and recipients at the moment of issue, with delivery and acknowledgement evidence. Issued transmittals are not silently edited.