Engineering Change Order

The purpose of this process is to enter, print and approve engineering changes to items, documents and bills of material. This process is also used to define the optional activities to be completed before the changes can be approved.

Before You Start

The process can only be started for items and documents which are identified in the respective item/document file as using ECO management for any engineering changes. Additionally, the following basic data must be defined:

  • The change priority is defined in 'Engineering Change Order Priority. Open' (ECS232).
  • A number series is entered in 'Number Series. Open' (CRS165).
  • Change order types are defined in 'Engineering Change Order Type. Open' (ECS230).

Outcome

A completed, approved engineering change order is created.

Follow These Steps

The section below describes the activities in this process.

  1. Enter ECO Header

    Engineering change orders (ECO) are created in 'Work with Engineering Change Orders' (ECS420). Every ECO is identified with its own order number and order type. Order numbers are specified manually or automatically retrieved from the order number series specified in the order type. Information common to the entire change order is entered in the order header (panel E). This can be implementation criteria, whether the order is a withdrawal order, or if any special research must be done.

  2. Define Changes

    In this activity, engineering or recipe changes can be entered generally in the order header or specifically in each order line in 'Work with ECO Lines' (ECS422), panel B. Each change is identified with a change type, ID, and line number. If the field for the line number is left blank, then the next available number from the sequence counting by 10 is proposed. The change type specifies the type of object change to be performed and the panel in which the change is to be entered.

    Define Changes includes the following activities.

    • General Change

      Change type 0 is used to define changes that will not automatically update the system. These changes are then only printed on the ECO document.

      For more information, refer to Create ECO for General Change.

    • Change Item

      Item changes are defined with change type 1 in panel ECS422/E1. The version number for the changed item must also be specified, as well as the changes to be made, and whether the item or product is to be released. The changes to be made are entered using F6 = Open text. The version number is automatically changed when the specified change date is reached. Other implementation criteria are only informative and are therefore printed on the ECO document.

      For more information, refer to Create ECO for Item.

    • Change Document

      Change type 2 is used to define changes to documents in panel ECS422/E2. The version number for the changed item must also be specified, as well as the changes to be made, and whether the item or product is to be released. When the change is for a document, then fields New and Old subdocument are left blank. The version number is automatically changed when the specified change date is reached. Other implementation criteria are only informative and are therefore printed on the ECO document.

      For more information, refer to Create ECO for Document.

    • Change Document Structure

      Document structure changes are defined with change type 2 in panel ECS422/E2. The only difference with changes to documents is the fields New and Old subdocument are filled in.

      A document structure change involves changing the contents in some way. This can be adding, exchanging or deleting a subdocument. The specific change(s) is defined in fields New and Old subdocuments. This can be done in the following combinations (where X and Y are for old and new subdocument numbers, respectively, and the blank space signifies the field is left blank).

      Field / Result Add Exchange Delete
      Old subdocument X X
      New subdocument Y Y

      The version number and the document structure are automatically changed when the specified change date is reached. Other implementation criteria are only informative and are therefore printed on the ECO document.

      For more information, refer to Create ECO for Document Structure.

    • Change Bill of Material

      Changes to bills of material are defined with change type 4 in panel ECS422/E4. The version number which the product will be assigned after the change must also be specified in the same panel. These changes can only be made for a product structure that has the same facility (specified in 'Work with Divisions' (MNS100)) and with the same structure type (specified in 'Settings - Product Structure' (CRS787)).

      The change (s) can be adding, exchanging or removing a component from the bill of material. The change can also be simply to the data for the component or a description of the change as open text using F6 = Open text.

      Adding, exchanging or removing a component is defined in fields New and Old component number, operation number and sequence number. This can be done in the combinations set out in the table below. X and Y are for old and new components, respectively, and the blank space signifies the field is left blank. When New component is the same as Old component (X = Y), then the only change is to the data (quantity included, alternate unit, etc.) of the material.

      The table shows the effect of the different available combinations for fields Old and New component number, operation number and sequence number.

      Delete

      Result Old oper Old seq New cmp New oper New seq
      X is deleted in entire product structure
      X is deleted in operation 010 010
      X with sequence number 0010 deleted 0010

      Add

      Result Old oper Old seq New cmp New oper New seq
      Y added to the first operation with sequence number 8000 and upward Y
      Y added to operation 010 Y 010
      Y added with sequence number 0010 Y 0010

      Exchange

      Result Old oper Old seq New cmp New oper New seq
      X exchanged for Y in entire product structure Y
      X in operation 010 exchanged for Y 010 Y
      X with sequence number 0010 exchanged for Y 0010 Y

      The version number and the bill of material are automatically changed as specified by the implementation criteria.

      For more information, see Create ECO for Bill of Material.

    • Mass Selection

      Order lines for changes to a bill of material (change type 4) can also be generated using a mass selection function. This function conducts a search for material which is going to be changed and generates an order line for each.

      The search is limited by selecting a range of product numbers and/or product groups. The search follows the selected range of numbers or material. Changes common for all lines can then be specified and are then proposed for the lines generated. This function is called by F14 = Mass selection in panel ECS422/E.

  3. Define Change Activities

    Optional activities necessary to complete the order change before it can be approved are specified in an activities list in panel ECS421/B. These activities are assigned a status between 11 and 79.

  4. Create Distribution List

    The recipients of the ECO document are specified in a distribution list in panel ECS423/B. This recipients list can be created one at a time or a general distribution list can be copied. The latter is created in 'General Distribution List. Open' (CRS250). Any out-of-date list can be deleted using F16 = Delete all.

  5. Print and Distribute Order Document

    Order documents can be printed for all recipients from panels ECS420/A or B. Separate copies of these documents can be printed from panel ECS423/B. These are then distributed manually or as a network file in AS/400.

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