Simplified Change Management

The Simplified change process uses two different kinds of items to manage changes:

• The SimpleEngineering Change Order (ECO) is a simplified approach for releasing, modifying, or deleting Items. This process is useful when the full CMII process is not required to add or modify an Item.
• The Manufacturing Change Order (MCO) allows for modification of a released Part to add a Manufactured Part to the Part’s AML. The AML contains a list of Manufactured Parts created by approved Manufacturers and sold by approved Vendors. By using the MCO, the alteration of an AML on a released Part does not require the full CMII process. Both Items are processed according to the same Simplified Change Management workflow depicted in the following figure.

Figure 309.

A Simple Engineering Change Order (ECO) is a simplified process of implementing changes within an organization. There are three types of change Actions for an affected Item in the Simple ECO process:

• Add — A new affected Item becomes Released.
• Change — An affected existing Item is modified. The Item becomes Superseded, Obsolete, or incremented to a new revision level to allow modification.
• Delete — An existing affected Item is obsolete. The Item becomes Superseded or Obsolete.

The Simple ECO workflow has the following roles:

• A Simple ECO Creator (Originator), which is a user who initially created the Simple ECO in the system. This may or may not be the same person as other roles.
• A Simple ECO Owner (Assigned Creator), which is an engineer or technical person responsible for technical implications and ramifications of the change to each affected Item.
• A Change Specialist I (CSI) coordinates and prepares Simple ECOs through the workflow.
• Change Analyst (CA).
• The Configuration Management (CM) group.
• The Change Control Board (CCB), which is responsible for review and final approval of an MCO.

A Simple ECO traverses between various states during its life cycle as depicted in the following figure.

Figure 310.
The Simple Change Management workflow and Simple ECO life cycle together produce the following scenario:

Figure 311.

1. An Aras Innovator user initiates a simple ECO: creates and saves the simple ECO. When the Creator saves the simple ECO, it enters the In Work state, and a workflow is automatically started to assign tasks and track the changes to the simple ECO.
2. The simple ECO enters the Prepare Change activity assigned to the CSI. According to the company’s rules and policies, the CSI reviews the simple ECO, assigns an Owner to each Affected Item in the simple ECO, and makes decisions and recommendations about the propagation of these Item changes. For example, the CSI can decide whether a part should have a new revision or an entirely new part number. Also, the CSI checks whether a changed part leads to a change of revision or part number of assemblies containing this part.
   
   1. The CSI can Cancel the Simple ECO.
   2. Once the CSI votes Submit, the Simple ECO goes further.
3. The Simple ECO enters the Draft Changes activity assigned to each Owner. The Owner is responsible for updating the Item documentation affected by this change, like BOMs, specifications, drawings, any other documents. The affected Items requiring the change of documentation may be not only the items being changed directly but also hierarchies containing these Items.
   
   • Once all the Owners vote Complete, the Simple ECO goes further.
4. The simple ECO enters the Initial Review activity assigned to the CA. The CA reviews the changes and decides either to:
   
   1. Reject — The simple ECO goes back to the Draft Changes activity. The Owners can modify and resubmit the Simple ECO for the Initial Review activity.
   2. Fast Track Approve — The simple ECO is Approved and Released.
   3. Full Review — The simple ECO enters the Review Changes activity assigned to other team members. The Simple ECO goes under in-depth formal/informal reviews. Once these reviews are completed, The simple ECO enters the CCB Review activity. Once the CCB audit is completed, the simple ECO is Approved and Released. The simple ECO may also be rejected (4.a) at these activities.
5. Once the simple ECO is Released, the life cycle states of the affected Items are updated.

The following table shows the simple ECO lifecycle and workflow in terms of Roles and Permissions.

Table 5: The simple ECO lifecycle and workflow activities with corresponding Roles and Permissions

Because a Simple ECO can be used to add, change, or delete affected Items, the Simple ECO creation process can be conventionally divided into general and specific procedures. This section defines the general steps you should use for creating a Simple ECO. The specific procedures are outlined in sections Adding an Item within a Simple ECO,, Changing an Item within a Simple ECO and Deleting an Item within a Simple ECO. To create a Simple Engineering Change Order:

1. Go to Contents à Change Management à ECOs (one with the green icon).

   

   

   Figure 312.

2. Click Create New ECO. The view of a new Simple ECO appears.

   

   

   Figure 313.
   

3. Keep the default Phase In value in the Change Category list.
4. Describe the change in the Change Description text box.
5. Describe the reason for the change in the Reason For Change text box.
6. Keep the default value in the Originator box. This is the Simple ECO Creator.
7. Keep the default Change Specialist I value in the Change Analyst box. This is a person or group assigned to act as a CA in the Simple ECO workflow process.
8. Keep the Date Originated box blank. This box is automatically filled with the date on which the Simple ECO is saved.

9. Go to the Attachments accordion tab to attach all the files concerning this Simple ECO.

   

   

   Figure 314.

10. Click New File on the Attachments accordion toolbar. The standard operating system dialog for file browsing and selection appears.

11. Search for and select a file. A new row appears in the Files grid with the file attached.

    

    

    Figure 315.

    Note

    Aras Innovator will automatically assign a file type depending on File’s extension when you save the ECN.

12. If it is necessary to provide additional information about the File, enter it in the Comments cell.
13. Repeat steps 10-12 for other files associated with this Simple ECO.
14. If you need to add Items with the Simple ECO, use the procedure described in section Adding an Item within a Simple ECO.
15. If you need to change Items with the Simple ECO, use the procedure described in section Changing an Item within a Simple ECO.
16. If you need to delete Items with the Simple ECO, use the procedure described in section Deleting an Item within a Simple ECO.
17. Click Done on the Simple ECO toolbar. The Simple ECO is created and awaits to be submitted as defined in the section Submitting a Simple ECO.
    

Figure 316.

Because a Simple ECO can be used to add, change, or delete affected Items, theSimple ECO creating process can be conventionally divided into general and specific procedures. This section defines the steps you should use for adding affected Items when creating a Simple ECO. Section Creating a Simple ECO outlines the general procedure. The other specific procedures are outlined in sections Changing an Item within a Simple ECO and Deleting an Item within a Simple ECO. A new Item has the Preliminary State. A Simple ECO promotes the Item to the Released State at the end of the Simple ECO process when it is released. To assign a new affected Item for adding when creating a Simple Engineering Change Order:

1. Open the Simple ECO.
2. Click Edit on the Simple ECO toolbar.
3. Go to the Affected Items accordion tab.

4. Click New Affected Item on the Affected Items accordion toolbar. A new row appears at the bottom of the Affected Items grid.

   

   

   Figure 317.

5. Select Add in the Action cell.

   

   

   Figure 318.

6. Click the ellipsis button in the New Number cell. The Search dialog – Change Controlled Item appears.

7. Search for and select the new affected Item. The affected Item populates the New Number cell.

   

   

   Figure 319.

8. Click Save or Done on the Simple ECO toolbar. The Simple ECO has an affected Item assigned for adding.

Figure 320.

Because a Simple ECO can be used to add, change, or delete affected Items, the Simple ECO creating process can be conventionally divided into general and specific procedures. This section defines the steps you should use for changing affected Items when creating a Simple ECO. Section Creating a Simple ECO outlines the general procedure. The other specific procedures are outlined in sectionsAdding an Item within a Simple ECO and Deleting an Item within a Simple ECO..
A change for an already Released Item can be either:

• Interchangeable, the Released Item is automatically revised during the ECN process to create a new Preliminary Item version to make changes. When the ECN is released at the end of the ECN process, this new Item version is Released.
• Non-Interchangeable, During the ECN process, any necessary changes are made to a new Preliminary Item. When the ECN is released at the of the ECN process, the new Item is Released, and the old affected Item is Superseded.

To assign an existing affected Item to be changed when creating a Simple Engineering Change Order:

1. Follow steps 1-4 of the Adding an Item within a Simple ECO procedure.

2. Select Change in the Action cell.

   

   

   Figure 321

3. Click the ellipsis button in the Old Number cell. The Search dialog – Change Controlled Item appears.

4. Using the standard search procedure, search for and select the affected Item to be changed. The selected affected Item populates the Old Number cell.

   

   

   Figure 322.

5. Select the Interchangeable cell check box if the old and new Items are interchangeable, e.g., if there is no Fit-Form-Function change. The new Item version can be replaced or modified without causing any change in functionality to the surrounding Items. When selected, the same Item number will be retained.
6. If the Interchangeable cell is not selected, e.g., the old and new Items are not interchangeable due to a Fit-Form-Function change, select the replacing new Item:
   
   1. Click the ellipsis button in the New Number cell. The Search dialog – Change Controlled Item appears.
   2. Using the standard search procedure, search for and select the new affected Item. The new affected Item populates the New Number cell. This new item must be in the Preliminary state to pass readiness checks during the Simple ECO process.
      

   

   

   Figure 323.

7. Click Save two times on the Simple ECO toolbar.
8. Select the action to take on the Items that are being built in the In Build cell: Use Existing, Rework, or Scrap.

9. Select the action to take on the Items that are currently in service in the In Service cell: Use Existing, Rework, or Scrap.

   

   

   Figure 324.

10. Click Save or Done on the Simple ECO toolbar. The Simple ECO has an affected Item assigned for changing.

Figure 325.

Because a Simple ECO can be used to add, change, or delete affected Items, the Simple ECO creating process can be conventionally divided into general and specific procedures. This section defines the steps you should use for deleting affected Items when creating a Simple ECO. Section Creating a Simple ECO outlines the general procedure. The other specific procedures are outlined in sections Adding an Item within a Simple ECO and Changing an Item within a Simple ECO..
An already Released item gets Superseded at the end of the Simple ECO process when it is released.
Use the following procedure to assign an existing affected Item to be superseded with a Simple Engineering Change Order:

1. Follow steps 1-4 of the Adding an Item within a Simple ECO procedure.

2. Select Delete in the Action cell.

   

   

   Figure 326.

3. Click the ellipsis button in the Old Number cell. The Search dialog – Change Controlled Item appears.

4. Using the standard search procedure, search for and select the affected Item to be deleted. The selected affected Item populates the Old Number cell.

   

   

   Figure 327.
   

5. Click Save two times on the Simple ECO toolbar.
6. Select the action to take on the Items that are being built in the In Build cell: Use Existing, Rework, or Scrap.

7. Select the action to take on the Items that are currently in service in the In Service cell: Use Existing, Rework, or Scrap.

   

   

   Figure 328.

8. Click Save or Done on the Simple ECO toolbar. The Simple ECO has an affected Item assigned for deleting.
   

Figure 329.

Use the following procedure:

1. Follow steps 1-3 of Adding an Item within a Simple ECO procedure.

2. Click the Affected Item and then click Delete Row on the Affected Items accordion toolbar. The Affected Item becomes unavailable.

   

   

   Figure 330.

3. Click Save or Done on the Simple ECO toolbar. The Affected Item disappears from the grid.
   
   Note

   The Affected Item disappears immediately if the Simple ECO was not saved after it was added.

Use the following procedure:

1. Go to Contents à My Innovator à My InBasket à Search My InBasket.

2. Double-click on the Workflow Task to open the Workflow Activity Completion dialog for the Simple ECO.

   

   

   Figure 331

3. Mark the tasks you completed in the Tasks field.
4. Select Submit in the Vote list.
5. Click Complete.

The Simple ECO enters the Draft Changes activity assigned to the Assigned Creator.

Once a Simple ECO is submitted, each Affected Item goes to its Assigned Creator for the Draft Changes activity. The Assigned Creator checks and may provide the following information:

• There are new part numbers for the non interchangeable parts changes.
• The ECN has all other affected items in the hierarchy.
• Affected Documents of the parent assemblies (such as BOMs) are changed.
• Etc.

Since each company has its own rules for new part numbers or new revision generation, the Assigned Creator is responsible for entering this information manually.
The only automatic update that Aras Innovator does for the Simplified CM process is a new revision for the interchangeable Items changes. This automatic update takes place once the Simple ECO is released.

The Simple Manufacturing Change Order (MCO) is a simplified process used for changing an Approved Manufacturer List (AML) for a released Part. The AML modification does not require the full CMII process because this change does not change the Part itself. The MCO process is suitable for this type of modification. The MCO process provides a specialized user interface to enable editing the AML without the ability to edit Part properties or relationships.

The MCO workflow has the following roles:

• An MCO Creator (Originator), is the user who initially created the MCO in the system. This may or may not be the same person as other roles.
• An MCO Owner (Assigned Creator), is the person responsible for the AML change.
• A Change Specialist I (CSI) coordinates and prepares MCOs through the workflow.
• Change Analyst (CA).
• The Configuration Management (CM) group.
• The Change Control Board (CCB), is responsible for review and final approval of an MCO.

An MCO moves between various states during its life cycle as shown in the following figure.

Figure 332.
The Simple Change Management workflow and MCO life cycle produce together the following scenario:

Figure 333.

1. An Aras Innovator user creates and saves the MCO. The creator should assign the Affected Parts to the MCO. When the Creator saves the MCO, it enters the In Work state, and a workflow is automatically started to assign tasks and track the changes to the MCO.
2. The MCO enters the Prepare Change activity assigned to the CSI. According to the company’s rules and policies, the CSI reviews the MCO and decides whether to:
   
   1. Cancel the MCO. It cannot be restored in the future.
   2. Submit the MCO. It goes further.
3. The MCO enters the Draft Changes activity assigned to an Owner. The Owner is responsible for updating the AML using the AML editor.
   
   1. Once the Owner votes Complete, the ECR goes further.
4. The MCO enters the Initial Review activity assigned to the CA. The CA reviews the AML changes and decides either to:
   
   1. Reject — The MCO goes back to the Draft Changes activity. The Owner can modify and resubmit the MCO for the Initial Review activity.
   2. Fast Track Approve — The MCO is Approved and Released.
   3. Full Review — The MCO enters the Review Changes activity assigned to other team members. The MCO goes under in-depth formal/informal reviews. Once these reviews are completed, The MCO enters the CCB Review activity. Once the CCB audit is completed, the MCO is Released. The MCO may also be Rejected (4.a) at these activities.
5. Once the MCO is released, the affected Part is updated.

The following table shows the simple ECO lifecycle states and workflow activities in terms of Roles and Permissions.
Table 6: The MCO lifecycle and workflow activities with corresponding Roles and Permissions

To create a Manufacturing Change Order:

1. Go to Contents à Change Management à MCOs.

2. Click Create New MCO. The view of a new MCO appears.

   

   

   Figure 334.

3. Keep the default Phase In value in the Change Category list.
4. Describe the change in the Change Description text box.
5. Describe the reason for the change in the Reason For Change text box.
6. Keep the default value in the Originator box. This is the MCO Creator.
7. Keep the default Change Specialist I value in the Change Analyst box. This is a person or group assigned to act as a CA in the MCO workflow process.
8. Keep the Date Originated box blank. This box is automatically filled with the date on which the MCO is saved.

9. Go to the Attachments accordion tab to attach all the files concerning this MCO.

   

   

   Figure 335.

10. Click New File on the Attachments accordion toolbar. The standard operating system dialog for file browsing and selection appears.

11. Search for and select a file. A new row appears in the Files grid with the file attached.

    

    

    Figure 336.

12. If it is necessary to provide additional information about the File, enter it in the Comments cell.
13. Repeat steps 10-12 for other files concerning this MCO.

14. Go to the Affected Parts accordion tab to assign Parts with AMLs this MCO should change.

    

    

    Figure 337.
    

15. Click Add Parts on the Affected Parts accordion toolbar. The Search dialog – Part appears.

16. Search and select Parts with AMLs this MCO should change. The selected Parts appear under Affected Parts.

    

    

    Figure 338.

17. Click Done on the MCO toolbar. The MCO is created and waits to be submitted as defined in the section Submitting an MCO.

To submit a Manufacturing Change Order:

1. Go to Contents à My Innovator à My InBasket à Search My InBasket.
2. Double-click on the Workflow Task to open the Workflow Activity Completion dialog for the MCO.
   

   

   

   Figure 339.
3. Mark the tasks you completed in the Tasks field.
4. Select Submit in the Vote list.
5. Click Complete.

The MCO enters the Draft Changes activity assigned to the Owner.

Use the following procedure:

1. Open the MCO view.
2. Go to the Affected Parts accordion tab.

3. Right-click a Part in the Affected Parts grid and select Actions à Launch AML Editor.

   

   

   Figure 340.

   The AML Editor appears with the AML of the given Part in a separate dialog box.

   

   

   Figure 341.

4. Edit the AML as described in section Approved Manufacturer List (AML).

5. Click Save Changes. The AML Editor disappears. The given Affected Part gets the Manual Change State.

   

   

   Figure 342.

6. Go to Contents à My Innovator à My InBasket à Search My InBasket.

7. Double-click on the Workflow Task to open the Workflow Activity Completion dialog for the MCO.

   

   

   Figure 343.
   

8. Mark the tasks you completed in the Tasks field.
9. Select Complete in the Vote list.
10. Click Complete.

The MCO enters the Initial Review activity assigned to the CA.

Use the following procedure:

1. Review all changes to the Affected Parts.
2. Ensure each Affected Part assigned to the MCO contains the same information as in the MCO.
3. Go to Contents à My Innovator à My InBasket à Search My InBasket.

4. Go to the Workflow Activity Completion dialog for the MCO.

   

   

   Figure 344.

5. Mark the tasks you completed in the Tasks field.
6. Select the option appropriate for your decision in the Vote list: Fast Track Approve, Reject, Full Review, or Delegate.
7. Click Complete.

The MCO enters the activity according to your decision.