CMII Change Management

The CMII Process uses three different ItemTypes to manage changes:

• The Problem Report (PR) is used for logging problems found with an Item. The PR does not force a resolution; it is a tool to track a problem, which may need to be addressed.
• The Engineering Change Request (ECR) is used for requesting a change to Items where a problem occurs or will occur if no action is taken. An ECR is usually created after one or more PRs have been filed and verified that a problem does exist. ECRs do not actually affect change on the Item(s).
• The Engineering Change Notice (ECN) is an authorization to make changes to an Item based on an approved ECR. It is used to describe modifications (real or proposed) to affected Items and is also used for notifying the appropriate users that the Item is changed. ECNs do affect change on the Item(s). Once an ECN has been approved and completed, a new Item is released, modified, or obsoleted depending on the actions taken.

A Problem Report (PR) is a report about a problem that has been found. It does not force any resolution or initiate a corrective process. It is a simple notification that a problem with an Item has been discovered.

The reported problem is the subject of further review, verification, and approval/rejection.

Anyone who has access to the Item in question can create a PR. An initiator can be a company employee or customer. For example, at a software company, a PR could be a new issue that has been reported by the helpdesk. At a services company, it could be a complaint call from a customer.

The PR workflow has the following roles:

• PR Creator – The user who initially created the PR in the system. This may or may not be the same person as other roles.
• PR Owner (Assigned Creator) – An engineer responsible for the research, identification, and verification of the problem. The Owner must verify the problem and provide detailed information about its origin as well as any possible corrective actions.
• Change Specialist I (CSI) – Coordinates PRs and ECRs through the analysis phase preparing for and conducting the Change Review Board meetings.
• The Configuration Management (CM) group.

A PR moves through various states during its life cycle as shown in the following figure.

Figure 236.

The PR workflow together with the PR life cycle produces the following scenario:

Figure 237.

1. A new PR is Submitted by a Creator.

2. A CSI reviews the PR to determine whether it should be:

   1. In the Rejected state.In the In Verification state.
   2. The CSI identifies a PR Owner and sends the PR to this identity for verification.

3. The PR Owner verifies the PR to determine whether it should be:

   1. In the Unverified state. In this case, the PR Owner rejects the PR.
   2. In the Verified state. Once the PR Owner has verified the PR, it goes to the CSI for approval.
4. The CSI checks the PR form. Once it is ensured that all the necessary information has been entered in the PR, the CSI approves the PR, promoting it to Pending.
5. A member of the CM group starts a further CMII process according to the PR results and closes the PR.

A CSI has access to and controls all PRs in the system regardless of their creator, activity, or state. For example, several PRs may be pending until they are all incorporated into one ECR. Therefore, when the final action does take place, the CSI needs to update the Final Action field with this information.

The following table shows the PR lifecycle states and workflow activities in terms of Roles and Permissions.

Table 2 : The PR lifecycle and workflow activities with corresponding Roles and Permissions

The final PR states (Rejected, Unverified, Closed) are used to classify PRs in the system and in reports.

There are the following PR reports:

• PR Log Report – A list of all the PRs. For details, refer to section PR Log Report.
• PR Report – A printable PR form. For details, refer to section PR Report.

A PR is a complex document that is filled in by different roles in the system. A PR creator is not expected to fill in the PR completely. This section defines the types of information that must be included in a newly created PR.

To create and submit a Problem Report:

1. Go to Contents à Change Management à PRs.

2. Click Create New PR. The view of a new PR appears. Enter the necessary information.

   

   

   Figure 238.

   • Title – The title for the PR. The title should be as descriptive as possible.
   • Application Environment – The background information about the product and/or any related problems. For example, it could be the version or the server used for a software product, or it could be the temperature and the humidity level for an automotive part.
   • Sequence Of Events Leading Up To The Problem – The exact steps taken that led to the problem.
   • Description Of The Problem – A description of the problem. The description should describe the problem as precisely as possible.
   • Affected Item – The affected item.

   • Basis –

     • Physical Hierarchy – The Item (Part) itself and any Document associated with it. A bug in software would be classified as a physical hierarchy.
     • Administrative Hierarchy – Anything related to the process of running the business. An error in an expense report procedure would be classified as an administrative hierarchy.

3. Click Done on the PR toolbar. The PR is created and submitted for a CSI’s decision.

A CSI receives a Submitted PR to decide whether to reject or review it. This section defines which pieces of information the CSI must provide when the decision is made to review the PR.Use the following procedure to review a Problem Report:

1. Open the PR view.
2. Click Edit on the PR toolbar.
3. Specify the priority number in the Priority For Tech Review field. The higher the priority, the lower the number selected.
4. Enter the name of the person who reported the problem in the Reported By text box. This Identity may not be the same person who created the PR in the system (the Creator).
5. Enter the name of the PR Owner in the Assigned Creator text box.
6. Click Done on the PR toolbar.
7. Go to Contents à My Innovator à My InBasket à Search My InBasket.

8. Go to the Workflow Activity Completion dialog for the PR.

   

   

   Figure 239.
   

9. Mark the tasks you completed in the Tasks field.
10. Select Verify in the Vote list.
11. Click Complete.
    The PR awaits a decision of the PR Owner.

A PR Owner receives a PR In Verification to decide whether to reject or verify it. This section defines which pieces of information the PR Owner must provide when verifying the PR.Use the following procedure to verify a Problem Report:

1. Open the PR view.
2. Click Edit on the PR toolbar.
3. Enter the steps that were taken to verify the problem as well as any special conditions or descriptions of the problem in the Problem Verification text box.
4. Enter an assessment of what would happen if this problem was not corrected in the Ramifications If Not Resolved text box
5. Assess the severity of the issue in the Severity box. The higher the severity; the lower the number selected.

6. Specify the product development phase where the problem occurred in the Phase Caused list.

   

   

   Figure 240.
   

7. Select the product development phase where the problem was found in the Phase Found list.
8. Click Done on the PR toolbar.
9. Go to Contents à My Innovator à My InBasket --> Search My InBasket.

10. Go to the Workflow Activity Completion dialog for the PR.

    

    

    Figure 241.
    

11. Mark the tasks you completed in the Tasks field.
12. Select Verified in the Vote list.
13. Click Complete.

The Approve PR activity starts. The PR awaits a CSI’s decision.

A CSI is responsible for the final approval of all PRs in the system regardless of their creator, activity, or state.Use the following procedure to approve a Problem Report:

1. Open the PR view.
2. Check that all necessary information is present.
3. If it is necessary to correct the PR:
   
   1. Click Edit on the PR toolbar.
   2. If any final action takes place, enter information about it in the Final Action text box.
   3. Provide any missing information.
   4. Correct wrong information if any exists.
   5. Attach auxiliary files if any exist.
   6. Click Done on the PR toolbar.

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

   

   

   Figure 242.

5. Select the tasks you completed in the Tasks field.
6. Select Approve in the Vote list.

You can get quick information about all the PRs submitted to Aras Innovator with the PR Log Report.

Figure 243. There are several ways to access the PR Log Report:

• Go to Contents à Change Management à PRs, right-click any PR, and then click Reports à PR Log Report.

Figure 244.

• Open the view of any PR, on the PR toolbar, click Reports, and then click PR Log Report.

Figure 245.
To quit a Report, close its view in Aras Innovator.
At the top left corner of the PR Log Report view, there is a Print button, which uses the standard browser print function. Depending on the browser and your specific configuration, various print choices, such as printing to a printer or saving to PDF, are available.

You can print or share a PR using the PR Report.

Figure 246. There are several ways to access the PR Report:

• Go to Contents à Change Management à PRs, right-click a PR to be reported, and then click Reports à PR Report.

Figure 247.

• Open the view of a PR. On the PR toolbar, click Reports, and then click PR Report.

Figure 248.
To quit a Report, close its view in Aras Innovator.
At the top left corner of the PR Report view, there is a Print button, which uses the standard browser print function. Depending on the browser and your specific configuration, various print choices, such as printing to a printer or saving to PDF, are available.

An Engineering Change Request (ECR) is a request initiating a corrective process in response to some PRs or because of a potential problem identified through proactive thinking. An ECR is submitted to request a change to Items where a problem occurs or will occur if no action is taken.An ECR may be quickly processed in the system using the Fast Track approach when the ECR is submitted to correct a small or local problem that does not have far-reaching consequences.

The ECR workflow has the following roles:

• An ECR Creator is a user who initially created the ECR in the system. This may or may not be the same person as other roles.
• An ECR Owner (Assigned Creator) is a person responsible for the technical review of the ECR. This person must be able to identify and verify the problem itself and to see the ramifications of both the problem and the solution.
• A Change Specialist I (CSI) coordinates PRs and ECRs through the analysis phase preparing for and conducting the Change Review Board meetings.
• The Change Review Board (CRB).
• The Configuration Management (CM) group.

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

Figure 249.
The ECR workflow together with the ECR life cycle produces the following scenario:

Figure 250.

1. After a new ECR is created, an ECR Creator must declare that the ECR is ready for review voting Submit the ECR.
2. The ECR enters the Review ECR activity assigned to the CSI. The CSI reviews the ECR thoroughly, and decides to either:
   
   1. Reject the ECR. The ECR goes back to the creator, who either resubmits or cancels the ECR. In the former case, the creator corrects the ECR according to CSI’s comments for rejection.
   2. Submit the ECR for the technical review. The CSI assigns an Owner to the ECR.
3. The ECR enters the Technical Review activity assigned to the Owner. The Owner conducts the technical review and provides data, comments, and recommendations. Once the Owner votes Complete, the ECR goes further.
4. The ECR enters the Route ECR activity assigned to the CSI. The CSI must decide how to route the ECR. Different companies have different criteria for making this decision based on the cost estimates, time, and the nature of the problem itself. The CSI has the authority to vote either:
   
   1. Fast Track Approve for a fast-track ECR. The ECR enters the Disposition ECR activity assigned to the Owner. The Owner votes either:
      
      1. ECR Approved to approve the ECR.
      2. ECR Disapproved to reject the ECR.
      3. Investigate to send the ECR back for more investigation.
   2. CRB Approve for full CRB involvement. The ECR enters the Prepare CRB activity assigned to the CSI. The CSI defines the meeting type either through an in-person CRB Meeting or through an Online CRB. The CSI also prepares all the necessary information to present to the CRB. Regardless of the meeting type, the CRB votes either:
      
      1. ECR Approved to approve the ECR.
      2. ECR Disapproved to reject the ECR.
      3. Investigate to send the ECR back for more investigation.

The following table shows the ECR lifecycle states and workflow activities in terms of Roles and Permissions.

Table 3: The ECR lifecycle and workflow activities with corresponding Roles and Permissions

The final ECR states (Cancelled, Disapproved, Released) are used to classify ECRs in the system and in reports.The ECR reports are:

• ECR Log Report is a list of all the ECRs. For details, refer to section ECR Log Report.
• ECR Report is a printable form of an ECR. For details, refer to section ECR Report.

An ECR is a complex document that is filled in by more than one person. An ECR creator is not expected to fill in the ECR completely. This section defines the information an ECR must have to be submitted.Use the following procedure to create and submit an Engineering Change Request:

1. Go to Contents à Change Management à ECRs.

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

   

   

   Figure 251.

3. Enter the ECR title In the Title text box, making it as descriptive as possible.
4. Select the appropriate hierarchy:
   
   • Physical hierarchy refers to the Item (Part) itself and any Document associated with it. A bug in software would be classified as a physical hierarchy.
   • Administrative hierarchy refers to anything related to the process of running the business. An error in an expense report procedure would be classified as an administrative hierarchy.

5. Specify the ECR intent:
   
   • Corrective Action if the ECR corrects an already occurring problem.
   • Product Improvement if the ECR prevents a possible problem or improves the product.

6. Enter the name of the person who requested the change in the Requested By text box.
7. Specify the source of the ECR by selecting one of the following from the Source list: Internal, Customer, or Supplier.
8. Describe the solution proposed by the ECR Creator in the Proposed Solution text box.
9. Go to the Affected Items accordion tab to specify which Items are affected by the ECR.
10. If the ECR should request adding Items, use the procedure described in section Adding an Item with an ECR.
11. If the ECR should request changing Items, use the procedure described in section Changing an Item with an ECR.
12. If the ECR should request deleting Items, use the procedure described in section Deleting an Item with an ECR.

13. Go to the Files accordion tab to attach all the files concerning this ECR.

    

    

    Figure 252.
    

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

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

    

    

    Figure 253.

    Note

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

16. If it is necessary to provide additional information about the File, enter it in the Comments cell.
17. Repeat steps 14-16 for other files related to this ECR.
18. Click Done on the ECR toolbar. The ECR is created. The automatic ECR properties get their values.
19. Go to Contents à My Innovator à My InBasket à Search My InBasket.

20. Go to the Workflow Activity Completion dialog for the ECR.

    

    

    Figure 254.
    

21. Mark the tasks you completed in the Tasks field.
22. Select Submit in the Vote list.
23. Click Complete.

The ECR enters the Review ECR activity and awaits the decision of the CSI.

To request add and release of an affected Item with an Engineering Change Request:

1. Open the ECR.
2. Click Edit on the ECR 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 255.

5. Select Add in the Action cell.

   

   

   Figure 256

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 257.
   

8. Click Save or Done on the ECR toolbar. The ECR now has an affected Item that needs to be added and released.

To request changing an existing affected item with an Engineering Change Request:

1. Open the ECR.
2. Click Edit on the ECR 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.

5. Select Change in the Action cell.

   

   

   Figure 258.

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

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

   

   

   Figure 259.
   

8. Select the Interchangeable cell check box if the old and new Items are interchangeable e.g., if there is no Fit-Form-Function change. When selected, the same Item number is retained. Otherwise, a new Item number will need to be assigned.
9. 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:
   
   • Click the ellipsis button in the New Number cell. The Search dialog – Change Controlled Item appears.
   • Search for and select the new affected Item. The new affected Item populates the New Number cell.

   

   

   Figure 260.
   

10. Click Save two times on the ECR toolbar.
11. Select the action to take for the Items that are being built in the In Build cell: Use Existing, Rework, or Scrap.

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

    

    

    Figure 261.
    

13. Click Save or Done on the ECR toolbar. The ECR has an affected Item requested for changing.

Figure 262.

To request superseding of an existing affected Item with an Engineering Change Request:

1. Open the ECR.
2. Click Edit on the ECR 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.

5. Select Delete in the Action cell.

   

   

   Figure 263.

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

7. Search for and select the affected Item. The old Affected Item populates the Old Number cell.

   

   

   Figure 264.

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

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

    

    

    Figure 265.
    

11. Click Save or Done on the ECR toolbar. The ECR has an affected Item assigned for deletion.

Figure 266.

Use the following procedure:

1. Follow steps 1-3 of the Adding an Item within an ECR procedure.

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

   

   

   Figure 267.
   

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

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

A CSI receives a Submitted ECR to decide whether to reject it or to submit it for technical review. This section defines the information the CSI must provide when the decision is made to submit the PR.To review an Engineering Change Request and submit it for technical review:

1. Open the ECR view.
2. Click Edit on the ECR toolbar.
3. Specify the tech review priority number in the Priority For Tech Review field. The higher the priority of the tech review, the lower the number selected.
4. Specify the ECR Owner in the Assigned Creator text box.
5. Verify that the information entered by a Creator is correct.
6. Verify that the Affected Items accordion tab contains all the Items affected by the ECR.
7. Verify that the Files accordion tab has all the necessary files attached.
8. If this ECR is based on a PR:
   

   1. Go to the PRs accordion tab.

      

      

      Figure 268.

   2. Click Select Items. The Search dialog – PR appears.

   3. Search for and select the initiating PR. The selected PR appears as a bottom row in the PRs grid.

      

      

      Figure 269.

9. Click Done on the ECR toolbar.
10. Go to Contents à My Innovator à My InBasket à Search My InBasket.

11. Go to the Workflow Activity Completion dialog for the ECR.

    

    

    Figure 270.
    

12. Mark the tasks you completed in the Tasks field.
13. Select Tech Review in the Vote list.
14. Click Complete.

The ECR enters the Technical Review activity and awaits technical review by the ECR Owner.

An ECR Owner reviews an ECR and provides data, comments, and recommendations. The Owner does this job according to the company’s policies and procedures. This section defines the information an ECR Owner must provide to comply with the CMII process requirements.Use the following procedure to conduct a technical review of an Engineering Change Request:

1. Open the ECR.
2. Click Edit on the ECR toolbar.
3. Verify that the information already entered in the ECR is correct.

4. Select the proper value in the Problem Status list: Confirmed, Not Confirmed, or Another Problem.

   

   

   Figure 271.
   

5. Select the proper value in the Solution list: Requestor Solution or Another Solution.

   

   

   Figure 272.

6. Enter the Nonrecurring Cost Estimate value in the accompanying text box. If the estimate is less than $200, select the check box. This is a one-time cost estimation of the ECR solution implementation.

   

   

   Figure 273.

7. Enter the recurring cost estimation in the Recurring Cost Estimate text box. This is the difference in the unit cost of the Item as a result of the change. Select Up or Down in the accompanying list to indicate whether the unit cost went up or down as a result of the ECR.

   

   

   Figure 274.
   

8. Enter the key timing factors for the implementation of the ECR in the Key Implementation Timing Factors text box.
9. Enter additional information in the Comments text box.
10. Click Done on the ECR toolbar.
11. Go to Contents à My Innovator à My InBasket à Search My InBasket.

12. Go to the Workflow Activity Completion dialog for the ECR.

    

    

    Figure 275.

13. Mark the tasks you completed in the Tasks field.
14. Select Complete in the Vote list.
15. Click Complete.

The ECR enters the Route ECR activity and awaits a decision of the CSI.

A CSI receives an ECR to decide how to route the ECR: either Fast Track Approve for a fast-track ECR or CRB Approve for full Change Review Board (CRB) involvement. The CSI makes this decision according to the company’s policies and procedures. This section defines which pieces of information the CSI must provide to comply with the CMII process requirements when routing the ECR.To route an Engineering Change Request:

1. Open the ECR.
2. Click Edit on the ECR toolbar.
3. Verify that the information already entered in the ECR is correct.
4. Double-check the Key Implementation Timing Factors text box to make sure it contains the correct data.

5. Specify the implementation priority number in the Priority For Tech Review field. The higher the priority, the lower the number selected.

   

   

   Figure 276.

6. Click Done on the ECR toolbar.
7. Go to Contents à My Innovator à My InBasket à Search My InBasket.

8. Go to the Workflow Activity Completion dialog for the ECR.

   

   

   Figure 277.
   

9. Mark the tasks you completed in the Tasks field.
10. Select either CRB Approve or Fast Track Approve in the Vote list depending on your decision.
11. Click Complete.

The ECR now awaits the final decision to be either ECR Approved or ECR Disapproved.

You can get quick information about all the ECRs submitted to Aras Innovator with the ECR Log Report.

Figure 278. There are several ways to access the ECR Log Report:

• Go to Contents à Change Management à ECRs, right-click any ECR, and then click Reports à ECR Log Report.

Figure 279.

• Open the view of any ECR. On the ECR toolbar, click Reports, and then click ECR Log Report.

Figure 280. To quit a Report, close its view in Aras Innovator.At the top left corner of the ECR Log Report view, there is a Print button, which uses the standard browser print function. Depending on the browser and your specific configuration, various print choices, such as printing to a printer or saving to PDF, are available.

You can print or share an ECR using the ECR Report.

Figure 281.
There are several ways to access the ECR Report:

• Go to Contents à Change Management à ECRs, right-click an ECR to be reported, and then click Reports à ECR Report.

Figure 282.

• Open the view of an ECR. On the ECR toolbar, click Reports, and then click ECR Report.

Figure 283.
To quit a Report, close its view in Aras Innovator.

At the top left corner of the ECR Report view, there is a Print button, which uses the standard browser print function. Depending on the browser and your specific configuration, various print choices, such as printing to a printer or saving to PDF, are available.

An Engineering Change Notice (ECN) is a process for implementing changes within an organization.There are three types of change Actions for an affected Item in the ECN 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 ECN workflow has the following roles:

• An ECN Creator is the user who initially created the ECN in the system. This may or may not be the same person as other roles.
• An ECN Owner (Assigned Creator), is the engineer or technical person responsible for the technical implications of the change and its ramifications.
• A Change Specialist II (CSII) prepares ECNs for implementing approved ECRs as well as the ECN impact information for the change review board to develop a detailed implementation plan.
• A Change Specialist III (CSIII) audits the ECN implementation using ECNs and detailed implementation plans as checklists.
• The Configuration Management (CM) group.

An ECN traverses between various states during its life cycle depicted in the following figure.

=Figure 284.
The ECN workflow together with the ECN life cycle produces the following scenario:

Figure 285.

1. A member of the CM group creates and submits the ECN.
2. The ECN enters the ECN Planning activity assigned to the CSII. According to the company’s rules and policies, the CSII reviews the ECN, assigns an Owner to it, and makes decisions and recommendations about the propagation of the Item change. For example, the CSII can decide whether a part should have a new revision or an entirely new part number. Also, the CSII checks whether a changed part leads to a change of revision or part number of assemblies containing this part. Once the CSII votes Complete, the ECN moves further.
3. The ECN enters the Update Documents activity assigned to the Owner. The Owner is responsible for updating the Item documentation affected by this change, including BOMs, specifications, drawings, and any other documents. The affected Items requiring the change of documentation may include only the items being changed directly but also hierarchies containing these Items. Once the Owner votes Complete, the ECN moves further.
4. The ECN enters the Review Documents activity assigned to the CSII. The CSII decides to either:
   
   1. Reject — The ECN goes back to the Update Documents activity.
   2. Approve — The ECN goes further.

5. The ECN enters the ECN Audit activity assigned to the CSIII. Once the CSIII votes Complete, the ECR goes further.
6. The ECN becomes Released. The life cycle states of the affected Items are automatically updated.

The following table shows the ECN lifecycle states and workflow activities in terms of Roles and Permissions.

Table 4: The ECN lifecycle and workflow activities with corresponding Roles and Permissions

There is the ECN report, which is a printable form of an ECN. For details, refer to section The ECN Report.

Because an ECN can be used to add, change, or delete affected Items, the ECN creation process can be conventionally divided into general and specific procedures. This section defines the general steps a member of the CM group should use for creating an ECN. The specific procedures are outlined in sections Adding an Item with an ECN, Changing Items with an ECN and Deleting an Item with an ECN.
To create an Engineering Change Notice:

1. Go to Contents à Change Management à ECNs.

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

   

   

   Figure 286.
   

3. Enter the ECN title In the Title text box, making it as descriptive as possible.
4. Select the appropriate hierarchy for Basis:
   
   • Administrative hierarchy refers to anything related to the process of running the business. An error in an expense report procedure would be classified as an administrative hierarchy.
   • Physical hierarchy refers to the Item (Part) itself and any Document associated with it. A bug in software would be classified as a physical hierarchy.

5. Specify the change priority number in the Priority field. The higher the priority of the change, the lower the number selected.
6. Specify the ECN Owner in the Assigned Creator text box.
7. Specify the date on which the ECN goes into effect in the Effective Date box. If left blank, it is automatically set to the Item release date.
8. If the change requires customer approval, select the Customer Approval Required check box.
9. Describe the change in the Description text box.
10. If there are any special instructions for the change, enter them in the Special Instructions text box.

11. Go to the ECRs accordion tab to attach all the ECRs included in this ECN for tracking and reporting.

    

    

    Figure 287.

12. Click Add ECRs on the ECRs accordion toolbar. The Search dialog – ECR appears.

13. Search for and select the ECRs combined or included in this ECN. The selected ECRs appear as new rows at the bottom of the ECRs grid.

    

    

    Figure 288.
    

14. Go to the Files accordion tab to attach all the files concerning this ECN.

    

    

    Figure 289.
    

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

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

    

    

    Figure 290.

    Note

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

17. If it is necessary to provide additional information about the File, enter it in the Comments cell.
18. Repeat steps 15-17 for other files concerning this ECN.
19. If you need to add Items with the ECN, use the procedure described in section Adding an Item with an ECN.
20. If you need to change Items with the ECN, use the procedure described in section Changing Items with an ECN.
21. If you need to delete Items with the ECN, use the procedure described in section Deleting an Item with an ECN.
22. Click Done on the ECN toolbar. The ECN is created and waits to be submitted as defined in the section Submitting an ECN.

Figure 291.

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

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

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

   

   

   Figure 292.

5. Select Add in the Action cell.

   

   

   Figure 293.

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 294.

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

Because an ECN can be used to add, change, or delete affected Items, the ECN creation process can be conventionally divided into general and specific procedures. This section defines the steps a member of the CM group should use for changing affected Items when creating the ECN. Section Creating an ECN outlines the general procedure. The other specific procedures are outlined in sections Adding an Item with an ECN and Deleting an Item with an ECN. 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 keep 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 an Engineering Change Notice:

1. Follow steps 1-4 of the Adding an Item within an ECN procedure.

2. Select Change in the Action cell.

   

   

   Figure 295.
   

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

4. Search for and select the affected Item to be changed. The selected affected Item populates the Old Number cell.

   

   

   Figure 296.
   

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 replacement 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 ECN process.

      

      

      Figure 297.

7. Click Save two times on the ECN 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 298.

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

Figure 299.

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

1. Follow steps 1-4 of the Adding an Item within an ECN procedure.

2. Select Delete in the Action cell.

   

   

   Figure 300.
   

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

4. Search for and select the affected Item to be deleted. The selected affected Item populates the Old Number cell.

   

   

   Figure 301.
   

5. Click Save two times on the ECN 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 302.
   

8. Click Save or Done on the ECN toolbar. The ECN has an affected Item assigned for superseding.
   

Figure 303.

Use the following procedure:

1. Follow steps 1-3 of the Adding an Item within an ECN procedure.

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

   

   

   Figure 304.

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

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

Use the following procedure:

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

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

   

   

   Figure 305.
   

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

The ECR enters the ECN Planning activity assigned to the CSII.

For the ECN Planning activity, a CSII makes sure that the planning is accurate and complete by providing all necessary Affected Items information, such as:

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

Since each company has its own rules for new part numbers or new revision generation, the CSII is responsible for the accuracy of this information.

You can print or share an ECN using the ECN Report.

Figure 306. There are several ways to access the ECN Report:

• Go to Contents à Change Management à ECNs à Search ECNs, right-click an ECN to be reported, and then click ECN Report.

Figure 307.

• Open the view of an ECN to be reported. On the ECN toolbar, click Reports, and then click ECN Report.

Figure 308.
To quit a Report, close its view in Aras Innovator.
At the top left corner of the ECN Report view, there is a Print button, which uses the standard browser print function. Depending on the browser and your specific configuration, various print choices, such as printing to a printer or saving to PDF, are available.