Discovering Engineering Change Management

A material change can have a range of consequences within a company. However, a material change also affects the data in the SAP system.

The product changes can be performed either with a change master or with a change record.

If you now create a change record, you first define the record type on the initial screen. You then have the task of adding the initial header information. It includes various dates, such as a completion date or engineering/production date. You must also specify a person responsible for the change in the change header. It can be used, for example, for workflow control.

You then define the objects to be changed. These can be documents, materials, material BOMs, or routings, for example. In the detailed information, you also specify whether the objects are to be created, changed, or deleted. You can also specify a processing status here.

Particular mention can also be made of the process routes. You can use them to load predefined workflows or intuitively create new ones. With the help of a workflow, you can get the right work to the right employee at the right time.

If you have now defined everything and the appropriate status has been selected, make the object changes. In addition, a change master record is now used because the folder is only used to collect and control the data; it is not used to change it. When all object changes are completed, you can also complete the processing of the change record.

You can assign revision levels for material masters or documents for changes to the product. These can be defined either for each change with a change number or only for selected changes.

The identification by a revision level is unique. A new revision level can only be assigned with reference to another change number.

The revision assignment within a BOM or material is a deliberate decision. There is no automatism.

In contrast, revision levels are automatically assigned within a document. When you release a document version with a change number, a revision level is automatically set.

The management of document changes is represented by different versions.

Up to now, most changes were done with a daily validation. The plan is now that master data changes, planned in future, have to be defined now. Therefore, the company decides to use the Engineering Change Management (ECM). Two possible scenarios exist: The changes can be executed with a change record or with a change number.

Development manager Thomas has the task to change the material BOM of the forklift. As these changes are process-critical and different groups like BOM Engineering are involved, he decides to use the change record.

BOM engineer Marc gets the request to directly change the material BOM of one forklift assembly. But now, no other departments are involved and the changes are to be planned as soon as possible. Therefore, he decides to directly open the material BOM and create the necessary change number inside the material BOM directly.

In a last task, BOM evaluations are done together with a change number.

Development manager Thomas has the task to set up a new change record for material BOM changes.

BOM engineer Marc defines the material BOM to be changed and checks the processing status. A status is also set.

Finally, Marc does the material BOM changes.

BOM engineer Marc got the request to directly change a material BOM with a change number. As no actual change number exist, he creates the change number directly inside the material BOM screen.

Several material BOMs are changed with a change number. Therefore, BOM engineer Marc wants to evaluate these changes with a multilevel approach. He executes several material BOM evaluation apps together with a change number.

Now, you have an impression of "Working with a change record and change numbers".