Engineering Change Management Skill

Purpose

The Engineering Change Management skill provides capabilities for managing engineering changes through PLM systems, ensuring controlled modification of designs with proper impact assessment and approval workflow.

Capabilities

• ECR/ECO workflow initiation
• Impact assessment guidance
• Affected item identification
• Approval routing configuration
• Effectivity management
• Documentation update tracking
• Interchangeability analysis
• Configuration management

Usage Guidelines

Change Management Framework

Change Types

Type	Description	Urgency	Approval Level
Class I	Form/fit/function change	Normal	Full review
Class II	Minor change, no F/F/F impact	Normal	Limited review
Deviation	Temporary non-conformance	Varies	Engineering
Waiver	Accept as-is before build	Varies	Engineering
Emergency	Safety/production critical	Urgent	Expedited

Change Process Flow

1. Change Request (ECR)
   - Problem/opportunity identification
   - Preliminary impact assessment
   - Initial approval to investigate

2. Change Investigation
   - Detailed impact analysis
   - Solution development
   - Cost/schedule estimation

3. Change Order (ECO)
   - Formal change documentation
   - Approval routing
   - Implementation planning

4. Implementation
   - Document updates
   - Manufacturing notification
   - Effectivity management

5. Closure
   - Verification of implementation
   - Record completion

Engineering Change Request (ECR)

ECR Content

Required information:
- Problem statement
- Proposed solution (if known)
- Originator and date
- Affected items (preliminary)
- Impact assessment (preliminary)
- Priority/urgency
- Supporting documentation

Impact Categories

Category	Assessment Questions
Technical	Does it affect performance, reliability, safety?
Cost	What is development and recurring cost impact?
Schedule	What is timeline impact?
Manufacturing	Does it affect tooling, processes, suppliers?
Service	Does it affect spare parts, maintenance procedures?
Regulatory	Does it affect certifications, approvals?

Engineering Change Order (ECO)

ECO Content

Required sections:
1. Change description
   - What is changing
   - Why change is needed
   - How change will be implemented

2. Affected items list
   - Part numbers
   - Document numbers
   - Revision levels (from/to)

3. Impact assessment
   - By category (cost, schedule, technical)
   - Risk assessment

4. Interchangeability
   - Form/fit/function analysis
   - Backward compatibility

5. Effectivity
   - Serial number/date effectivity
   - Retrofit requirements

6. Implementation plan
   - Tasks and responsibilities
   - Timeline
   - Verification requirements

Interchangeability Analysis

Interchangeability Codes

Code	Meaning	Action
D	Direct interchangeable	Replace anywhere
O	One-way interchangeable	New replaces old only
N	Not interchangeable	Separate part number
R	Retrofittable	Can upgrade old units

Assessment Criteria

Form:
- Dimensions unchanged?
- Mounting unchanged?
- Interfaces unchanged?

Fit:
- Assembly process unchanged?
- Mating parts unaffected?
- Clearances maintained?

Function:
- Performance unchanged?
- Reliability maintained?
- Safety unaffected?

Approval Workflow

Standard Routing

Typical approval levels:
1. Originator - Complete ECR/ECO
2. Design Engineering - Technical review
3. Analysis Engineering - Impact verification
4. Manufacturing Engineering - Process review
5. Quality Assurance - Compliance review
6. Program Management - Cost/schedule review
7. Configuration Management - Release authority
8. Customer (if required) - Acceptance

Approval Criteria

Role	Focus Areas
Design Engineering	Technical correctness
Manufacturing	Producibility, tooling
Quality	Inspection, compliance
Supply Chain	Supplier impact, cost
Program Management	Schedule, budget
Customer	Contract compliance

Effectivity Management

Effectivity Types

Serial number effectivity:
- Starting serial: S/N 100
- Ending serial: S/N 199 (or blank for ongoing)

Date effectivity:
- Effective date: 2026-02-01

Lot effectivity:
- Starting lot: LOT-2026-001

Implementation Planning

Implementation considerations:
- Work-in-process inventory
- Finished goods inventory
- Field units
- Spare parts inventory
- Documentation updates
- Training requirements

Documentation Updates

Affected Document Types

Type	Update Required	Responsibility
Drawings	New revision	Design
Models	New revision	Design
Specifications	As needed	Engineering
Procedures	As needed	Manufacturing
Manuals	As needed	Publications
Training	As needed	Training

Process Integration

• ME-025: Engineering Change Management

Input Schema

{
  "change_type": "ECR|ECO|deviation|waiver",
  "problem_statement": "string",
  "proposed_solution": "string",
  "affected_items": [
    {
      "item_number": "string",
      "current_revision": "string",
      "item_type": "part|document|process"
    }
  ],
  "priority": "normal|urgent|emergency",
  "originator": "string",
  "supporting_documents": "array of references"
}

Output Schema

{
  "change_document": {
    "number": "string",
    "type": "ECR|ECO",
    "status": "draft|in_review|approved|implemented|closed"
  },
  "impact_assessment": {
    "technical": "string",
    "cost": "number",
    "schedule": "string",
    "manufacturing": "string"
  },
  "interchangeability": {
    "code": "D|O|N|R",
    "justification": "string"
  },
  "approval_routing": {
    "current_step": "string",
    "approvers": "array",
    "target_completion": "date"
  },
  "implementation_plan": {
    "tasks": "array",
    "effectivity": "object",
    "verification_method": "string"
  }
}

Best Practices

1. Document problem clearly before proposing solution
2. Assess all impact categories thoroughly
3. Identify all affected items before approval
4. Define clear effectivity for implementation
5. Update all affected documentation
6. Verify implementation before closure

Integration Points

• Connects with Design Review for change evaluation
• Feeds into Requirements Flowdown for traceability
• Supports Configuration Management for control
• Integrates with Quality for compliance