Document Management and Engineering Change Orders (ECO)

[Former Member]

In moving from 4.6C to ECC6 I have run across an issue that will completely disrupt the business process of our company that has been used for 15 years using SAP. The process is to use a status network that takes a document version to a RELEASE (RE) status. Once the version is taken to RE status the previous vesion is set to ARCHIVE (AR) status. The past 5 years we have implemented the use of Engineering Change Orders (ECO). Now in ECC6 once the ECO is set to release, the document information record can no longer be updated to have an AR status. We receive the error "System status: Engineering change order EXAMPLE is already releasaed". I have just closed an OSS message with SAP and they report that this is standard functionality. We also use CAD integration with custom status checking programs in CAD Desktop which does not allow a user to set a new version of a parent item to RE if a component has an AR status. I find it unusual that the engineering communities would allow multiple released documents in document management. Can I please get other members expertise or help me understand how multiple released documents are being used in SAP? How does manufacturing or procurement departments know which is the correct drawing to use? I understand the use of validity dates to help control this but it just seems confusing. Thanks for your input.

Edited by: JLDSS2 on Oct 19, 2010 8:13 PM

[Former Member]

Hi,

Generally the revision level of a material is associated with a Change number which has a valid from date. So for production purpose only that revision will be valid from that day onwards.

All the relevant objects for a particular design change are attached to a change number and when all the changes are completed, the change number can be released and also all the change objects status will be automatically made valid in our set-up. For documents we too have a similar set-up whenever a higher version of document is becoming valid the previous version is made invalid automatically.

Regards

Prasad K

[Former Member]

Prasad,

Thank you for your reply. I do have a question concerning your comment below. I assume you are using ECO's. When you say made invalid automatically, do you use the document status or do you control the visibility of the document by securtiy roles?

"For documents we too have a similar set-up whenever a higher version of document is becoming valid the previous version is made invalid automatically."

Regards

Prasad K

[Former Member]

Hi,

We are using a status only, the document status will be changed to the status "In Valid".

Regards

Prasad K