Change Order

[wes616]

I thought I should post this under the config management fora... but it's not very active. + I participate here some so here goes.

Does anyone know the technical difference between an Engineering Change Order (ECO) and Engineering Change Request (ECR). We seem to use them interchangeably in my office here. And all the previous places I've worked have just used ECO.

Wes C.

 

[ctopher]

If they are separate docs, the ECR would be written first, approved, then submitted to do the work. The ECO is the doc that is written with description of changes (referencing the ECR#) and released to the files with the revised docs.
Some companies don't see a need for more paperwork and/or understand config mngmt of documentation, so they just write a ECO to describe changes and release it.

Chris
Sr. Mechanical Designer, CAD
SolidWorks 05 SP3.1 / PDMWorks 05
ctopher's home site (updated 06-21-05)
FAQ559-1100
FAQ559-716

 

[MintJulep]

This varies from company to company, but in general an ECR is exactly what the name says. A request to the engineering department to make a design change. It may originate from the manufacturing department, a customer, or a vendor.

The engineering department should review the ECR, and if found acceptable, will issue an ECO (or ECN, engineering change notice) along with the revised drawings or specs. The ECO serves to document why the change was made.

Typically there is no ECR if the change originates in the engineering department.

 

[EngJW]

We use both and the ECR is useful to document the reason for the change if it comes from outside of engineering. A lot of times it gets bypassed if someone calls from production and we issue the ECO directly. That is ok if it is a simple change like a missing washer, but for something more involved I would rather tell the boss to take it up with so-and-so on the line if he doesn't agree with it. An ECR often times gets thrown on the pile and forgotten about. Sometimes the need for it has gone away by the time it is found again.

 

[smcadman]

We use RFC & ECN (engineering change notice), but it is the same document. It has a checkbox, and if it is a customer request, then it's a RFC. If it is an internal change, then its an ECN.

Flores
SW 2005 SP 4.0

 

[MadMango]

I have the hardest time to get the manufacturing floor or assembly line to use ECRs. Many times I get a phone call, most times someone drags something to my desk. I smile and hand them a blank ECR form after the discussion and I get that deer-caught-in-the-headlights look.

[green]"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers."[/green]
Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943.
Have you read faq731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?

 

[wes616]

Thanks guys, that really clairfies it for me.

The lightbulb ((o)) goes on and I get it :-D

Wes C.

 

[looslib]

We have just implemented PTC's PDMLink. It is CMII compliant when it comes to change orders.
There are various levels:
1. Problem report - many can be written against the same part
2. ECRequest - many problem reports can be combined into a single change request.
3. ECNotice - the end result of the ECR.


"Wildfires are dangerous, hard to control, and economically catastrophic."
"Fixed in the next release" should replace "Product First" as the PTC slogan.

Ben Loosli
CAD/CAM System Analyst
Ingersoll-Rand