ECO Proposals
Improvement proposals from the shop floor
The PLM for Workorder module connects manufacturing processes (Manufacturing) with engineering change management (PLM). This module allows production employees to propose instruction changes directly from Work Orders and automatically creates ECOs to track proposals.
Key Benefits
Key points
• Continuous Improvement: Production employees can propose improvements immediately when issues are discovered
• Full Traceability: All changes are recorded in ECO with reasons and proposers
• Automation: System automatically creates ECO and synchronizes changes to new BoM
Update Existing Step Instructions
When executing Work Order and discovering instructions need updating.
Steps
1. Open Work Order in progress.
2. At Quality Check step needing correction, click "Propose Change" button.
3. Select "Update Step".
4. Edit instruction content in Note field.
5. Click "Confirm".
Update Results
Key points
• System automatically finds or creates ECO for current BoM
• Change is applied to new BoM in ECO
• Note is added to chatter of new Quality Point
Remove Unnecessary Step
If a check step is no longer necessary.
Steps
1. At step to remove, click "Propose Change".
2. Select "Remove Step".
3. Enter removal reason.
4. Click "Confirm".
Removal Results
Key points
• Step is removed from new BoM in ECO
• Removal reason is recorded in chatter of old step
Add Illustrative Picture
To add picture to clarify instructions.
Steps
1. At step needing picture, click "Propose Change".
2. Select "Set Picture".
3. Capture or upload image.
4. Click "Confirm".
Picture Addition Results
Key points
• Picture is added to Note of step in new BoM
• Existing text content is preserved
• Old picture (if any) is replaced
Add New Check Step
When needing to add check step not in BoM.
Steps
1. In Work Order, click "Add Step" or "+" button.
2. Fill in new step information: Title (step name), Test Type (check type), Note (detailed instructions).
3. Click "Save".
Step Addition Results
Key points
• System automatically creates ECO if not exists
• New Quality Point is created in new BoM of ECO
• New step has title starting with "New Step Suggestion: ..."
• Step order is automatically arranged according to current check sequence
Access ECO
Steps
1. Go to menu PLM → Engineering Changes.
2. Find ECO named like "Instruction Suggestions (WO-XXX/MO-YYY)".
3. Open ECO to view details.
View Routing Changes
In ECO, there are 2 important tabs to view changes.
Key points
• Tab "ECO Routing Changes - Operation": Shows Operation changes (add/remove/edit operation)
• Tab "ECO Routing Changes - Quality Point": Shows Quality Point changes (check steps)
Information in Quality Point Changes
| Fields | Trường dữ liệu | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change Type | Loại thay đổi | Add, Update, Remove |
| Step | Bước | Check step name |
| Title | Tiêu đề | Detailed title |
| Step Type | Loại kiểm tra | Check type (Instructions, Measure, etc.) |
| Workcenter | Trung tâm làm việc | Executing work center |
View Change Details
Steps
1. In "ECO Routing Changes - Quality Point" tab.
2. Click on change line.
3. Click "Open Quality Point" button (if available).
4. View Note, pictures and change history in chatter.
Approval Process (for PLM Engineers)
Steps
1. Review all changes in ECO.
2. Check Note and reasons in chatter of each Quality Point.
3. Edit if needed (title, content, check type).
4. Move ECO through approval stages.
5. When ready, click "Apply Changes".
Results After Apply
Key points
• New BoM with updated Quality Points becomes official BoM
• New Manufacturing Orders will use updated BoM
• New Work Orders will have improved check steps
Important Notes
Key points
• Multiple employees can propose changes for same BoM
• All proposals are merged into one ECO
• PLM Engineer needs to review and merge duplicate proposals
• If corresponding step not found in new BoM, system creates Activity reminder
Tips for Production Employees
Key points
• Propose changes immediately when issues discovered, don't wait until end of shift
• Write clear reasons for PLM Engineer to understand
• Take actual pictures on-site for illustration
Tips for Shop Floor Supervisors
Key points
• Encourage employees to propose improvements
• Review ECO periodically to track issue trends
• Coordinate with PLM to prioritize important changes
Tips for PLM Engineers
Key points
• Check Quality Point chatter to understand context
• Merge similar proposals from multiple employees
• Update step titles for clarity before Apply
• Use Activity to track special cases