Change Control document

[MikeKovacik4928]

Hi all you inventor users worldwide

We are implementing ISO 9001 quality procedures.

I am not actually sure what ISO 9001 says about change control.

However, I was thinking of implementing some form of change control, like used to happen at one of the international companies (British) I used to work for when I was in Zimbabwe in the 1990's as production engineering manager.

We had documents called ER (engineering release) with consecutive numbers for each year.

On the revision box in the drawing we used to refer to that document number.

Sometimes there is not enough space in the revision box to put a full description of the change,

so that is actually quite convenient in a case like that, especially a design change with a couple of specific reasons.

I was thinking of implementing something similar to cover all changes, engineering ; drawing ; manufacturing ;

any other relevant changes affecting the final outcome of either the  drawing or the product.

I use vault, but only for checking in and out nothing else.

I believe Vault has a function that covers this? Anybody use it?

At the moment I just use the comments box in the iproperties to put my comments

20201105

01. Dimension 1800mm changed to 1790mm

02. etc etc

20210415

01. Protective cover added

02. etc etc.

What does everybody else out there do?

Mike Kovacik

South Africa

[mcgyvr]

You have Vault Pro? If so..

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/vault-products/learn-explore/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2022/EN...

We just use Vault basic and the "change order" process is all done outside of Inventor/Vault.

Our ERP system has an ECO (Engineering Change Order) functionality where you can write paragraphs about your change and it generates an ECO number. We also have a form that people can submit (ECR) Engineering Change Request. The ECR form submission is the request to do the change.. The ECO is for documenting/implementing the actual change. 

The system you choose can be anything from scribbles on a napkin that you put into a paper folder to a fully fledged form/database/reporting system.  

[MikeKovacik4928]

Yes we have Vault Pro

We also have system called SAP for orders, invoices, quotes etc.

I make my inventor part number, inventor description to a naming/numbering convention that has already been set up.

The SAP number is the same as the Inventor part number, and the SAP description is the same as the Inventor description.

"Our ERP system has an ECO (Engineering Change Order) functionality where you can write paragraphs about your change and it generates an ECO number. We also have a form that people can submit (ECR) Engineering Change Request. The ECR form submission is the request to do the change.. The ECO is for documenting/implementing the actual change."

This sounds perfect. And if it can be done in Vault Pro, even better.

Thanks for your feedback!

I will investigate the link you sent me.

I have Vault Pro 2021 and Inventor Pro 2021 at work, but I have Inventor Pro 2018 without any vault here at home.

I can read up on it here at home and try it out at work.

Do you have to have administrative rights to use those functions in Vault Pro?

I do not have administrative rights yet

"The system you choose can be anything from scribbles on a napkin that you put into a paper folder to a fully fledged form/database/reporting system."

Right now the "scribbles on a napkin" is about where we are. "A fully fledged form/database/reporting system"  is where we want to be.

Mike

[mcgyvr]

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@MikeKovacik4928 wrote:

We also have system called SAP for orders, invoices, quotes etc.

ummmm.... Is that the real "SAP" https://www.sap.com/index.html

If so that has all the "Change Control" (ECO/ECR) functionality you need built into it..

Use that.. Done

Edit.. I've heard SAP is quite modular and ECO/ECR may be an extra module you need to purchase..

I certainly wouldn't use Inventor only to manage ECO/ECR data though no matter what if I already had an ERP system..

ECO/ECR should be used/accessible company wide..

[MikeKovacik4928]

No,

I am at work now and have just checked with the guy who does all the SAP stuff.

It is something called SAP Business 1 and doesn't have any of those functions you are talking about.

I will investigate with him about the extra modules,

and look into the advantages/disadvantages of Engineering Change on SAP or Vault

in our particular case.

I see vault has been used here before for ECO's and stuff, so it might be an option 

to get myself admin rights and continue with that.

Thanks for all your feedback

Mike