Engineering Change Orders in Odoo PLM

Engineering Change Orders in Odoo PLM: Managing Product Modifications Efficiently

Are you struggling to manage engineering change orders in your manufacturing processes? Odoo PLM offers powerful tools for handling engineering change orders to ensure product modifications remain controlled and traceable. This comprehensive guide will show you how to use engineering change orders in Odoo PLM to manage Bill of Materials (BOM) revisions without disrupting ongoing production.

Understanding Engineering Change Orders in Product Lifecycle Management

Engineering change orders (ECOs) serve as a structured way to propose, review, test, and implement modifications to product designs. In Odoo PLM, these change orders work as a sandbox environment where you can safely experiment with product improvements before implementing them in production.

Why Use ECOs in Manufacturing?

Many manufacturers face a common dilemma: they need to continuously improve their products but can’t risk disrupting ongoing production. Therefore, implementing engineering change orders through Odoo PLM allows you to:

• Test modifications in a controlled environment
• Ensure proper review and approval processes
• Maintain clear documentation of all product changes
• Implement changes without interfering with active production orders

Setting Up Engineering Change Orders in Odoo PLM

To begin working with engineering change orders, you first need to have both the Manufacturing and PLM applications installed in your Odoo environment. Additionally, you should understand how your current Bill of Materials is structured.

Accessing the Engineering Change Orders Feature

First, navigate to your PLM application by following these steps:

1. Open your Odoo dashboard
2. Select the PLM application from your apps menu
3. Click on “Engineering Changes” under the “BOM Update Projects” section

This action takes you to the ECO pipeline where you’ll manage the status of each change through various stages.

Creating Your First Engineering Change Order

Let’s walk through the creation of an engineering change order for a product modification:

Step 1: Initiate a New ECO

1. In the PLM application, select "Engineering Changes"
2. Click "New" to create a fresh ECO
3. Name your ECO (e.g., "Table Update")
4. Select the product you wish to modify
5. Assign responsibility (select a user responsible for this change)
6. Click "Start Revision" to begin working on changes

After clicking “Start Revision,” Odoo creates a working copy of your product’s BOM. This working copy displays an “Archived” banner to clearly indicate it’s not the active production version.

Step 2: Modify the Bill of Materials

Once in the revision environment, you can make changes to components or operations:

1. Select the "Components" tab to modify parts
2. Remove outdated components by selecting and deleting them
3. Add new components by clicking "Add a line" and selecting new parts
4. Move to the "Operations" tab to adjust manufacturing steps
5. Modify operation durations or add/remove steps as needed
6. Save your changes

In our example, we’re replacing a standard table surface with a fancy version and adjusting the assembly time from 60 minutes to 45 minutes.

Reviewing and Approving Engineering Change Orders

After making modifications, the ECO must go through a review and approval process:

Step 1: Move to Validation Stage

1. Return to the main ECO view using the breadcrumb navigation
2. Drag the ECO card to the "Validation" stage in the pipeline
3. This notifies technical managers that a change is ready for review

Step 2: Approve the Changes

1. Navigate to the "Approval" tab in the ECO
2. Authorized users can click "Approve" at the top of the form
3. Once approved, select "Apply Changes" to implement the modification

Implementing the Engineering Change Order

After approval, you’ll implement the changes to the actual production BOM:

1. Click "Apply Changes" on the approved ECO
2. The system will update the master BOM with your modifications
3. New manufacturing orders will now use the updated BOM

Managing Ongoing Production

Odoo PLM ensures that existing manufacturing orders already in progress continue to use the previous BOM version, while new orders will use the updated version. This prevents disruption and confusion on the production floor.

Troubleshooting Common ECO Issues

When working with engineering change orders, you might encounter some challenges:

Resolving Merge Conflicts

If you experience merge conflicts when updating a BOM, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to Manufacturing > Operations > Manufacturing Orders
2. Locate and delete any draft orders for the product
3. Return to your ECO and try applying changes again

This approach helps Odoo determine which version should take precedence without confusion.

Ensuring Proper Version Control

Odoo maintains version numbers for each BOM iteration. You can view the current version in the “Miscellaneous” tab of your product’s BOM. This tracking helps you maintain a clear history of all changes made to the product over time.

Benefits of Using Engineering Change Orders in Odoo PLM

Implementing a structured ECO process through Odoo PLM offers numerous advantages:

1. Enhanced Quality Control: Test and validate changes before implementation
2. Improved Documentation: Maintain records of all product modifications
3. Streamlined Approval Process: Ensure proper review by relevant stakeholders
4. Production Continuity: Make changes without disrupting ongoing manufacturing
5. Better Team Collaboration: Provide visibility into product improvements across departments

Best Practices for Engineering Change Management

To maximize the effectiveness of your ECO process in Odoo PLM:

Document Change Motivations

Always include detailed notes about why changes are being made. This information provides valuable context for future reference and helps other team members understand the rationale behind modifications.

Establish Clear Approval Workflows

Define who needs to review and approve changes based on their significance. Minor adjustments might need less rigorous approval than major design changes.

Use ECO Types Effectively

Odoo allows you to categorize ECOs by type. Develop a consistent naming convention for different kinds of changes to make tracking and reporting more efficient.

Schedule Regular BOM Reviews

Don’t wait for problems to arise before reviewing BOMs. Regular audits can identify potential improvements and keep your product data current.

Extending Your Odoo PLM Capabilities

The engineering change order functionality in Odoo PLM connects seamlessly with other Odoo modules:

Integration with Quality Management

Link ECOs to quality control processes by connecting them with Odoo Quality to ensure changes address quality concerns effectively.

Connecting with Inventory Management

When component changes affect inventory requirements, Odoo PLM works with Inventory Management to help plan for new parts procurement.

Enhancing with Document Management

For complex changes requiring detailed documentation, the Documents module can store related files like technical drawings, test reports, and compliance certificates.

Measuring the Impact of Engineering Change Orders

To ensure your ECO process adds value:

Track Implementation Efficiency

Monitor how long it takes to move ECOs from creation to implementation. Identify bottlenecks in your approval process that might delay important improvements.

Analyze Cost Implications

Evaluate how component changes affect overall product costs. This analysis helps balance quality improvements against cost considerations.

Monitor Production Metrics

Compare production efficiency before and after implementing ECOs to measure their impact on manufacturing processes.

Conclusion

Engineering change orders in Odoo PLM provide a structured approach to product improvement without risking production disruption. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can implement an effective ECO process that balances innovation with stability.

Remember that effective change management requires both good tools and good processes. Odoo PLM offers the technical framework, but your team must establish clear communication and review procedures to maximize its benefits.

For more information on optimizing your manufacturing processes with Odoo, explore the Odoo Manufacturing documentation or contact an Odoo implementation partner for personalized guidance.

Have you implemented engineering change orders in your manufacturing environment? Share your experiences in the comments below!

---