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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
ISBN 978-1-119-47903-1
Engineering Documentation Control — sometimes called Configuration Management or Product Lifecycle Management — is a key ingredient to world-class product manufacturing.
Most product manufacturing companies suffer from the “wall syndrome.” The “manufacturing side” bought ERP/Supply Chain tools; the “engineering side” bought CAD/PDM/PLM. Those software systems do not generally “talk” to each other. The engineering folks are, by and large, analytical and cautious (Ready … Aim … Fire); the manufacturing folks are, by and large, shakers, movers, and doers (Fire-Aim, Fire-Aim, Fire-Aim). The people often do not communicate very well. The manufacturing folks say that engineering “throws it over the wall.” The development engineering folks say that you cannot find anyone who knows how the product will be processed. This situation often results in a huge “wall” or “gap” between engineering and operations. A significant part of bridging the gap is to develop “make sense” standards.
There is a very scary tendency in industry today; after the loose identification of a problem, the tendency is to seek a software application solution. App mania!
Software programs may help after you understand the job that needs to be done and what process flow is best for you. Something more substantial (than software) is needed between engineering and operations — Configuration Management. This author may use various terms but will most often use “CM,” as that is the term which is becoming most used in industry.
In order to achieve best-in-class CM it is necessary to document what you do, do what you document and, preferably, continuously improve what you do. Improve what you do by continuous improvement or by reengineering the processes. Of course, brand new startups can leap directly into best in class with these standards.
Yes, there is a gap between engineering and the rest of the company. With this manual you can bridge that gap. It also requires a dedicated and driven CM manager and/or engineering services director.
There are many commercial, military and agency standards — enough to boggle the mind. They will tell you what the expectations are for the “outcome” they desire — but give little help in the “how to.” This manual is directed at how to achieve best-in-class processes which are “make sense,” fast, accurate, efficient, effective, measured and well understood.
With this manual, you have the best of the best management practices for the configuration management processes. They also go a long way toward satisfying Total Quality Management, FDA, GMP, Lean CM and ISO/QS/AS 9XXX process documentation requirements. The one requirement common to all those standards is to document the processes and to do what you document.
This manual has been under development and improvement for many years. It was sold privately by the author for several years. Many copies have been used by engineering documentation control (EDC)/configuration management (CM) managers by editing to suit their particular product manufacturing environment.
This Standards Manual should be an invaluable guide in developing your standards. It will save you many man-hours of research, development, writing, form design and procedural flow design time.
Further understanding of these practices can be obtained by reading the Engineering Documentation Control Handbook and/or CM for Senior Managers.
These standards are especially designed to allow fast processing of releases, requests, and changes. Why is process speed so very important? These processes are “just paper/online processing,” how can speed matter? Other than saying “time is money” what specifically do fast processes contribute to improved profits?
The best way to answer these questions is to ask more questions. It is a good idea to have 20-minute meetings with the people involved in the process and ask them to brainstorm why speed is important!
The questions to ask:
Yes, fast accurate and well-understood processes are key to company profitability. In one company, a five day thru-put time was achieved while the engineering and operations process times were also reduced.
A dedicated, motivated CM manager is also key to profitability and to bridging the gap between Design Engineering and Operations. For that reason, the CM manager’s job description should be addressed early on in any process improvement/redesign/reengineer effort. A suggested job description is in Chapter I – Company EDC/CM Policy.
Why use the word Standards?
Because it is easier to say and because these writings include policy, procedure, forms, form instructions, flow diagrams and practices.
I’m in the process manufacturing business, not product manufacturing, will these standards help me?
Only partially and will require more editing.
How can they be “best practices” for all product manufacturers?
Each product manufacturing company will have different conditions regarding; current standards, practices, organization, attitude toward configuration management and their software applications. The standards will require editing in regards to those conditions. The standards, however, are based upon the authors work experience (5 companies), consulting experience (over 75 companies), seminar interaction (over 4,000 people from hundreds of companies), and three best-selling books in the field. That experience tells the author that the basics of CM do not change — unlike our product designs.
How can they satisfy the requirements of all commercial, military and international standards?
Allow this author to quote from one customer’s letter: “_______ would like to thank you for some of the best wisdom regarding configuration management. We were recently awarded several quality awards and received our IS9001 and AS9100 certification last month. A majority of our audit revolved a great deal around design and development control. We received 100% scores in these areas resulting from techniques we used in your book. We are an old but newly managed Aerospace company serving the world. Some customers are NASA, Lockheed, Airbus, Boeing, Raytheon, and Sikorsky. All of these companies have accepted our methods and most have commented that they wish their system was as simple. We feel confident that your ‘good logic’ will continue to grow our company for many years to come.”
Is there some redundancy in the standards?
Yes, to highlight important requirements when relative.
How are they best used?
Circumstances will vary with company size, age, extent of current documentation, company culture, management’s understanding of CM and goals. A new startup product manufacturing company, with some editing, can implement much of this “system” in total. Some will want to “pick and choose” among the many standards to enhance their system. If your company has a particularly troublesome process it might take priority, but the basics should always be put in place first.
In what order should I take on the editing/implementing of the standards for my company?
Start your standards by understanding the author’s “generic best of the best process” by reading Standard #47 – the Users Guide / CM Plan. You should eventually write such an “overview document / CM Plan” for your company/group. It can be given to anyone who asks; “How does the EDC/CM system work?”
If you do not have a satisfactory job description for your CM manager, edit the one found in the chapter on Company EDC / CM Policy and get management approval.
Then read and rewrite as necessary the standard on writing CM standards (#02) and then develop your acronyms standard and the definitions in Standard #48.
It is then wise to start from the “bottom up.” That is, begin with basics such as the policy statement, part numbering, interchangeability, etc. (Standards 01 thru 17). Rewrite them to suit your terminology, one at a time, and obtain approval. Get some successes under your belt and then move on to harder subjectsinter-changeability).
Obtain approvals from the highest possible management level you can interest in this project.
Next, ask yourself if you are going to document current practices or attempt to improve current practices in conjunction with writing the standards. It is often best to document the current process since very often the parties involved may not even agree on what the current process is.
Flow diagram the current process and draft an improved process work flow (Release, BOM, Request or Change). Use P3 — Principal of Planned Plagiarism — to develop your own version of that process. Write the supporting standards for that process.
How many processes are there in the “system”?
This author deems the Release, Change Request, Change as separable processes. The BOM-related standards could also be called a process but aren’t easily put into a flow diagram. The field change process is easily separated from the factory change as is done in these standards. So, the answer is: “Whatever you want them to be!” Divide and conquer when practical.
How can one show that implementation of the standards is effecting improvement?
Measure the processes as outlined in Standard ##46 and in the CM Metrics book.
What if, in some cases, I can’t “sell” the author’s approach?
Don’t belabor any given standard if you do not get management support. Move on to the next subject. Come back to that issue later.
There are many commercial, government and international standards that one must conform to, so what effect does that have on the standards?
The principles and practices found in these standards will almost always conform to those documents. All of those documents require written standards which must be followed in practice. Some terminology editing may be necessary. Take care to read those standards yourself rather than taking an auditors word for what they say.
The CM function is sometimes found in QA or Operations, how does that affect the standards?
In one case the author found the document control function answering to the founder/CEO. The only effect on the standards is organizational editing.
How can the other folks involved better understand the guiding principles behind the standards?
Study standard #1 Policy Statement. Read the Engineering Documentation Control Handbook. It is loaded with “Rules” and “Reasons.”
Why have a separate standard for requesting change than for making changes?
There are many reasons spelled out in the EDC Handbook — chief among them is that a different set of people should be involved in reviewing requests than in redesign, reviewing, approving and implementing.
What is the difference between “cost estimation” and “calculating”
The potential effective date or serial number has a significant effect on the cost. Once the effectivity date or serial is estimated, the cost can be calculated, and the potential cost will help determine whether or not the change should be made at all.
Why is the Users Guide also called a CM Plan?
Some military standards require a CM Plan. But this author thinks the better term is Users Guide.
Will my work last forever?
Expect that any standard may be revised/refined frequently and make provisions for doing that. After all, any process designed by man can be improved by man!
Should I expect the job to be easy?
Nothing in this world that is truly worthwhile is easy.
To define the company policies toward the engineering documentation control/configuration management, the CM organization and management with the rest of the company.