Introduction
Process and product changes are a given in manufacturing companies. A material may need updating, a design may need adjustment, or new regulations may enforce changes in documentation. Changes come in many formats – large and small – but what they all have in common is that they involve people, systems, and materials or products across the entire organization.
Therefore, changes should also be handled as small projects in their own right – projects with an accompanying project plan.
In this article, we explain why this mindset and perspective on changes are so important, and how thorough and well-considered planning can make your ECM process more streamlined, faster, and easier for everyone involved. Ultimately, it will lead to fewer delays, less overload for your teams, better scope management of changes, and reduced compliance risks.
–
Why plan a change as a project?
In many companies, changes are far too often handled reactively: A change request is submitted, and people around the organization immediately start acting. They update CAD files and adjust bills of materials, but without a clear plan or sequence. This often results in forgotten tasks, missed deadlines, and frustrated team members.
These issues can be avoided by handling changes as projects in their own right. ECM is a process with several phases: It may start with an Engineering Change Request (ECR), which goes through a Change Review Board (CRB), then becomes an Engineering Change Order (ECO), and finally moves into an execution phase. Planning creates an important structure across these phases.
Like any other project, each change should have:
⇒ A clearly defined scope
⇒ A timeline
⇒ Tasks assigned to the right people
⇒ Clarity about dependencies across tasks
⇒ An overview of how it all fits together
All of the above belong in a project plan – and getting started does not need to be complicated.
–
Key elements in Engineering Change Management planning
1) Scope and dependencies
What is the actual change? Is it just a CAD file, or does it also impact documentation, tools, suppliers, or perhaps your QA process? Make sure to map out which components are affected: bills of materials, documents, CAD files, etc. A thorough impact analysis is essential to identify all areas where the change has consequences. With this in place, you avoid surprises and unforeseen aspects later in the process.
2) A clear and visible timeline
Create a timeline showing how the execution of the change should proceed. Use, for example, a Gantt chart that shows task start and finish dates, divided into phases, and thereby provides a simple overview of the sequence of activities. Your Gantt chart should also show dependencies and the critical path: Where can bottlenecks occur, and which tasks should be prioritized first? A timeline also helps you see where delays arise and how they affect the rest of the plan.
3) Resources and workload
It is not enough to plan which tasks need to be solved – it is just as important to know who will solve them and when. This is best done visually, so it is easy for employees to see their individual tasks. It is also beneficial to create the same overview at team level to identify workload distribution: Are some teams overloaded, while others have capacity to take on additional tasks? This ensures a smoother and more efficient execution of changes and reduces the risk of tasks falling between the cracks.
4) Bundling and splitting of changes
A crucial part of effective change management is the ability to either bundle smaller changes together for joint execution, or split larger changes into smaller parts to make them easier to manage – or to execute urgent elements more quickly. This is only possible if you first establish a clear overview of what each change involves and which stakeholders are affected. Planning helps you identify these opportunities and see the connections between changes, making bundling and splitting possible.
–
Benefits of planning in Engineering Change Management
There are multiple benefits of planning changes, many of which directly impact overall business performance. The key advantages include:
⇒ Reduced errors and rework:
By looking ahead and planning the execution of changes, you identify problems earlier in the process. This makes you aware of challenges before something is built or approved incorrectly.
⇒ Shorter time-to-market:
A crucial factor for manufacturing companies. When everyone knows what to do and when, and bottlenecks or dependency-related delays are avoided, changes can be executed much faster – getting products to market sooner.
⇒ Greater control:
Avoid costly last-minute fixes and manual handling of ongoing errors. With planning, you know in advance what changes entail and can better control the resources and hours spent on each change.
⇒ Happier teams and better collaboration:
Forward planning ensures a balanced workload across teams. You maintain an overview of execution and avoid last-minute surprises and unnecessary time pressure. It also makes cross-team collaboration easier, as you can establish integrated workflows and visibility of progress.
⇒ Improved compliance and audits:
With planning, it becomes easier to follow your processes and document them for audits. Structured audit processes, effective sign-off checklists, and better control of revisions and history all follow naturally.
–
Best practices and tips for planning in Engineering Change Management
We have gathered a number of tips we consider best practice within ECM planning:
1) Standardize your change process with templates (e.g., for ECR, ECO, and project plans/Gantt charts).
2) Conduct thorough impact and risk analyses before beginning your planning.
3) Introduce cross-functional reviews with development, production, quality, and procurement early in the process.
4) Work with a Change Control Board (CCB) tasked with prioritizing changes, assessing criticality, and identifying bundling opportunities.
5) Ensure effective feedback loops with post-implementation reviews, so you can continuously improve.
–
Find the right tools
Planning in ECM does not need to be more complicated than necessary. The right tools can provide valuable support by facilitating your ECM process and focusing on the planning aspect. Examples include:
⇒ Automated generation of Gantt charts for your project plans
⇒ Mapping of dependencies
⇒ Clear task delegation
⇒ Dashboards for workload, deadlines, and progress indicators
⇒ Tracking of history and documentation
Most importantly, a good tool also works as a collaboration platform, gathering all relevant information and stakeholders in one place.
At BoostPLM, we have developed our own solution, built around the principles and best practices described here. Our solution is designed to support companies in developing and improving their ECM – among other things through effective and practical planning tools.
Learn more about our solution here: boostplm.com/ecm-go