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 Engineering Change Management for Specifications

Use

This function enables you to make data changes for a particular key date using a change number. In this way, you can, for example, today enter data that will only be valid in the future. Each change number is valid from a particular validity date so that the data has a validity period in accordance with the change number.

  • If you make changes without using a change number , the standard validity period used goes from 01/01/0001 to 12/31/9999. The system enters the current date as the key date.

  • When you use a change number to change a data record for the first time, the SAP system divides the overall validity period into two adjoining validity periods. Whenever you use other change numbers that have different validity dates, the system further subdivides the validity periods.

    See Example: Engineering Change Management

    Note Note

    The SAP system writes change documents irrespective of whether you use engineering change management or not.

    End of the note.

For more information about the SAP component Engineering Change Management (LO-ECH) , see Engineering Change Management (LO-ECH) .

Prerequisites

You have created a change number on the initial screen of the SAP system by choosing Start of the navigation path Cross-Application Components Next navigation step Engineering Change Management Next navigation step Change Number Next navigation step Create End of the navigation path .

To use change management for specifications, you must have set the Active indicator for the object Specification under Object Types in the change master record you want to use.

Features

You can use engineering change management within specification management to:

  • Import value assignments

  • Create specifications

By choosing Start of the navigation path Extras Next navigation step Administration Information End of the navigation path on the Specification Management screens, you can find more information about, for example, the current validity period, the date of the last change, the name of the person who last changed the specification, the data origin , and the data provider .

You can work with or without engineering change management depending on your requirements. If you have used engineering change management to change the data of a data record, you must make sure that the correct key date is entered when you call the data or enter the relevant change number.

Note Note

The change number has higher priority than the key date (see Example: Engineering Change Management ).

The Change number , Valid From , and Valid To fields in the specification header data refer exclusively to the data of the specification header.

End of the note.

Activities

To work with a change number, or to change a key date, click on the date using the quick info Key Date for Editing in the navigation area of specification management.

The Global Parameters dialog screen appears. You can set a change number and the key date on this dialog screen.

If you set the Keep Setting indicator, your settings are stored for the next time you access specification management.

To delete your entries again, choose with the quick info text Reset Parameter .