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 Engineering Change Management in Document Management

Use

All the objects that are affected by a change are grouped together in a change master record in the change department. For example, a BOM, routing, and a document can be affected if you change a material. The user departments make the object changes with reference to this change number (for example, BOM change, routing change). This means that a new data record is created for the objects.

To create historical data records, documents are processed without reference to a change number. Document versions inform you of the different change statuses of a document. Integration into the change process is by means of the change number. The change number is entered in the basic data.

You can use engineering change management to perform the following functions:

  • To link documents to other SAP objects (for example, material, BOM, routing) that are also affected by the change.

  • The valid-from date from the change master record gives a document a time reference.

Integration

You enter a change number in the basic data in the document info record. This change number identifies

  • A change master record

  • An engineering change order

If the change number identifies an engineering change request or engineering change order, the change procedure is also determined by the internally defined system status and user status (if a user status is defined).

Prerequisites

The following requirements must be met before you can enter a change number for a document:

  • Customizing for the Document Management System

The Change number field set must be defined for the chosen document type so that the Change number field is an optional or required field. As a result, the Valid from field is shown.

You make the required settings under Start of the navigation path Document Management System Next navigation step Control data Next navigation step Define document types. End of the navigation path

  • Change Master Record

A change master record for the change must exist in the system.

For the Document object type:

  • The Object type active for change number (Act.) indicator must be selected

  • The Object type locked for changes indicator must not be selected.

You must create an object management record in the change master for the document concerned.

Note Note

If you set the Object management record generated indicator for documents on the Object Types screen of the change master record, you do not need to create the object management record manually. When you change the document with reference to the change number, the system creates an object management record automatically.

End of the note.

Features

The change number is entered in the document info record. There is a one-to-one relationship between a change master record and its allocated document version. You cannot change the entry for the change number once you have saved it in the document info record.

The following graphic shows how change numbers can be allocated to the document versions.

The following functions are supported for processing documents with reference to change numbers: