Engineering Change Hierarchy (SAP Library - Engineering Change Management (LO-ECH))

Engineering Change Hierarchy

Use

The change hierarchy enables you to make complex changes to several objects with reference to several change numbers and group these complementary changes together for management purposes. The many different change objects can be structured in a clear and transparent way from different views (for example, organizational and functional) in the change hierarchy.

Integration

At the present moment in time, you can process the following objects using a change hiearchy:

All BOM categories
Task list types:

Routings
Reference operation sets

Characteristics
Characteristics of class
Classification

Prerequisites

You must activate the release procedure in Customizing for Logistics - General under Engineering Change Management ® Set up control data. Set the Release active indicator in the Effectivity data set.

Features

Structure

Change master records with the functions Change leader and Change package form a single-level change hierarchy. They fulfil the following functions:

Change leaders (Leading change master records)

The leading change master record (change leader) is the superior change master record in a change hierarchy. It groups several change numbers (change packages) together.

The following information is maintained in the leading change master record:

Determination of the effectivity of a change (for example, valid-from date)

Release procedure

The release key controls which areas the changes that are made with reference to the allocated change numbers (change packages) are released for.

Deletion flag (global)

You can only set this deletion flag if the deletion flag is set for all the allocated change packages.

Change packages

The change package is the inferior change master record in a change hierarchy. All the change packages are allocated to a change leader. The object changes in a change hierarchy are with reference to the change packages.

Change packages can be formed from different points of view. For example, from an organizational point of view, the change package would just contain the objects from the product structure that are controlled by mechanical engineering (material, BOM, engineering/design drawing, and so on). A change package from a functional point of view would contain the objects that form a logical unit in the product structure, for example, material, BOM, document, routing for a gearbox.

The following information is maintained in the chnage package:

Choice of change objects (object management records), for example BOMs
Control of the processing procedure using system status and user status, where appropriate
Control of the processing procedure using SAP Business Workflow
Deletion flag (local)

This deletion flag is only relevant to one individual object. You can only set a deletion flag for the change leader if the deletion flag is set for all the allocated change packages.

Note

You can only include an ECR / ECO in an engineering change hierarchy if you use the Change package function because you can only enter the change objects for a change package.

Graphical Representation

The following graphic shows the relationship between change leader, change packages and change objects.

This graphic is explained in the accompanying text

Releasing Changes

Changes that are made with reference to a change hierarchy have to be released using a Release Procedure

Display

You can display an engineering change hierarchy in a tree structure.