Changing "Released" CAD Data in PDMLink

And I second that motion by Ben....

In Reply to Ben Loosli:

They have not abandoned this at all.
In Windchill you have your revision letters/numbers and an iteration number for each time you save that file.
Just like Intralink 3.x, once a file is released, it prevents normal users from modifying the file. As an admin, I can check out, make a minor change and check back in the same revision level part, juts it will have a higher iteration number.

The issue comes down to who has the rights to make a change to a released file and how much are they trusted!


Thank you,

Ben H. Loosli
USEC, INC.

Thank you for the great feedback Ben. I also want to thank everyone else for their feedback and perspectives. I am here to learn form all of you because this is a new area for me.

I will look into my options and see what makes the best sense for us. I simply can't allow Windchill to dictate what get's a revision and must find a way to control it with privileges, etc.

In Reply to Ben Loosli:

You would only have a limited number of administrators who have the rights to check in a file at the released state.
You can use email notifications when files are checked in.

Thank you,

Ben H. Loosli
USEC, INC.

"...when allowed the freedom to do so."

I see where you're coming from now. Users, especially super users like admins or product managers, must be held accountable.

Like so many examples in the past, PTC's "solution" sounds like they half listened to the problem, then gave an answer. It sounds like their solution is to allow users to check stuff out for minor modifications, then check it in regardless of what they've done to the model/drawing. If I read you correctly, that doesn't even come close to being a solution to they problem you're describing, IMO. In fact, going down this route would be far worse than having the admin make all the minor corrections.

I don't know your internal process, so of course I can't really be sure if my input would work.

For normal revisions, where the drawing/model actually is going to be revised, it sounds like your normal process would work. There are workflows within Windchill that can automate this process as well, but no company I've worked with has used out of the box workflows. That means custom workflows.

As for changes without a revision, such as the aformentioned spelling errors or addition of a datum axis, I see two big options.

1. Within Windchill is a role called Product Manager. The PM can be set to check out any object, modify and check back in. Find a user (or a couple) that you trust not to abuse this power. Explain the pitfalls of this power. Do not give their standard account this permission; create a separate PM account for the user(s). When doing normal work, they will log in with their normal accounts. Only when asked to do changes to released parts will they log in with their PM account. I'd also explain that if the parts this is done to change more than insignificantly, the data will be deleted and the work will have to be done over. I know that's rather harsh, but sometimes you have to use a hammer to drive home the point.

2. Create a workflow that a reviewer/manager can fire off. Limit who can start this workflow.This workflow can set the life cycle state to one that can be modified. (You could even make a life cycle state specifically for this process.) The workflow creates an assignment for the user. The user does the work and checks everything back in. Before the work flow is finished, the reviewer/manager is given an assignment to look at the work that was done. He can reject it back to the user for correction, orapprove it as complete. Only after he approves the workflow does the object get set back to the released (locked) state.

You asked if there is a way for Windchill to notify you before the user checks in the work. With enough time and money, anything is possible, but I'm not confident the workflow commands as they currently existcan handle this. Option #2 comes closest, allowing a review before setting the drawing/model back to released, but it has already been checked in by the time the review takes place.

While I certainly don't consider myself a true Windchill guru, I've been exposed to it enough to have a fair idea what it's capable of regarding this particular problem. If this wasn't clear enough, let me know and I'll do what I can to clarify what I'm talking about.

In Reply to Damian Castillo:

Don,

You obviously know more about Windchill than me. We don't even have it up and runing yet. Let me be clear in that PTC did find a solution to minor changes and how to control them. The process requires manual intervention and users have shown that they make many mistakes when allowe the feedom to do so. The solution provided to us will require the "Administrator" to bump up the revision level as needed, but the end user can choose to check the product in as a minor revision regardless if they changed the product drastically.

There is a way to make it work, but it opens up room for error which is why we purchased the software to begin with.

Can there be a more intelligent way of having the system provide the flexibility while automating it at the same time? I have no clue and hope someone here can share a solution.

The lack of flexibility that I mentioned in the past is based on breaking automation and control in order to make things work as they should.

Is there an automated way for Windchill to notify me for approval before an end user check's something back into the system as "Released"? If there is, I would love to learn more about it. At least this way the manual process requires approval and can prevent the end user from just checking things in.

Thanks

P.S. I am a veteran Pro/ENGINEER (Creo) user with over 18 years experience. I know almost nothing about Windchill and will start my journey to learn it this year. So any help from the guru's would be great.

"Too many people walk around like Clark Kent, because they don't realize they can Fly like Superman"

I mention giving a single user two accounts because I was that guy for awhile. I had my normal account that I did day to day work with, plus I hada second account as a Product Manager where I could correct minor issues with CAD parts/drawings, revisions, life cycle states, etc. You're correct in saying it avoids accidents, but only if the admin trusts a single user not to screw things upby accidentally using the PM account for normal work.

In Reply to Craig Lobban-Jones:

Don,
with regards to the "Super user" login.

At a previous company we used this method but made sure the normal user login did not have super powers and the super user login did not have day-today powers or functions.

This forced the Super users to NOT use the Super user login for everything and avoided "accidents"
It also helped when tracking who made changes that each Super user had their own Super user login.

In most situations released data should not be changed -- there is legal ramification for this (think OSHA certification). To blame the tool is being a bit naive. The problem is users are depending on the tool and NOT checking things as well as they should (or are being pressed to get things done more quickly than humanly possible). If a datum is visible on a drawing and that drawing was pushed to release, it is not the fault of the tool. If the corporation's process is objects should not be modified when they reach a released state, that is not the fault of the tool.

When I first started in PDM the vendor told me a two very wise statements. What is the best thing about a PDM tool, it can do whatever you want it to do. What is the worst thing about a PDM tool, it can do whatever you want it to do.

Windchill is very flexible, best practices through going to several companies has put limits on some freedoms. Can Windchill change any object in the database, if you want it you -- but do you really want it to? Can Windchill be designed to allow a group of users (other than Administrators) to change released objects -- it certainly can. My question would be in I am making several changes at released I maybe need to look at my process because certain steps are being missed. For the gentleman that need a coordinate system for verification, why not make that part of the process so that every model has that -- it no verification is required no harm. If verification requirement comes after release, then no change is required.

This discussion should not be about Windchill, Windchill is just a tool. This discussion should be about the process of getting objects to be production ready and what is the best way to insure those objects are ready for anything.