Allow for WQS fields to Serve as Links to Other Records

[rcrytzer]

In many customer FRACAS and FMEA implementations, it is asked if we support linking to other records.  For example, customers would like to link related incidents together.  Outside of the standard one-to-many and many-to-many relationships, we do not. 

This need could be met by adding a property to text and memo fields in the Data Definition file to use the field as a link to a record in a user-selected table.  The field could display in the system as a normal record selection control, but maybe after a selection has been made, clicking on the linked field could take the user to the linked record.  This would be a flexible way to handle many linking requirements. 

[ptc-2749313]

Hi Ryan, this is an interesting idea.  What exactly do customers want to accomplish with this?  Is it to share data across multiple Incidents so that they can enter information once and have it repeated across multiple related incidents?  Is so, we address this with grouping via Problems (currently available with FRACAS only).  Is this somehow unacceptable?

I'd be interested in seeing repeatable use cases on this.  If they aren't repeatable, I'd imagine that the API would be the best path forward.

[rcrytzer]

Dan - the intent is not to share data.  I think every request centered on linking multiple failures of the same unit together.  When analysis shows that multiple items have failed, some customers' process is to log new incidents for each failure, as each failed item should have a separate analysis.  They would then want a way to tie all of the incidents back to the initial failure report.

[rcrytzer]

For FMEA, the only uses I am remembering are:

• Linking FMEA Tree Items to a highest manageable level
• Linking an interface (FMEA Tree Subtable record) to the interfaced item in the FMEA Tree
• (I'm not 100% sure on this one) linking related Maintenance Tasks together

Most FRACAS requests were for related incidents, but some other FRACAS uses that comes to mind are:

• Linking a Problem to a System Tree Item
• Linking an incident to multiple locations in the tree (UUT, major assembly, minor assembly, and failed item)
• Linking problem/incident subtable records to the System Tree.  The subtables represent items in the BOM - sometimes failed items, inspected items, etc.  If it is an incident subtable and Maintenance Logs are already being used, then there is not direct link to the System Tree.  If it is a problem subtable, there is no link.

The typical way I work around this is to copy, say, System Tree part numbers into a back-end list field, then link the list to, say, an incident field.  This works ok unless there was a typo, or if items in the tree are deleted, then someone has to clean data up in the List Library and the Incidents table.