Very interested in improving what we do in this area in 2011 also and interested in a discussion on this with others.
Currently we:
- Rely 100% on data status / process in the ERP system; have no direct link between Windchill and ERP
- Have Product Structure built for most active products; continue to build rapidly
- Are hoping to convert to using more processes focused on Product Structure, with ERP following (manually still for now)
We have these additional major related considerations (and probably many more that I'm not currently thinking of):
- We use a two - phase lifecycle for all product data (numbered, then letter Revisions); "release to production" is a one-time event for every Document and Part that includes moving from a numbered to A Revision. This also relates to different user permissions to Revise / Modify going forward and a different change process.
- We require that all changes be fully approved before making them (a approved Change Request with a fully defined proposal before a Change Notice / Change Task is created); because of this, we're not using the OTB Disposition / Effectivity tools on the Change Task. Most importantly though, we update the ERP system to the next Revision and make it effective as soon as the Change Request is approved, and allow manufacturing to do business on the approved proposal, prior to it being incorporated. This chops off use of any Windchill functionality that relies on communicating with ERP, or even dumping out a file for ERP using ERP Connector, as the Change Notice is finalized. This seems like we've gotten ourselves in between a rock and a hard place and we'll have to wrestle with this next year some how.
Very good puzzle...
