New product development
Engineering changes: why the app refuses
Every message an engineering change note can show, what it means, and what to do next.
The app refuses a step so the change record stays true: nobody can approve a change that has not been assessed, and nobody can mark it done while work is left. A refusal changes nothing; fix the cause and press the button again. Messages about signatures, signing authority, training and field ranges are the same in every flow and are explained in Signatures and common refusals.
Change a released product
The task page is Change a released product.
View as text
%% title: Where a change note is refused
flowchart LR
A["Edit the note"] --> B["Submit for assessment"]
B --> C["Send to change board"]
C --> D["Change board signs"]
D --> E["Mark implemented"]
E --> F["Close · verified"]
A -.-> A1["Edit refusals"]
B -.-> B1["Fill in first"]
C -.-> C1["Impact checks"]
D -.-> D1["Route and turn"]
E -.-> E1["Checklist and evidence"]
F -.-> F1["Verification and retraining"]Saving the note and its affected items
| Message | When | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
Pick the product this change applies to. For a change to a document only, set Type to Document. | Saving a note with no Product | A change applies to a product unless it only changes a document. | Choose the Product, or set the Type to Document. |
{label} can only be set by the change workflow. | Editing the board signatures, route, signing order, stock tick or implementation time. The label is one of The change board signatures, The change board route, The change board order, The stock disposition tick, The implementation time. | The workflow writes these, so nobody can edit them by hand. | Use the buttons on the note. |
The approver can only be set by the change workflow. | Editing Approved by after the board has approved | The last board signature records the approver. | Leave the field. |
{id}: the checklist ticks and the imported mark can only be set by the change workflow. | Saving Affected items with a tick set by hand | Ticks are made with the Tick button. | Use Tick on the checklist. |
Affected items can only change while the change is in Draft or Impact assessment. | Add item, Remove or changing an action after the note has reached the change board | The board reviewed these items. | Return the note to impact assessment, or raise a new note. |
Choose the document to add | Add item with no document chosen | Nothing to add. | Choose the Document. |
{id} is already an affected item. | Add item for a document already listed | One line per document. | Change the action of the line that is there. |
{id} is not a {kind}. where kind is product, production method, work instruction, qms document or drawing / specification | Add item with a number that does not exist as that kind | The number is wrong or of another kind. | Pick the document from the list. |
{id} is {status}. An obsolete document cannot be revised by a change. or ...cannot be made obsolete again by a change. | Adding or setting an obsolete or superseded document | An obsolete document has no live revision. | Pick the live document. |
{id} is {status}, not released. Only a released document can be made obsolete by a change. | Setting Obsolete on a draft or in-review document | Only a released document can be withdrawn. | Release it first, or choose Revise. |
{id} is at rev {rev}. Add it from Affected items to take its current revision. | Saving an item whose revision is out of date | The item must carry the document's current revision. | Remove the line and Add item again. |
{kind} cannot be set to {action}. | Setting an action the item type does not allow | A drawing has only Update. Others have Revise, Obsolete and New. | Choose an allowed action. |
That item is no longer on the change. | Remove, setting an action or Tick on a line that was removed | Another person changed the list. | Reload the note. |
{reference} is not a risk assessment or aspect record. | Saving Risk assessment / aspect updated with a number that is not a risk assessment or an environmental aspect | The link must be a real EHS record. | Enter the number of a risk assessment (HIRA) or an aspect. |
{Field} can only change while the change is in Draft or Impact assessment. where the field is the type, product, revisions, impact fields, EHS fields, PFMEA reference, customer reference, effective date or first lot | Editing the assessed fields once the note is with the board | The board signs on these values. | Return the note to impact assessment first. The Validation / FAI record can still be entered on an approved note while it is blank. |
Submit for assessment
| Message | When | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
Fill in first: change, type, reason, affected items, description (only the blank ones are listed) | Pressing Submit for assessment | The note is not complete enough to assess. | Fill in the listed fields. If the note lists affected items, affected items is not needed. |
Add the document to revise. Open Affected items and add the document with the action Revise. When you approve the change, the system starts a draft revision only for those items. | Pressing Submit for assessment with no affected items, and Source record and Affected documents name no product, production method, work instruction or QMS document that is in use | Approving would start no revision. | Under Affected items, choose Add item and add the document with the action Revise. |
Send to change board
The app checks in this order and shows the first problem.
| Message | When | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
EHS review required: set EHS impact (None or Yes) before approving | Pressing Send to change board with EHS impact at Not assessed | EHS must be considered. | Set EHS impact to None or Yes. |
EHS impact is Yes. Enter the {items} (ISO 45001 8.1.3) where items are EHS review notes, updated risk assessment or aspect, EHS reviewer | EHS impact is Yes and these are blank | A hazard needs a reviewed control. | Fill in the listed EHS fields. |
{reference} is not a risk assessment or aspect record | The linked EHS record is not found | The link is wrong. | Enter a real risk assessment or aspect number. |
Record the PFMEA review (document and revision) before approving a {type} change where type is product, process, material or mould / tooling | PFMEA reviewed (doc · rev) is blank | These changes need a PFMEA review. | Enter the PFMEA document and revision. |
PFMEA has open High-priority line{s} for {product}: {line ids}. Start the action before approving. | A High-priority PFMEA line of the product is still Open | A known high risk has no action. | On Process FMEA, Start action on the lines. See Validate the process. |
Fill in first: impact on safety and performance, risk, revalidation, regulatory impact, customer notice, existing stock and WIP, retraining needed, effective by (only the blank ones) | Send to change board | The impact assessment is incomplete. | Fill in the listed fields. |
Set the effective date | Effective by is Date and Effective date is blank | Enter the date. | |
Set the first lot | Effective by is Lot and First lot is blank | Enter the lot. | |
{customer} requires {n}-day change notice. Set customer notice and record their approval. | The customer's quality requirements ask for notice and Customer notice says Not required | The customer must be told. | Set Customer notice and record the approval. |
Waiting for customer approval. Record it under Customer notice first. | Customer notice is Required · pending | The customer has not agreed. | Wait for the approval, then set it to Notified · approved. |
Enter the customer approval reference | Customer notice is Notified · approved with no Customer approval ref. | The approval must be traceable. | Enter the reference. |
Add the affected items first: products, production methods, work instructions, QMS documents or drawings | No affected items | The board needs to know what changes. | Add item. |
No change board function applies to this change. Set the route in Engineering › Settings. | No row of the board route applies to this note | Nobody would sign. | Ask the organization manager to set the route in /engineering/cfg. |
Reject
Reject is a signed step and has no content check. If you cannot sign it, see Signatures and common refusals.
Change board sign-off
| Message | When | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
This change is not with the change board. | Approve · sign or Return on a note that is not in CCB review | The board only signs in that status. | Reload the note. |
{name} is not on the change board route for this change. | Signing for a function that is not on this note's route | The route is frozen when the note is sent. | Ask who is on the route. |
{function} has already signed. | Signing for a function that has signed | One signature per function. | None. |
You have already signed this change for {role}. {function} needs a different person. | Approving as a second function | One person signs one function only. | Ask the other function's person. |
You raised {note}, so {function} needs a different person to sign. | Approving a board function on a note you raised, in person or as the delegate of the requester | The person who raised a change does not sign its board. Someone else can take the function. | Ask the other holder of that function's authority. A Return is allowed. |
Sequential route: {function} signs first | Approving out of turn on a sequential route | The functions sign in the order listed. | Wait for the function named. A Return can be made at any time. |
This function is not on the route. | The function is missing from the route | Reload the note. | |
Record not found | An EHS officer opens a note whose route has no function they can sign for | The note is hidden from them. | Ask the engineer. |
A Return also needs a reason of at least 4 characters. The screen says Enter a reason of at least 4 characters.
Mark implemented
| Message | When | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
Finish the implementation checklist first: {line}; {line} and {n} more | Pressing Mark implemented with checklist lines left | See the lines below. | Do the lines, then try again. |
Fill in first: implementation record | Implementation record is blank | Describe what was done. | |
Revalidation is {value}. Enter the validation / FAI record first. | Revalidation is not None and the record is blank | Proof of validation is needed. | Enter the validation or FAI number. |
Effective date is {date}. Implement on or after that date. | Effective by is Date and the date is in the future | Wait for the date. | |
{validation} is {status}. The validation must be Validated before implementing. | The linked process validation is not Validated | Finish the validation. See Validate the process. | |
{Product or Work instruction} {key} rev {rev} is {status}. Start a new revision to change it. | A change without an item list tries to move a document that has left draft to a revision other than the next one | Use the next revision, or list the document as an affected item. | |
The checklist can be ticked after the change board approves and before it is implemented. | Tick on a note not in Approved | Tick while it is Approved. | |
This change has no stock disposition to record. | Tick the stock line on a note whose Existing stock and WIP is Use up or Not affected | None needed. | |
{id} has no such line to tick. | Tick a line that is not manual | Only manual lines are ticked. | Use Open or Make obsolete. |
The checklist lines that can be left are {id}: Draft rev {rev} started under {note}, {id}: Draft revision starts when the change board approves, {id}: Rev {rev} changes made and submitted for review, {id}: Rev {rev} released (effective for a QMS document), {id}: Made obsolete and withdrawn from points of use, {id}: Created, reviewed and released, {id}: Updated copy rev {rev} received, checked and filed, {id}: Superseded copies withdrawn from use, and Stock and WIP disposition ({choice}). Retraining lines do not block implementing; they block closing.
Close · verified
| Message | When | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
Fill in first: verification evidence | Pressing Close · verified with Verification evidence blank | A change closes with proof. | Enter the evidence. |
Retraining is not complete for {ids}. Close it once the training matrix is current. | Retraining is needed and people are not current on a new revision | Complete the training in the training matrix, then close. |
Orders and new revisions
| Message | When | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
{note} makes the new revision effective immediately. Release {ids} rev {rev} first. or ...effective from {date}. Release {ids} first, or plan the order to start before {date}. | Saving or issuing a manufacturing order for the product after the effective date, while a revision is not released | The change is live but its documents are not. | Release the revisions, or start the order before the date. |
{wi} is obsolete and cannot be used on an order. Pick its replacement. | Saving or issuing an order that uses an obsolete work instruction | Pick the replacement work instruction. |