SAP Engineering Change ManagementIntroduction: Engineering Change Management is a central logistics function that can be used to change various aspects of production basic data (for example, BOMs, task lists, materials, and documents) with history (with date effectivity) or depending on specific conditions (with parameter effectivity). This blog aims at providing an overview of the following ECM terminologies: Notification Engineering Change Order (ECO) Engineering Objects Tasks Notification Type: A key that determines the origin, content, and other features of service, maintenance, design and quality notifications. The notification type 54 is being considered for demonstration. Notification: A data record with which a user informs the Engineering, Plant Maintenance, Quality Management, or Customer Service department etc about an occurrence. The requested change to be approved by the change coordinator. if required View the open notifications (Notifications to be processed by me) in the transaction IQS8. .Transaction: IQS2 Change Catalogue: Specify the nature of the problem / notification / issue Assign the Change Coordinator who is responsible to process the notification Attach documents. The Change Coordinator approves the notification (IQS22). . Set the priority of the notification.Process the Notification: Enter the additional details of the notification the respective tabs (IQS2) Subject: Brief about the nature of the notifications & impacted objects. Choose the cause of the notification Enter the cost estimate to resolve the issue . The responsible person can view the open pending tasks for him using the transaction IQS9. By setting this user status the system status will be updated automatically. The status “APFC Approved for CCB” is user status. the Change Control Board (CCB) approves the notification for further processing. After creating all the relevant tasks. In this example the task for procurement department has been created & responsible person has been assigned for the task. .Task Creation: Create the relevant tasks for further follow ups with other departments under notification. The responsible person of the task can view the task details in the transaction IQS9. Complete the tasks assigned by the respective partners / users. the change coordinator provides his approval based on task completion. After obtaining the approval from CCB. . Engineering Change Order (ECO): Change that impacts a product already in a productive environment. .Immediate Change Start) The LCM number & the notification number are identical. The initial status of the ECO is 30 (ECR.Lead Change Master (LCM): A data record that groups several change packages for a complex change process and controls the conditions under which the change is effective such as on a valid-from date. Set the status of the LCM also to 57 – In Validation at Engineering Department in transaction CCO2. Processing ECO and LCM: Set the status of the ECO to 57. The task to be completed by the responsible task owner as detailed already.In Validation at Engineering Department (Transaction CC02). .By creating the LCM with respect to ECO.ECO. the relevant tasks also will be created automatically by the system. Adding Engineering Objects in ECO: Click on “Object Types” Icon. . Select the relevant objects for change like material master. In this example the material master object has been considered for demonstration. BOM etc. Technical Release of the ECO: Once the indicator “Technical Release” is set.After the changes have been made in the material master (Eg: Material Number 123) using this change number. we cannot withdraw. . the indicator “Usage” will be automatically set by the system. Now set the status of the ECO & LCM to 60 (Engineering Completed). Now the ECO process is completed technically but the changes have been not moved to production environment.The indicator “Technical Release” is set for the ECO. . Without global release the changes are not included in the production environment. This cannot withdrawn. Once the release key is set to 01 in the LCM. The indicator “Technical Release” also will be set automatically in the LCM.Global Release” for the LCM. . the ECO changes will be implemented into the production environment.Release LCM: Set the status of LCM as 80 (Completed) and release key as “01. Close the notification in IQS2: The notification will be closed with reference to the date. .