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ECN (Engineering Change Note)

The Engineering Change Note (ECN) process allows organizations to manage, track, and approve changes to parts systematically. By enforcing an approval workflow, it ensures that all relevant departments review and agree to part modifications before they become active.

1.1 Prerequisite: Enable ECN​

Before you can use the ECN workflow, it must be enabled in the Organisation setup.

  1. Navigate to HR -> Master -> Organisation Details.
  2. Open the General section.
  3. Locate the Enable ECN checkbox and ensure it is checked.
  4. (Optional) If you want the system to automatically assign ECN Numbers, ensure Auto Generate ECN Number is configured in your auto-generation sequence settings.

1.2 ECN in Part Master​

Once ECN is enabled, it integrates directly with the Part module.

  1. Navigate to Design & Development -> Operations -> Part.
  2. When creating a new Part or editing an existing one, you will perceive a configuration governing its visibility:
    • ECN Approval Status (Read-Only):
      • If ECN is enabled globally in the organisation settings, new parts will default to a DRAFT status and will only become globally available when their status reaches APPROVED through the ECN Workflow.
      • If ECN is disabled, the status will show as NOT REQUIRED.

Global Availability Rules: For a part to appear in global dropdowns across other application modules (e.g., Sales Orders, Invoices, Control Plans, Control Tasks), its ECN Approval Status must be either APPROVED (if ECN is enabled) or NOT REQUIRED (if ECN is disabled).

1.3 Creating a Part Revision​

When a part requires engineering changes, the standard procedure is to create a revision:

  1. Open the existing part.
  2. Click the Clone button to create a new version of the part.
  3. Update the necessary fields (e.g., Part Revision Number, Drawings, Material Spec).
  4. Save the new part. This creates a link between the Old Part and the New Part under the ECN Master process.

1.4 ECN Master and Approval Flow​

The core ECN tracking happens within the ECN Master and Approval modules.

  • ECN Master Creation: Saving a new part revision automatically drafts an ECN Master record linking the Old Part to the New Part. If auto-numbering is enabled, the system automatically generates an ECN number according to your configuration (e.g. using specific prefixes).
  • Department Approvals: The ECN is sent to all departments marked as ECN-required. Designated users can navigate to Design & Development -> Operations -> ECN to view the ECN in their list.
  • Approval Actions:
    • Authorized users in those departments can view the ECN in their Pending Approvals list.
    • They can choose to APPROVE or REJECT the engineering change.
  • Editing Restrictions: You can only edit an ECN Master record while its status is DRAFT. Once it is moved to PENDING APPROVAL or finalized, no further edits are permitted on the ECN ticket itself.

Once all designated departments have approved the ECN, the ECN is finalized, and the new Part's ECN Approval Status translates to APPROVED (or the equivalent configured status).

1.5 ECN Approval (Sub-Tab)​

When you open an existing ECN in Edit mode, the ECN Approval sub-tab is available for approval operations.

1.5.1 Approval Form Fields​

The approval form supports:

  • Department (single-select searchable dropdown)
  • Approved Person (single-select searchable dropdown)
  • Status (read-only label in edit mode)
  • Remarks (max 100 characters)

You can use Approve or Reject actions, and there is also a Clear button to reset the form.

1.5.2 Approval History and Edit​

  • Saved approvals are shown in a history table below the form.
  • Use the Edit icon to load an existing record and update it.
  • Form title is dynamic:
    • Add ECN Approval for new entries
    • Edit ECN Approval for existing entries

1.5.3 Important Validation Rules​

  • Only one approval record per Department per ECN is allowed.
  • Duplicate department entries are blocked by system validation.
  • If duplicate exists, the system shows an info message and does not save.

1.5.4 Control Plan Restriction​

If active Control Plans already exist for the revised part:

  • Add/Edit of ECN Approval is restricted.
  • Control Plan Number and Revision are shown in the message.
  • Approve action is still allowed as per business rule.

1.5.5 ECN Status Update Logic (From Approval Records)​

After each ECN Approval save/update, ECN status is recalculated automatically:

  1. If any approval is REJECTED -> ECN status becomes REJECTED
  2. Else if any approval is PENDING APPROVAL -> ECN status becomes PENDING APPROVAL
  3. Else if all approvals are APPROVED -> ECN status becomes APPROVED

The same final status is also synchronized to the linked revised part’s ECN Approval Status.

1.6 ECN Attachments (Sub-Tab)​

The ECN Attachment sub-tab supports multiple file upload and download for each ECN.

1.6.1 Supported File Types​

  • PDF: .pdf
  • Image: .jpg, .jpeg, .png
  • Excel: .xls, .xlsx
  • Word: .doc, .docx

1.6.2 Attachment Rules​

  • Maximum 10 files can be selected in one upload action.
  • File names are validated before upload.
  • Duplicate file names for the same ECN are blocked with a clear message.
  • Uploaded files are shown in a table with Download action.

1.7 ECN Pending Approval Mail​

System-generated ECN pending approval mail includes:

  • ECN summary counters (pending ECNs, approved departments, pending departments)
  • Detailed ECN approval table/cards (ECN, part change, approved/pending/rejected departments, progress)

That's it! You've learned how to ADD, SEARCH, EDIT ECN Approval and manage ECN Attachments using the DMeX app. If you need help, contact the support team.