ECO Guide
Engineering Change Order management.
Overview
An Engineering Change Order (ECO) formally documents and controls changes to product designs, specifications, or manufacturing processes.
Why ECO Management Matters
- Controlled Changes: Ensure changes are properly reviewed and approved
- Traceability: Know what changed, when, and why
- Impact Analysis: Understand effects on production, inventory, suppliers
- Compliance: Meet regulatory requirements for change control
- Communication: Notify all affected parties
Types of Changes
Major Change
Affects form, fit, or function:
- Dimensional changes
- Material substitution
- Performance specifications
- Safety-critical features
Requires: Full review, customer approval, PPAP
Minor Change
Does not affect form, fit, or function:
- Drawing corrections
- Cosmetic improvements
- Documentation updates
- Supplier address changes
Requires: Internal review only
Process Change
Manufacturing process modifications:
- Equipment changes
- Tooling modifications
- Manufacturing location
- Process sequence
May require: Process validation
Supplier Change
Supply chain modifications:
- New supplier qualification
- Sub-tier supplier change
- Source location change
- Material source
May require: Customer notification
Creating an ECO
Step-by-Step Guide
Step 1: Navigate to ECO
Click ECO in the sidebar, then + New ECO
Step 2: Enter Basic Information
- Title: Brief description of the change
- Change Type: Major, Minor, Process, or Supplier
- Priority: Routine, Urgent, or Emergency
- Reason: Why is this change needed?
Step 3: Define Affected Items
- Parts/products affected
- Documents to be revised (drawings, specs, procedures)
- Bill of materials changes
- Tooling or equipment affected
Step 4: Describe the Change
Detail the current state (IS) and proposed state (TO BE). Be specific about what is changing.
Step 5: Impact Assessment
Evaluate impact on cost, schedule, inventory, suppliers, customers, and quality.
Step 6: Submit for Approval
Route to appropriate approvers based on change type and impact.
Approval Workflow
ECO Status Flow
Creating
Under review
Ready to implement
Completed
Typical Approvers
- Engineering: Technical feasibility, design validation
- Quality: Impact on quality, PPAP requirements
- Manufacturing: Process capability, production impact
- Purchasing: Supplier impact, cost analysis
- Customer: When required by contract or specification
Impact Assessment
Before approving an ECO, assess impact across all affected areas:
| Area | Considerations |
|---|---|
| Cost | Material cost, tooling, scrap, rework |
| Schedule | Implementation timeline, production disruption |
| Inventory | Existing stock disposition, phase-out plan |
| Suppliers | Supplier notifications, lead times, qualifications |
| Customers | Notification requirements, approvals needed |
| Documentation | Drawings, specs, procedures, training materials |
| Quality | FMEA updates, Control Plan changes, PPAP requirements |
ECO Best Practices
Do:
- Define clear effectivity dates
- Assess all impacted areas
- Communicate to affected parties
- Update all related documents
- Verify implementation
Don't:
- Implement without approval
- Skip impact analysis
- Forget supplier notification
- Leave documents out of sync
- Mix old and new parts