Engineering (Overview)
Engineering is the module where Bills of Materials, Routings, and Operation Definitions all live together, along with the Engineering Changes that keep them under control. It's the central place where product structure, production sequencing, and shared operation standards are defined and maintained.
Overview
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Engineering brings BOMs, Routings, and Operation Definitions together in one place.
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Operation Definitions act as a shared library — Routings pull their defaults from them instead of repeating setup/run times on every operation.
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Engineering Changes track and control updates to BOMs and Routings: they show what a change reaches, go through approval, and then carry the change into the affected BOMs and open work orders instead of leaving them to be edited one by one.
Where to Access
- Users can access Engineering via Manufacturing column (Manufacturing: Engineering)
Key Attributes
Bills of Materials
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Item / Revision | BOMs are listed by item and revision; select a revision to open that BOM |
| Item (component line) | The specific part or material needed |
| Description | A short note on the component (optional) |
| Quantity | Amount needed to build one unit |
| UOM | Unit of measure |
| Unit Cost / Total Cost | Cost per unit, and Quantity × Unit Cost |
| Issue at | The operation number the component is issued at, if needed partway through the routing rather than at the start |
Routings
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Item | Select an item to open its routing |
| Fill from definition | Pulls setup and run times straight from the operation's shared Operation Definition instead of entering them manually |
| Resources | Shows the labor, machines, or tools that specific operation requires |
Operation Definitions
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Code | Short identifier for the operation |
| Operation Type | e.g. Manufacturing |
| Active | Whether the definition is currently usable |
| Description | What the operation does |
| Default Work Center | Applied automatically whenever this definition is selected on a routing operation |
| Effective From / Effective To | Date range the definition is valid for |
Standards — default values every operation using this definition starts with (leave a field blank and the operation keeps its own value):
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Setup Time | Default setup time |
| Runtime / Unit | Default runtime per unit |
| Overlap Quantity | Units to send ahead to the next operation before the full batch finishes |
| Completion Behavior | How the operation is marked complete |
| Reporting Basis | What one Start/Complete report actually counts as |
| Default Work Instruction | Linked work instruction document |
| Recordable | Whether the operation's execution is logged |
| Count point | Whether this operation is a count point in the routing |
Resources — simultaneous resource requirements copied to every released Work Order and scheduled together:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Role | Labor, Primary Machine, Tool, or Auxiliary |
| Target type | Resource or Resource Pool |
| Target | The specific resource or pool selected |
| Units | Quantity of the resource required |
| Setup min | Setup time for this resource, in minutes |
| Run min / unit | Run time per unit for this resource, in minutes |
| Basis | Item or Batch |
| Posting | Automatic or Manual |
Engineering Changes
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Title | What's changing, in one line (required) |
| Reason | Customer request, Design error, Supplier, Regulatory, or Internal |
| Source | Manual, Project change order, or CAD import |
| Effective Date | Leave blank to take effect as soon as the change is applied |
| Project | Optional — link the change to a project |
| Change order | Optional — pick one of the selected project's change orders |
| Change lines | Each line names a part and a Change Type — Add, Remove, Replace, Quantity, Revision, or Routing. A line with no specific BOM applies to the current version of every BOM that uses the part |
An Engineering Change moves through Draft → Pending Approval → Approved → Applied. Preview impact lists the BOMs, work orders and other records the change reaches before you submit; after approval, Apply change creates the new BOM revisions and updates open work orders. See Engineering Changes (ECO) for the full process.
See It in Action: A Tour of Engineering
Watch a walkthrough of the Engineering module — Bills of Materials, Routings, Operation Definitions, and Engineering Changes — all in context.
Key Functions
| Function | How to do it |
|---|---|
| Build a BOM | Manufacturing → Engineering → BOM → select a revision to view or edit its component lines |
| Define a Routing | Open an item's routing, add operations, and use Fill from definition to pull standard setup/run times instead of retyping them |
| Maintain Operation Definitions | Keep a shared library of operations (code, standards, resource requirements) so every routing that uses them stays consistent |
| Submit an Engineering Change | Manufacturing → Engineering → Changes → Add New (or Start Engineering Change from a BOM row) → set Title, Reason and Effective Date, add change lines, press Preview impact, then Submit. Once approved, press Apply change to carry it into the BOMs and open work orders it affects |
Maintain accuracy (recommended practice):
| Practice | Why |
|---|---|
| Keep Operation Definitions current | So Routings that pull from them stay accurate |
| Route BOM/Routing edits through Engineering Changes | Preserves an audit trail instead of editing live records directly |
| Review Resource requirements on Operation Definitions | Keep them current when equipment or staffing changes |