Engineering change order versus a design change request

[snoopy2017]

Hi everyone,

Working at a small company with a not quite-so mature QMS, I have noticed that there is no engineering change control for various changes to technical documents including DHFs and DMRs. There is a design change request but only for changes to design including changes to various components in the devices. In the past, changes to tech documents have bee implemented through the general change control system used for revisions to SOPs and etc.
Does anyone recommend an ECO system? Thanks.

 

[John Broomfield]

Hi everyone,

Working at a small company with a not quite-so mature QMS, I have noticed that there is no engineering change control for various changes to technical documents including DHFs and DMRs. There is a design change request but only for changes to design including changes to various components in the devices. In the past, changes to tech documents have bee implemented through the general change control system used for revisions to SOPs and etc.
Does anyone recommend an ECO system? Thanks.

Snoopy,

Larger projects and engineering companies split the process of controlling design changes in two:

1. Anyone can request a design change with their boss’s approval using an ECR.

2. That ECR (and, possibly, other ECRs for the same item) may result in an ECO with updated drawings and specs after verifying and then validating the change.

Smaller organizations route approved ECRs to the design team for action that then results in updated drawings/specs being issued to the users.

So, the ECO is a way of announcing a change without all the recipients having to review the design information itself.

So, it depends on what your organization needs to be effective.

John