Performances In Engineering Changes

Engineering Changes (EC) implementation in product definition and at all stages of the product life cycle cannot be avoided when struggling for innovation and maintaining the product in accordance with the contractually agreed specifications. These "micro" design actions usually provide large profits on both product and processes and allow a flexibility that Concurrent Engineering requires. If EC management looks a rather simple activity for organizations offering small products on the market, it gets more complex in industries such as aeronautics or automotive industry where the whole supply chain can be impacted. In such industries, this key process remains difficult to control as few performance indicators exist. This lack of measurement does not enable any corrective action to be undertaken. In this paper, an overview of EC management for complex products is presented from the experience we have gained in the aeronautics and automotive industries. First, potential causes and consequences are presented and a generic process for EC management is proposed. Then, the importance of measuring the performances of such a process is highlighted in order to identify any room for improvement. Afterwards, our approach to design and implement a measurement plan for EC processes is detailed. A significant set of indicators and measurement is proposed and discussed according to the specific process we have focused on