In this guide 6 sections
Rework happens because a late part swap reaches the BOM but not the wiring list, labels, drawings or the parts already picked. Issue a numbered change notice naming every affected document and the parts to remove from the panel. Get the shop’s sign-off before releasing the new revision.
One swapped part touches five documents
Say the customer asks for a different contactor, or the supplier drops a power supply. The purchasing clerk updates the BOM and moves on. That is one document of five, and the other four are usually owned by three different people who never saw the email.
The EPLAN project still shows the old part. The wiring list still points to old terminal numbers. The component labels carry the old tag. The pick list for the kit already went to the store.
Wiring staff work from whatever sheet sits on the bench, often a printout from the day the kit was released. If it is the old one, the wrong contactor goes in. Nobody notices until test.
- Bill of materials
- EPLAN schematic and layout
- Wiring list and ferrule schedule
- Component and terminal labels
- Kit pick list and purchase order
Find where the old part has already gone
A change after release always meets work already done. Some parts are in the store. Some are on a kitting trolley. Some are mounted on a back plate with wires crimped to them.
Ask three questions for each affected part. Has it been bought? Has it been picked? Has it been fitted? The answers decide the cost of the change.
A part not yet bought costs nothing to swap. A part already wired costs labour and a possible new ferrule set. Show this on the notice so the customer sees the real cost before agreeing.
Write a change notice the shop can act on
A good notice is short. It carries a number, a date, the panel job, the old part, the new part and the reason. It lists every document it affects and who updates each one.
It also says what to do with stock. Return the old contactor to the store? Scrap it? Keep it for the next job? Without this, old parts lurk in the kit and get fitted by mistake.
The notice goes to the shop manager, the wiring lead, the store and the quality lead. Each signs that they have seen it.
- Notice number and revision letter
- Job number and panel tag
- Old part and new part with makers’ codes
- Documents to update and owner of each
- Action for parts bought, picked or fitted
Stop old revisions from circulating
Printed drawings are the real risk. A wireman may hold a sheet from last week. Mark every printout with its revision and print date in the footer.
When a new revision is released, collect the old sheets from the bench. Make this a named task with a name against it, not a hope that someone will tidy up when the new drawings arrive. The shop manager or a lead hand signs that the old sheets are gone.
Digital systems help if everyone opens the same file. Shared folders with old copies lying around do not. Keep one current folder and move superseded files to an archive.
Check the panel against the new revision before it moves on
Before the panel goes to test, someone walks it against the released BOM. Not the old one in memory, the current revision. Part codes on the devices are read against the list.
Catch it here and the fix is an hour of work by one wireman who still has the panel in front of him. Catch it at factory acceptance and the fix is a day, plus an awkward call with the customer.
Start small. On your next live job, add a revision letter to every document and a signed notice for each change. After two jobs, review what the notices caught.
Panel change notice form
This form takes one sheet and has five sections. The header holds notice number, date, job number and revision letter. Next comes a comparison of old and new part codes with the reason. Then a table of affected documents with owner and done tick. After that, stock status as bought, picked or fitted. The last section collects signatures.
Open a blank worksheet to printQuestions owners ask
What is a BOM change notice?
It is a short numbered record of one change to a panel’s parts list. It names the old and new part, the documents affected, what to do with stock and who has approved it.
Who should approve a change after release?
The shop manager and the quality lead at least, plus the customer when cost or delivery moves. The engineer who owns the drawings should update them before approval.
How do we stop wiring staff using old sheets?
Print the revision and date on every sheet, collect superseded copies when a revision is released, and have a lead hand sign that the bench holds only current sheets.
Can EPLAN handle revisions alone?
EPLAN tracks drawing revisions well, yet it does not tell the store, the wiring lead or purchasing. A change process around it carries the news to those people.