Configuring MEP and Placeholder MEP Properties

You can configure properties that affect how Engineering BOM Management manages manufacturer equivalent parts (MEPs) and placeholder MEPs.

It is a common practice in the manufacturing industry to give the same part name to MEPs from different manufacturers. In Engineering BOM Management, a MEP is unique because it has a unique identifier for the revision. Therefore, you can create MEPs with the same part name but a different revision.

See Also
Configuring Properties
  1. Create or open the text file to contain customized properties. For more information, see Editing Properties Using MQL.
  2. To specify the revision identifier that makes a MEP unique, follow these steps:
    1. Add or edit this line in the file used to import properties into a page object: 

      emxManufacturerEquivalentPart.MEP.UniquenessIdentifier

    2. Set the value for this property depending on your business requirements:

      • Company ID (the default). This value sets the manufacturer Company ID as the unique revision identifier. When users create or edit a MEP, the Revision field shows the Company ID along with the Plant ID of the Manufacturer Location, if selected. If a user changes the Manufacturer, the app changes the revision identifier to match.
      • Cage Code. This value sets the manufacturer Cage Code as the unique revision identifier. When users create or edit a MEP, the Revision field shows the Cage Code along with the Plant ID of the Manufacturer Location, if selected. If a user changes the Manufacturer, the app changes the revision identifier to match.
      • Policy. This value sets the revision sequence specified by the policy governing the MEP as the unique revision identifier. When users create or edit a MEP, the form shows the first value of that revision sequence specified by the policy.

  3. To specify that the manufacturer's Cage Code be unique, follow these steps:
    1. Add or edit this line in the file used to import properties into a page object: 

      emxComponents.cageCode.Uniqueness=true

      The Create New Company form and the Edit Company Details form show the Cage Code field as a required field. If you change the manufacturer, change the revision accordingly.

    2. Set the value for this property depending on your business requirements:

      • true = Specifies that the Cage Code is to be unique.
      • false = Specifies that the Cage Code is not to be unique.

  4. To allow users to edit the identifier in the Revision field, follow these steps:
    1. Add or edit this line in the file used to import properties into a page object: 

      emxManufacturerEquivalentPart.MEP.allowCustomRevisions=true

    2. Set the value for this property depending on your business requirements:

      • true = Allow users to edit the default identifier in the Revision field when they create or edit a MEP.
      • false = Prevent users from editing the default identifier in the Revision field when they create or edit a MEP.

  5. To specify how a Placeholder MEP is displayed in Equivalents list, follow these steps:
    1. Add or edit this line in the file used to import properties into a page object: 

      emxManufacturerEquivalentPart.EngrPlaceholderMEP.ShowBlankName=true

      In a part's Equivalents list, the Name column for a Placeholder MEP can be blank or display a default value, for example, TEMP.

    2. Set the value for this property depending on your business requirements:

      • true = In a part's Equivalents list, the Name column for a Placeholder MEP will be blank. Stop after this step.
      • false = In a part's Equivalents list, the Name column for a Placeholder MEP will not be blank. Proceed to step c below.

    3. If you set the value in step a to true, stop. If you set the value to false, add or edit this line: 

      emxEngineeringCentral.EngrPlaceholderMEP.DefaultName=TEMP

      To specify a value for the Name of the Placeholder MEP object, enter a value for the emxEngineeringCentral.EngrPlaceholderMEP.DefaultName property. You can enter any name. TEMP is the default.

  6. If required, continue editing the page object. If finished, save the page.
  7. When finished updating the text file with all properties you want to modify, including the ones shown here, use the text file to modify the emxEngineeringCentral.properties page object. For more information, see Editing Properties Using MQL.
  8. Reload the cache:
    1. From the Compass, select Social and Collaborative Apps .
    2. In the list of apps, click Collaboration and Approvals.
    3. In the navigation pane, click Utilities > Reload Cache.