MCO (Standard) Lifecycle

MCO (Standard) is the policy used for creating MCOs and for automatically-created MCOs. This policy allows you to use Approval Lists, Distribution Lists and ad-hoc routes or state-based routes to move the MCO through its lifecycle.

This page discusses:

About the MCO Lifecycle

Important: Information on the deprecated MCO policy is no longer included in this guide. Any MCO created in version 2011 or earlier that use the MCO policy will continue to use the MCO policy until it is released. For details on the MCO policy, consult the 3DEXPERIENCE Basics for V6R2011 or earlier.

An MCO can be created by any user with the MCO Coordinator role. This Lead Role must be assigned to a user in a plant before an MCO can be created. Only one user in a plant can have the MCO Coordinator role.

There are two ways to create an MCO:

  • Use the "Create MCO" command from the Actions menu on the top bar. When creating an MCO from the top bar, the MCO Coordinator assigns a responsible manufacturing plant to the MCO .
  • Release an ECO or MECO, which automatically creates a new MCO for each affected plant. The MCO is pending and assigned a pending target start date. A Manufacturing Engineer is required to modify and approve changes released by the MCO. The Manufacturing Engineer sets a start date to promote and implement the changes released by the MCO.

Details about the MCO, except the start date, can be modified only in the Create State. The start date can be modified in any state except Implemented.

Create

The MCO Coordinator can create an MCO and assign a plant to it. For system-created and manually-created MCOs, the MCO Coordinator assigns a Responsible Manufacturing Engineer (RME) and a Responsible Senior Manufacturing Engineer (RSME).

Upon assignment, the RME and the RSME receive a notification about the MCO. The RME connects all required changes to the MCO and assigns the start date for the MCO. The start date is the implementation date for the changes released by the MCO.

When an MCO is automatically created, an MCO creation trigger notifies and assigns the MCO to the person with the active MCO Coordinator role in the affected plant.

An MCO 's name is automatically generated. The MCO Coordinator selects a plant that will have manufacturing responsibility for the MCO. Only the MCO Coordinator who is a member of the selected responsible manufacturing plant can create an MCO for that plant.

The RME connects all required changes to the MCO and assigns a start date to promote and implement the changes released by the MCO. The RME can assign an approval route template to handle the creation of the approval route. As soon as route requirements are approved, the MCO is promoted to the next state. State promotion triggers will check and create routes based on the selected approval route.

The RME promotes the MCO to the Review state.

Review

As the MCO enters the Review state, the MCO is assigned to the RSME and a notification is sent to that person indicating that the MCO requires attention. A route is created and started using the approval route template. The route is created between the Review and Release states and all tasks must be completed before the MCO can be promoted to Release. When all tasks are complete, the route owner receives notification and can then promote the MCO. If a route already exists, which may happen on demote and subsequent promote, then a new route is not created.

In the Review state, the RSME can demote the MCO back to the Create state or promote it to the Release state. Except for the start date and engineer assignments, all other information about an MCO can be changed only when it is in the Create state. The start date of an MCO can be changed, as long as it has not been promoted to the Implemented state.

The RSME reviews the attached parts and specifications and ensures that all are in the Release state or any state after. If the distribution list is assigned and all route tasks have been approved and the approval route is complete, then the MCO can be promoted to the Release state. If the MCO is not ready for release, it can be demoted back to Create, in which case it will be reassigned to the RME, who is sent a notification indicating that the MCO has been reassigned and needs attention. Also, a trigger creates a new approval list route since the original one was already completed in order to get to this state.

Release

The Release state indicates that the MCO has been released and all affected changes have been made.

As the MCO enters the Release state, if the MCO has not been assigned a manufacturing responsibility, an action fires that automatically changes the owner of the MCO to a special user in the system, "Corporate." This locks down the MCO so no additional changes can be made and removes the MCO from the engineer's desk. The distribution list members are notified of the release of the MCO . All connected part revisions are promoted to the Release state.

Implemented

In this state the owner is Corporate. The MCO reaches this state on the assigned start date. This is handled through a trigger on the MCO (Standard) lifecycle. The BOMs corresponding to the changes released by the MCO are activated for the affected plants.

When the MCO is promoted to the Implemented state, the system automatically:

  • Disconnects any distribution list or approval list from the MCO.
  • Promotes all ECOs associated with the MCO to the Implemented state, if the appropriate trigger is activated.
  • Checks for any associated MECOs and promotes them to the Implemented state.