Managing BOMs and Engineering Changes for Suppliers

This chapter provides an overview of bills of material (BOMs) and engineering changes for suppliers and discusses how to:

View BOMs.
View, add, or update engineering change requests (ECRs).
View engineering change orders (ECOs) workflow.

Understanding BOMs and Engineering Changes for Suppliers

This section lists prerequisites for BOM inquiries and engineering changes for suppliers and discusses:

Capabilities to share PeopleSoft Enterprise Engineering information.
Attachments and email capability.
Functionality reflected in PeopleSoft Enterprise Manufacturing and PeopleSoft Enterprise Engineering.

Prerequisites

Before your suppliers can access specific inquiries, you must:

Set up secured external access for suppliers.

To give access to PeopleSoft Enterprise Engineering information for suppliers, you must establish appropriate external facing internet access. Implementations for this vary by customer site depending on firewall configurations. However, the basic setup provides external supplier access to only the SUPPLIER registry—by way of a uniform resource locator (URL)—within your PeopleSoft Enterprise system.
Define vendors by using the Vendor Information component in PeopleSoft Enterprise Purchasing.

See Maintaining Vendor Information.
Enable suppliers to log in.

Set up supplier profiles by associating vendors with a user ID. Use the Vendor User Setup component in PeopleSoft Enterprise Purchasing to associate each user ID with one or multiple vendor codes. Then when a supplier user logs in to PeopleSoft Enterprise Engineering, the system determines to which vendor the user is associated. If a user is associated with multiple vendors, the Select Vendor page enables the user to select from a list which vendor the user is interested in viewing. If no vendor code is assigned to the user, then the system administrator must assign a vendor code to a user ID.

If you have installed PeopleSoft Enterprise eSupplier Connection, you can also enable suppliers to allow their own employees access to PeopleSoft Enterprise Engineering. Providing this direct access relieves your own employees of the task of administering access permissions. You always retain control of the type of access that each supplier's users are allowed.

See Vendor Profiles.

See Selecting a Vendor for BOMs.

See Establishing Self-Service Security for Vendors.
Define BOM, ECR, and ECO access privileges by vendor.

Before your suppliers can access the ECR, ECO, and BOM data that you want them to view and, in the case of ECRs, possibly create or update, you must give the suppliers, from within the PeopleSoft Enterprise system, access to the data at the item level. With the BOM Access by Vendor page, you can associate business unit items with vendors, thereby granting suppliers item access by vendor code. Specify the business unit items (including BOM type and BOM code) to which each supplier has access, and specify whether suppliers can view the associated BOMs, ECRs, and ECOs.

See Defining BOM Access Privileges for Vendors.
Set up supplier BOMs, attachments, and email capability.

See Attachments and Email Capability.
Set up supplier-related BOMs and engineering changes functionality with Documentum.

If you have installed Documentum, the suppliers view documents associated with BOMs, ECOs, and ECRs within PeopleSoft Enterprise Manufacturing and PeopleSoft Enterprise Engineering.

See Managing Documents.
Be aware of the ways in which supplier-related BOMs and engineering changes are reflected in PeopleSoft Enterprise Manufacturing and PeopleSoft Enterprise Engineering.

See Attachments and Email Capability, Functionality Reflected in PeopleSoft Enterprise Manufacturing and PeopleSoft Enterprise Engineering.
Determine whether you’ll implement workflow and whether the supplier is included as an approval step in workflows defined by ECO type.
(Recommended) Define procedures regarding timing of supplier access (controlled for each ECO).

Capabilities to Share PeopleSoft Enterprise Engineering Information

Because today’s business world often requires more outsourcing, there’s a need to share information more effectively between customers and their suppliers. With PeopleSoft Enterprise Engineering, you can:

Collaborate with suppliers regarding engineering information that you control as a customer.
Provide internet access to suppliers so that they can access BOM structures and documents through the internet.
Provide suppliers with the ability to view, create, or update ECRs, as well as review and approve ECOs and any supplier-related ECO workflow steps.
Send workflow-generated notifications or specific email notifications (or both) containing links to quickly direct suppliers to pertinent information.
Establish which BOMs, ECRs, and ECOs can be viewed and accessed by specific suppliers.
Attach any documents that support new product introductions or the change process.

Attachments and Email Capability

Suppliers can view, upload, and delete attachments in PeopleSoft Enterprise Engineering. Following is a summary of the functionality and what you must know before starting to use attachments:

Using links, suppliers can view attachments for BOMs at both the header and component level.

Suppliers can’t, however, add or delete attachments to BOMs.
Using links, suppliers can view attachments for ECOs at both the header and item level.

Suppliers can add attachments for ECOs (if you grant them add ECO attachment privileges on the BOM Access by Vendor page). The system adds the attachment to the file server and creates an attachment row. The supplier can only change the description. While in the same session, suppliers can, prior to saving, delete any ECO attachments that they’ve added. This is because suppliers do not "own" the ECO, thus preventing suppliers from deleting attachments added internally.
Using links, suppliers can view attachments for ECRs at both the header and item level.

Suppliers can also add attachments for ECRs (if you grant them add ECR attachment privileges on the BOM Access by Vendor page). Unlike for ECOs, suppliers can delete attachment rows that are added in the same session, as well as delete existing rows (allowed because the supplier “owns” the ECR).
In cases where suppliers are allowed to delete attachments (such as ECRs), they are actually deleting attachment rows only from the page; the file itself isn’t deleted from the file server.

This helps prevent suppliers from deleting files (by file name) that you own.
As is the case for all PeopleSoft Enterprise applications, in PeopleSoft Enterprise Engineering, file extensions of documents uploaded by suppliers must be already defined within general options.

For each ECR or ECO attachment format that you accept from suppliers, you must define an extension on the File Locations page in the Define General Options navigation.

Note. File extensions are case-sensitive on the File Locations page. Therefore, you may need to define both .DOC and .doc extensions on the File Locations page to accept uppercase and lowercase attachments from suppliers.
You can maintain the ATTACHMENT URL identifier by using the URL Maintenance page in PeopleTools.

You must set up this URL to point to the File Transfer Protocol (FTP) location where you’ll store secured supplier attachments. Define this URL to point to the same location as attachments defined in file locations and file executables, because PeopleSoft Enterprise Manufacturing and PeopleSoft Enterprise Engineering ECR or ECO or BOM attachments must point to the same location to share the same documents. If, for security reasons, you do not want to do this, then you can store attachments in a separate location. If PeopleSoft Enterprise Manufacturing and PeopleSoft Enterprise Engineering ECOs or ECRs or BOMs must share attachments, then you must replicate files (outside of the PeopleSoft Enterprise system) in both locations.

Note. In setting up the ATTACHMENT URL identifier, the URL string syntax must be defined as an FTP location. In contrast, “file attachments” doesn’t utilize FTP.

See Also

Sending Email to Vendors

Functionality Reflected in PeopleSoft Enterprise Manufacturing and PeopleSoft Enterprise Engineering

The supplier-related BOM inquiry and engineering change functionality is reflected in PeopleSoft Enterprise Manufacturing and PeopleSoft Enterprise Engineering. Following is a list describing how to use the pages in each application:

Use the BOM Access by Vendor page in PeopleSoft Enterprise Manufacturing to define privileges for viewing ECO and BOM data and, in the case of ECRs, to add information.
Send email to suppliers from these pages: ECO Maintenance - Header, ECR Maintenance - Header, Approve ECO, and Engineering BOM Maintenance - Header: Vendor Access List in PeopleSoft Enterprise Engineering, and BOM Maintenance - Header: Vendor Access List in PeopleSoft Enterprise Manufacturing.

Note. Each email message contains two URLs.
Access the vendor access list from these pages to display a list of vendors who have access to a specific item: EBOM Maintenance Header, ECR Header - Header, and ECO Header - Header in PeopleSoft Enterprise Engineering, and BOM Maintenance Header in PeopleSoft Enterprise Manufacturing.
On both the PeopleSoft Enterprise Engineering ECO Header - Header and ECR Header - Header pages, use the Not Accessible by Vendors field to block access to a specific ECO or ECR.

Therefore, even if suppliers have been granted access on the BOM Access by Vendor page in PeopleSoft Enterprise Manufacturing, you can deny them access to a specific ECO.

See Also

Sending Email to Vendors

Defining Vendor Access Lists

Defining BOM Access Privileges for Vendors

Entering ECR Header Information

Common Elements Used in This Chapter

Set filter options	Click to view requests for different business units or to view non-pending change requests.
Return to Vendor List	Click to return to the Select Vendor page.
Documents	This group box is accessible only if Documentum is installed.

Viewing BOMs

Use these pages to view BOMs for all items to which you have given access with the BOM Access by Vendor page. Prior to selecting which item BOMs to view, if the user is associated with multiple vendors (that is, if the user is representing multiple vendor sites as a corporate vendor user), the supplier sees a Select Vendor page.

This section discusses how to:

Select a vendor for BOMs.
Select BOMs.
Narrow the search for BOMs.
View BOMs.
View component details.

Prerequisites

Pages Used to View Supplier-Related BOMs

Page Name	Object Name	Navigation	Usage
Select Vendor	EN_SS_VND_LIST	Review Product Design, View Bills of Material	Select the vendor whose information you want to appear on the BOM.
Select Bill of Material	EN_ICBOMVNDLST	Review Product Design, View Bills of Material (if not associated with multiple vendors) Click one of the vendor names on the Select Vendor page (if associated with multiple vendors).	Select an item whose BOM is to be viewed.
Filter Options	EN_IC_BOM_SEARCH	Click the Set filter options link on the Select Bill of Material page.	Narrow the search for BOMs.
Bill of Material	EN_ICBOMINQ_HDR	Click an item ID on the Select Bill of Material page.	View BOMs.
Component Detail	EN_ICBOMINQ_COMP	Click an item ID on the Bill of Material page.	View BOM component detail.

Selecting a Vendor for BOMs

Access the Select Vendor page.

A list of the vendors to which your suppliers are linked appears. Select the vendor whose information you want to display. The system then displays the Select Bill of Material page, which lists the items available to that vendor.

Selecting BOMs

Access the Select Bill of Material page.

Item IDs

Displays the IDs to which the vendor has been granted access with the BOM Access by Vendor page.

Note. The component item identifiers displayed in the Item ID field are those of the vendor if defined for the vendor and item combination with the Purchasing Attributes component in PeopleSoft Enterprise Inventory. If no vendor and item information exists, then the customer item appears. View both vendor and customer item IDs on the Component Detail page. Define vendor item IDs using the Item Vendor page in PeopleSoft Enterprise Inventory.

Set filter options

Click to view rework and to view engineering bills of material (EBOMs).

Narrowing the Search for BOMs

Access the Filter Options page.

Search Criteria

Enter your search criteria, including BOM state (Manufacturing or Engineering) and BOM type (Production or Rework).

Viewing BOMs

Access the Bill of Material page.

As of Revision	Select to limit your search if the item is revision-controlled.
Level	Select a level to display components in that level.
Refresh button	Click to refresh the Components list after supplier changes the value for As of Revision and/or Level fields.
Quantity Per	Displays the quantity per order or assembly.
Item ID	Click to view component details for this item.
Return to Selected Bill of Material	Click to return to the Select Bill of Material page.
Send Email	Click to send email. The email will contain a URL to this specific Bill of Material page, as well as a URL to the BOM Maintenance - Summary page in PeopleSoft Enterprise Manufacturing (if the BOM is a manufacturing BOM) or the Engineering BOM Maintenance - Summary page in PeopleSoft Enterprise Engineering (if the BOM is an EBOM).

See Also

Sending Email to Vendors

Maintaining Bills of Material

Viewing Component Details

Access the Component Detail page.

This page displays the dimensions, reference designators, attachments, substitute items, and manufacturer’s information of the component.

Return to Bill of Material

Click to return to the Bill of Material page.

Viewing, Adding, or Updating ECRs

Using these pages, your suppliers can view and even add or update ECRs to which you have given them access using the BOM Access by Vendor page. If the login role is associated with multiple vendors, prior to selecting the ECRs in which the supplier is interested, the supplier sees a Select Vendor page.

This section discusses how to:

Select a vendor for ECRs.
Select ECRs.
Set ECR filter options.
View change request detail.
View item-affected details.

Pages Used to View, Add, or Update Supplier-Related ECRs

Page Name	Object Name	Navigation	Usage
Select Vendor	EG_SS_VND_LIST	Review Product Design, Engineering Change Request	Select a vendor for ECRs.
Select Change Request	EG_IC_ECR_LIST	Select Review Product Design, Engineering Change Request (if not associated with multiple vendors) Click one of the vendor names on the Select Vendor page (if associated with multiple vendors).	Select ECRs to view and, if given the appropriate privileges, update.
Filter Options	EG_IC_ECR_SEARCH	Click the Set filter options link on the Select Change Request page.	Narrow the search for ECRs.
Change Request Detail	EG_IC_ECR_HDR	Click a request number, click the Add a Change Request button, or click the Edit button on the Select Change Request page.	View ECR detail information.
Engineering Change Request - Item Affected Detail	EG_IC_ECR_ASSY_RES	Click the Item Details button in the Items Affected group box on the Change Request Detail page.	View ECR item-affected information.

Selecting a Vendor for ECRs

Access the Select Vendor page.

A list of the vendors to which your suppliers are linked appears. Your suppliers can select the vendor whose information they want to view. The system then opens the Select Change Request page, which displays the ECRs available to that vendor.

Selecting ECRs

Access the Select Change Request page.

A list of all pending change requests appears for the default business unit to which the access has been granted.

Item ID

The component identifiers that appear in this column are those of the supplier if they are defined for the vendor and item combination with the Purchasing Attributes component in PeopleSoft Enterprise Inventory. If no vendor and item information exists, then the customer item appears. You can define vendor item IDs using the Item Vendor page in PeopleSoft Enterprise Inventory.

Suppliers can view a particular ECR if they created the ECR or if they have been given access to at least one of the affected items that the ECR impacts. If a supplier has ECR update privileges, then the supplier can submit new ECRs and update change requests created by the supplier. The supplier owns any request added by the supplier and can modify only change requests that the supplier owns. Suppliers can edit their ECRs but not your internally created ECRs. If the supplier doesn’t have update privileges, then the supplier can only view ECRs; all change request fields are display-only, and all Add, Upload an Attachment, Delete, and Save buttons on the Change Request Detail page are unavailable.

Add a Change Request and Edit

If you have granted update ECR privileges to a supplier, then the system displays these buttons, enabling the supplier to add a new ECR or edit an existing ECR. These buttons access the Change Request Detail page.

Note. Suppliers are not prompted for business units when adding new requests. All change requests created by suppliers are created for the default business unit defined on the User Preferences page for the supplier user.

Note. The ECR Maintenance - Header page has a Not Accessible by Vendors check box, which, if selected, blocks vendor access to specific ECRs. Therefore, even if vendors have been granted access on the BOM Access by Vendor page, you can prevent vendor access to specific ECRs.

See Also

Creating and Maintaining ECRs

Defining BOM Access Privileges for Vendors

Creating and Maintaining ECRs

Defining Purchasing Item Vendor Relationship Attributes and Priorities

Setting ECR Filter Options

Access the Filter Options page.

Search for additional change requests by description, status, priority, and item.

Viewing Change Request Detail

Access the Change Request Detail page.

Upload an Attachment, Delete, and Add	These buttons are available if a supplier clicked the Add a Change Request or Edit buttons to access this page. These buttons enable suppliers to add, upload, or delete data on this page. If the supplier has add ECR attachments capability (defined with the BOM Access by Vendor page), the supplier can upload new attachments or delete attachments as part of adding or modifying an ECR. If the supplier accessed this page by selecting a specific request number on the Select Change Request page, this page is display-only, and these buttons are unavailable.
Items Affected	If the supplier owns the change request, then the supplier can enter any item in this group box. The supplier has limited access to the item prompt table; the system displays only items to which the supplier has been granted access. Any valid item entered is accepted by the system. To enter a brand new item, the supplier must select New in the Type column.
Reasons and Actions	If the supplier owns the change request, then the supplier can add or delete items in these group boxes.
Return to Select Change Request	Click to return to the Select Change Request page.
Send Email	Click to send email. The email contains a URL back to this specific Change Request Detail page, as well as a URL to the ECR Maintenance - Header page in PeopleSoft Enterprise Engineering.
Save	This button is available if the supplier clicks the Add a Change Request or Edit buttons on the Select Change Request page.

Sending Email to Vendors

Viewing Item-Affected Details

Access the Engineering Change Request - Item Affected Detail page.

Add, Upload an Attachment, and Delete

These buttons are available if the supplier clicked the Add a Change Request or Edit buttons on the Select Change Request page to access the Item Affected Detail page. These buttons enable the supplier to add, upload, or delete data on this page.

If the supplier accessed the Change Request Detail page (the page used to access the Item Affected Detail page) by selecting a specific request number on the Select Change Request page, then both the Change Request Detail page and the Item Affected Detail page are display-only.

Return to Change Request Detail

Click to return to the Change Request Detail page.

View Production BOM and View Engineering BOM

If the supplier clicks these links, the system displays the Bill of Material page, which lists the current affected item. These links are unavailable if the affected item doesn’t have a BOM or if the supplier doesn’t have access to the BOM.

Viewing ECOs/Workflow

Using these pages, your suppliers can view ECOs to which you have given them access. If a supplier is associated with multiple vendors, prior to selecting the ECOs in which the supplier is interested, the supplier sees a Select Vendor page.

This section discusses how to:

Select a vendor for ECOs.
Select ECOs.
View change order detail.
View item-affected detail.

Defining BOM Access Privileges for Vendors

Pages Used to View Supplier-Related ECOs/Workflow

Page Name	Object Name	Navigation	Usage
Select Vendor	EG_SS_VND_LIST	Review Product Design, Engineering Change Order	Select the vendor whose information you want to view on ECOs. Your vendor must be linked to more than one vendor for the system to display this page. Otherwise, it goes directly to the Select Change Order page.
Select Change Order	EG_IC_ECO_LIST	Select Review Product Design, Engineering Change Order (if not associated with multiple vendors) Click one of the vendor names on the Select Vendor page (if associated with multiple vendors).	Select an ECO from a list of all pending change orders for the default business unit to which access has been granted. Suppliers can view a specific ECO if granted access to at least one affected item on the order. A supplier can also view a change order if the supplier is one of the approvers of the order. When the supplier is an approver, it isn’t required that the affected items be set up on the BOM Access by Vendor page.
Filter Option	EG_IC_ECO_SEARCH	Click the Set filter options link on the Select Change Order page.	Set ECO filter options to narrow the search for ECOs.
Change Order Detail	EG_IC_ECO_HEADER	Click an order number on the Select Change Order page.	View ECO detail information.
Engineering Change Order - Item Affected Detail	EG_IC_ECO_ASSY_RES	Click an item ID in the Items Affected group box on the Change Order Detail page.	View ECO item-affected information.

Selecting a Vendor for ECOs

Access the Select Vendor page.

Select the vendor whose item information you want to appear. The system then opens the Select Change Order page, which displays the ECOs available to that vendor.

Selecting ECOs

Access the Select Change Order page.

Item ID

The component item identifiers in this column are those of the supplier if they are defined for the vendor and item combination using the Purchasing Attributes component in PeopleSoft Enterprise Inventory. If no vendor and item information exists, then the customer item appears. You can define vendor item IDs using the Item Vendor page in PeopleSoft Enterprise Inventory.

Note. The ECO Maintenance - Header page contains a Not Accessible by Vendors check box, which, if selected, blocks access to specific ECOs. Therefore, even if suppliers have been granted access on the BOM Access by Vendor page, you can prevent supplier access to specific ECOs.

Viewing Change Order Detail

Access the Change Order Detail page.

Upload an Attachment	If a supplier has the capability to add ECO attachments (defined with the BOM Access by Vendor page), the supplier can upload new attachments. If the privilege is granted, the Save button is available. While in the same session, the supplier can also delete attachments prior to saving. Once an attachment is uploaded and the ECO is saved, the supplier can’t delete the attachment.
Return to Select Change Order	Click to return to the Select Change Order page.
Send Email	Click to send email. The email contains a URL to this specific Change Order Detail page, and a URL to the ECO Maintenance - Header page in PeopleSoft Enterprise Engineering.
Approval Action	If a supplier is listed in the Approval Process group box as the current approver, then the Approval Action group box becomes visible, and the supplier can approve, deny, or recycle the ECOs. Otherwise, this group box is unavailable. When the supplier is included as an approver within a workflow step, the supplier can be automatically notified by email. This email contains a URL to the originating ECO page for the specific ECO requiring approval. When PeopleSoft Enterprise Engineering is enabled for suppliers, the supplier can also access pertinent workflow information by using the task worklist pagelet functionality.
Comments	After reviewing the ECO, a supplier can enter text in this field. Then, if the vendor step is the next step for approval, the supplier can approve, deny, or recycle the ECO by clicking the appropriate buttons.
Approve button	If a supplier clicks this button, the approver in the next step of the approval process is notified by email and worklist entry.
Deny and Recycle buttons	If the supplier clicks either of these buttons, the approver in the previous step is notified. Furthermore, when denied or recycled, the current action is reset, and the originator of the ECO is notified by email. To indicate when the originator (the person who submitted the ECO for workflow) should be notified in the approval process, use the System Workflow Rules page in the General Options navigation.

Viewing Item-Affected Detail

Access the Engineering Change Order - Item Affected Detail page.

Upload an Attachment	If a supplier has the capability to add ECO attachments (defined with the BOM Access by Vendor page), the supplier can upload new attachments. If the privilege is granted, the Save button is available. While in the same session, the supplier can also delete attachments prior to saving. Once an attachment is uploaded and the ECO is saved, the supplier can’t delete the attachment.
Return to Change Order Detail	Click to return to the Change Order Detail page.
View Production BOM and View Engineering BOM	If a supplier clicks either of these links, the system opens the Bill of Material page, which displays the current affected item. These links are unavailable if the affected item doesn’t have a BOM or if the supplier doesn’t have access to the BOM.

See Also

Creating and Maintaining ECOs

Defining BOM Access Privileges for Vendors