4 Replies Latest reply on Jan 29, 2013 4:00 AM by Ivan Davila

    How do you treat traceability with EPDM?

    Ivan Davila
    Ivan Davila Jan 18, 2013 4:01 AM

      We'd like that EPDM should help us to make the traceability into the company and we're finding that it's no t possible with it.

       

      I'll try to explain:

      - Let's suppose that we have an assembly with many parts.

      - One of these parts have been used into the assembly with version 2/2, for example. And this part is located into a tipical and external folder called "Library".

      - In the future, we've evolved this part and we have now new versions (5/5) of it, for example.

       

      After this, when we open the assembly, the version of the part opened by default we'll be (5/5), not the version in which it was located originally into the assembly.

       

      This is worrying because you won't know in the future which version exactly was used in every assembly (we're talking about lots of parts and lots of users that don't have to know the version to "obtain" exactly)

       

      I've added a .zip with 2 real .jpg captures of a real issue.

       

      How do you work in order to have a good traceability with EPDM (if it's possible)?

      Thanks a lot.

        • Re: How do you treat traceability with EPDM?
          Raghavendra Bhagwan
          Raghavendra Bhagwan Jan 18, 2013 11:21 AM (in response to Ivan Davila)

          Ivan,

           

          You can overcome this problem by turning off the global setting for users " Always work with latest versions" and enabling allow users to work with version on the folder persmissions.

           

          This ensures that, It opens up the version of the file as used in the assembly.

           

          Hope this helps !

          Raghav.

          • Re: How do you treat traceability with EPDM?
            Jay Weigand
            Jay Weigand Jan 18, 2013 10:47 PM (in response to Ivan Davila)

            As Raghavendra eluded to, you may have the setting always work with the latest on.  Let's assume for a minute that you don't.  ePDM will allow you to either show the version of the file "as it was built and saved" or "with the latest version that had the reference in the assembly".  It is easy for users to get the wrong versions of file(s) if they are not careful or properly trained.   Every assembly on check-in stores an "as-built" type snapshot with the exact versions and even configuration that were in that assembly of the parts and versions on based on what was in your local cache on that check-ins.  So ePDM will be able to show you the configuration as it was when saved.   Things get more confusing when the common library part may have "configurations" (e.g. different lengths driving different part numbers and configurations in the part file itself).   From purely a PDM standpoint I prefer not to have those types of configurations as they should really be different standalone files.  It makes doing where used and contains easier to navigate.  I have no problem of configurations in ePDM if they are for different display states or "open / closed" options of a single file/part number.