What is change management? Why is it important?

In today’s accelerated manufacturing environment, products evolve fast. Teams need a way to easily manage changes to a product’s definition and share those changes across the enterprise.

With PLM engineering change management, teams can create data governance, visibility, and associativity so that all changes are fully defined and controlled. This ensures that tasks are delivered to those responsible using a repeatable and automated workflow. Changes are made and issues are resolved accurately, efficiently, and in real time.

Teams can also create, review, and gain formal approval for engineering change requests, engineering change orders, and engineering change notifications.

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What is engineering change management?

Engineering change management is the process of creating, reviewing, and gaining formal approval for engineering change requests, engineering change orders, and engineering change notifications. Efficiently executing changes is crucial, as it can reduce product development time by up to 33%, according to McKinsey and Company.

With PLM you can deliver a real-time view of product data to all stakeholders and promote cross-discipline involvement, including in engineering changes.

Watch the demo to see how engineering change management can be accomplished in PTC’s PLM solution, Windchill.

What are the benefits of engineering change management?

Engineering change management delivers value by enabling teams to effectively manage change processes tailored to meet enterprise needs. This helps drive efficient product development.

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Visibility

Deliver a real-time view of requested changes to all enterprise stakeholders, while expanding cross-discipline involvement.

Deliver a real-time view of requested changes to all enterprise stakeholders, while expanding cross-discipline involvement.

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Traceability

Track accurate information across the lifecycle from one single source of truth to ensure compliance standards are met.

Track accurate information across the lifecycle from one single source of truth to ensure compliance standards are met.

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Governance

Create product associativity so that all changes are identified, and stakeholders are assured access to the most up-to-date product information.

Create product associativity so that all changes are identified, and stakeholders are assured access to the most up-to-date product information.

visibility-icon

Visibility

Deliver a real-time view of requested changes to all enterprise stakeholders, while expanding cross-discipline involvement.

Deliver a real-time view of requested changes to all enterprise stakeholders, while expanding cross-discipline involvement.

traceability-icon

Traceability

Track accurate information across the lifecycle from one single source of truth to ensure compliance standards are met.

Track accurate information across the lifecycle from one single source of truth to ensure compliance standards are met.

governance-icon

Governance

Create product associativity so that all changes are identified, and stakeholders are assured access to the most up-to-date product information.

Create product associativity so that all changes are identified, and stakeholders are assured access to the most up-to-date product information.

Key product features

Take advantage of an accurate, fast-paced, and coordinated change process across the organization.

Engineering change management case studies

See how other manufacturers are leveraging PTC’s PLM change management software.

Vaillant Group streamlines change management

Learn how Vaillant utilized change management software to decrease the time it took to implement engineering change notices from 150 days to 90 days.

See the Case Study

PLM engineering change management FAQs


  • Why is change management important in the engineering design process?

    Change management supports simple to elaborate change processes by providing governance and associativity so that all changes and configurations are fully defined and controlled.

  • What is the difference between ECN and ECR?

    With an engineering change notice (ECN), users can create and execute the implementation plans for delivering the change to the enterprise. On the other hand, an engineering change request (ECR) allows the user to evaluate technical and business justifications and plan minor or major changes (fast track or full track) with the change review board.

  • What is the difference between ECR and ECO?

    ECR allows users to evaluate technical and business justifications and plan minor or major changes (fast track or full track) with the change review board. Alternatively, an engineering change order (ECO) allows product designers to notify, seek approval, and implement their proposed changes during the product development stage.


  • Why is engineering change management needed?

    Engineering change management is needed because products evolve quickly in today’s modern environment. Companies need a way to effectively plan and implement changes to a product’s definition and be able to share those changes across the enterprise.

  • What is ECN in manufacturing?

    Engineering change notice (ECN) is a change management capability that enables teams to create and execute the implementation plans for delivering the change to the enterprise. It allows for auditing and validation of the changes impact prior to release of the data.

  • What are some challenges addressed by engineering change management?

    Not having efficient engineering change management processes in place creates negative change impacts during product development. It also causes rapid change introductions, which can lead to errors and rework. There’s also a lack of cross-functional alignment throughout the enterprise and manual handovers cause delays and inefficiencies.

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