Change Order

Start a new change order from scratch or copy an existing record. The copy feature copies all details from the original change record (even closed records), except for approval signatures and approval dates. If a change has been disapproved, and a copy has been made to “try again,” the approving authorities are alerted that a previous change has been disapproved, providing an opportunity to investigate.

Emergency Changes and Deviations: Sometimes, a process, product or document requires an emergency change or a deviation to facilitate a rapid or temporary change in a product, process or document. These changes are normally small in scope, and require a rapid approval process.

Change Request Option: A change request can be populated with a change type, initiator, request description, justification, estimated costs and any reference numbers associated with the change request, such as NCR, complaint and/or corrective action number. Note that the customization menu allows you to set up as many reference types as needed. A change request is typically required when approval to invest time and resources in a change must be secured first.

Change Order Option: Once a change request is approved, the data is moved to the change order process. Or, speed up the process and bypass the change request and begin with a change order, for those changes that must occur.

Document Control Activities: The document control checklist is determined in customization for both change orders and for emergency changes and deviations. There is one item on the checklist that is designated as the effectivity trigger. Once this checklist item is completed and checked off, the effectivity field is populated with today’s date. If the true effectivity of the change is not today’s date, the date can be changed manually by document control. However, this date is locked as soon as document control closes the change.

Notifications: Customize what notifications will occur and who will get them when triggered. Here are some examples:

• Notify to Review and Approve change request (initiated manually by user)
• Notify Eng Manager of change request approval so an assignment can be made
• After change order assignment by Eng Manager, notify change order assignee
• Notify to Review and Approve change order
• Notify document control and change order assignee

Change Request Process Flow

Change Order Process Flow

Deviation or Emergency Change Process Flow

Document Control Process Flow

Searching for a record is easy. In Tree Mode, you can group records by:

• Status
• Change Type
• Person Responsible
• Initiator

You can choose to show only open records, closed records, or open and closed records.

In Find Mode, you can query records by document type,  reference number or text string. A reference such as an audit or corrective action number can be used to group like records to facilitate finding those records later. a text string can also be used to locate a record.

For instance, perhaps you validated Widget E years ago and now you need to recall the change order record. Type in Validate or Widget E into the Text String field and select the text field labels most likely to contain the text, such as Description (your alias could be different). The search results will produce a record list of exact matches.

The third search type is Jump to Record. Use this feature when you already know the ID number of the record. The database will jump directly to that record.

This database includes built-in reports with filter and sort functions.

Reports: Instantly preview a print of your change (1 click from the main menu) anytime during the process of a change. Additional reports are included in the Reports Menu such as change records, document control to-do list, cost reporting, audit trail for approvals and customizations, reference number reporting, document number change list, and emergency or deviation changes.

Powerful filtering, grouping and sorting methods allow you to report the data you need most. Report Favorites can be created and named so you can quickly generate weekly, monthly, quarterly and other complex reports with a saved filter.

This database includes customization options. Customize and optimize how you interact with the database.

• General Database Setup
• Employee Data / Electronic Signatures
• Authorization Matrix
• Change Type / Approval
• References / Disposition / Cycle
• Document Control
• List By / Notifications / Reports / Training Mode
• Aliases and Password Protocol

How do I start a change order?

Click new or copy to create a new change order. This will take the next ID number according to the customization setup. New will create a blank change order. Copy will use the existing change order in focus as a template and create a new change order based. all data will copy the new change order except for approval signatures.

How do I set the approval requirements?

Select a change order type for minimum approval requirements. You can than select additional approval requirements as needed, based on individual, department or group.

Can I change the approving authorities from record to record?

The change order database customization allows you to select a predetermined approving list according to each change order type. Each change order record also allows you to add additional approvals as needed.

Does the change order database come with reporting capabilities?

The change order database comes with a set of report formats. The data that shows up on the report is dependent on the custom filtering selections you make.