4 Compositions

crucial idea in PG&C is the composition; a composition is not a configurable ”business object” in Agile PLM. A composition represents the total collection of information contained in a completed declaration.

4.1 Contents of a Composition

The information gathered and collected in a declaration is:.

1. provided by a single information supplier

2. in reference to a given specification (often called "spec") and

   
   

   Note: An exception is the "All Spec" use case, where no specification is added to the declaration in order to collect raw compliance data.

   
   

3. for a given part, manufacturer part, or part group.

   In the case of a part (but not a manufacturer part), the revision-"rev"-is always significant; this fact is suggested by the phrase "part+rev".

   So, a composition is a "part+rev in reference to a spec and provided by a supplier" or a "manufacturer part in reference to a spec and provided by a supplier" - in shorthand, a "part with a spec, from a supplier."

4. A fourth factor that contributes to the uniqueness of a particular composition is the attribute Exclude from Compliance Check. This attribute is fully explained in Excluding Compositions from Rollup. Suffice to say here that whether this attribute is set to No (the default) or Yes, the system interprets the "Exclude" attribute as a distinguishing factor for that composition.

5. Compositions affected by External Rollup are now marked as "External Compositions". Because the external rollup engine rolls up the substances from all suppliers, it does not distinguish the substance from each supplier. Therefore the supplier of External Composition is listed as blank.

When a declaration is completed and released, the data it has collected is published or electronically distributed across the product record to the parts themselves and, therefore, to their associated Bills of Material.

To summarize, through the idea of composition and its carrying agent, the declaration, compliance data is integrated into the product record in visible form as the Bill Of Substances (BOS), just as part data is integrated into the Bill Of Material (BOM).

Note: When compositions are directly imported into items or manufacturer parts, naming a supplier is optional. Even in the context of declaration compositions (compositions that you publish from a released declaration), naming a supplier on the declaration is optional.

4.2 Stages of Compositions

The Agile system distinguishes between compositions that are published, are not yet published, or have been overwritten by new published data:

• Pending composition - a composition on an unreleased declaration

• Active composition - a composition that is currently active for the part; it can be from the latest released declaration; it can be a directly imported composition (on the part's Compliance tab > Declarations and Compositions table) for that part + spec + supplier combination (+ "Exclude" attribute setting); or it can be from external rollup.

• Inactive or historical composition - the old composition when replaced by either a new declaration or by importing a new composition for the same supplier + spec combination.

Note: Inactive compositions are never used to assess compliance

You can archive compositions in items and manufacturer parts.

4.3 Compositions in the Context of Parts

To add compositions to the part/PG Compliance tab > Declarations and Compositions table, you can follow the original RFI process, that is, (1) create and send a declaration to a supplier, (2) receive and verify the completed declaration, and (3) publish (release) it. You can also manually import composition and substance data into items and manufacturer parts (but not part groups) - see "Importing Compositions to Items."

Regarding modifying or removing compositions, when a composition with same supplier + same spec (+ ”Exclude” attribute) is released or imported, the previous composition is inactivated, but not deleted. Also, if you make some changes to the same Import file and import again, the system treats it as a new composition and archives the previous one. There is more flexibility in the current release that allows the user to re-activate previously inactivated compositions.

You can publish a composition from a declaration that does not have a specification, which results in the "All Spec" composition; it is now possible to publish a declaration with no supplier named at all.

When importing compositions and substances into an item or manufacturer part, both specification and supplier are optional. However, Composition Type is required; see "Role of Composition Type Field."

Note: When the specifications of a part group are modified or new declarations are made against this part group - for example, a supplier submits a declaration that includes information about the part group - then upon release of that declaration, the composition relating to that part group will not only be copied to the Compliance tab > Declarations and Compositions table of that part group, but also to all parts belonging to that part group, while applying the Conversion Factor to convert part and substance weights, if applicable. When you perform a "Save As" operation of a part or part group, compositions are not copied to the new object. The system copies the specifications and suppliers over to the new object, but not Active compositions.

4.3.1 Role of Composition Type Field

For a composition to be imported in a part or part group, the only required field is Composition Type. The available values for Composition Type are:

• Substance Composition

• Homogeneous Material Composition

• Part Composition

• External Composition - this type is not supported for importing a composition.

It is not necessary for a composition to have a supplier or a name - remember that a composition is an important 'concept' in PG&C but there is no business object itself.

As there are more kinds of declarations than composition types, it is helpful to group the Declarations classes as shown in the table. Supplier Declarations of Conformance do not have compositions.

This declaration class...	...releases to this value in Composition Type	Validation Type of Specification
Substance Declaration, JGPSSI Declaration, IPC 1752-1 (Substance) Declaration	Substance Composition	Part Level
Homogeneous Material Declaration, IPC 1752-2 (Homogeneous Material) Declaration	Homogeneous Material Composition	Homogeneous Material Level
Part Declaration	Part Composition	Homogeneous Material Level or Part Level
N/A	External Composition	Homogeneous Material Level or Part Level

When a composition is imported to an item or manufacturer part, it appears in the Part's Compliance tab > Declarations and Compositions table. Before it begins the import, the system looks for an existing active composition with the same parameters (supplier and specification name and "Exclude" attribute); if it finds an active, matching composition, the active one is inactivated, the importing of the new composition begins and this one is made active.

If the import does not succeed, the original active composition remains active.

The subject of importing compositions as well as entire declarations is covered in "Importing and Exporting Declaration Data."

4.3.2 Validation Type in Conjunction with Composition Type

A relationship exists between a specification's Validation Type - Part Level or Homogeneous Material Level - and a manufacturer part's or item's Composition Type - Part Composition, Substance Composition, or Homogeneous Material Composition. This section describes the interaction of these two attributes.

Validation Type is discussed in detail in "General Info Tab."

The Composition Type attribute of an item or manufacturer part provides a way to track what type of composition is imported to the part. (Note that Supplier Declarations of Conformance do not have the Composition Type attribute.)

• For compositions published from declarations, the system selects the correct Composition Type based on the Declaration class.

• When the system assesses compliance for a specification, it looks for all matching specification compositions that correspond to the validation type of the specification.

So, for a Part Level validation specification, the system looks at all Substance compositions and Part Compositions, therefore, it looks for compositions with same spec that are published from Substance Declarations, JGPSSI Declarations, IPC 1752-1 Declarations. or Part Declarations.

For a Homogeneous Material Level validation specification, the system looks at all Homogeneous Material compositions and Part Compositions; therefore, it looks for compositions with same spec that are published from Homogeneous Material Declarations, IPC 1752-2 Declarations, or Part Declarations.

For a given specification, if there is a composition published that has the same specification, the system uses that composition only. If multiple suppliers have provided compositions for that spec, then the system uses compositions from all the suppliers and applies the Composition Rollup Rule (which is an Administrator setting) to determine the compliance of that specification.

For a given specification, when there is no composition with the same spec, the system looks for (latest released or imported) Full Disclosure composition (for each supplier) that corresponds to the same validation level of the specification. If it is not able to find any Full Disclosure compositions, the system looks for Partial- or Un-disclosed compositions that have no specification, which is called "All Spec,".

For example, with a part level specification, when there is no composition found with that spec, the system uses all active "All Spec" compositions published from Substance, JGPSSI, or IPC1752-1 declarations or directly imported substance compositions without any spec.

Note that a part composition without a spec is not considered to be an "All Spec" composition, since it contains no substance-level information and hence not useful.

4.3.3 Archiving and Unarchiving Compositions in Items and Mfr. Parts

The Archive and Unarchive buttons are now on the Declarations and Compositions table of items and manufacturer parts. This button is enabled only if the user has the proper Modify privilege for the Declared Compliance attribute on the Compliance tab > Declarations and Compositions table for that part.

On the same table, the user can select in the Views field to filter for Active, Archived, and Pending parts and declarations.

To clarify terms that can be confusing:

• Archive = make a composition Inactive = inactivate the composition

• Unarchive = make an inactive composition Active = re-activate the composition

The use case for "archiving" considers the possibility that non-compliant declarations, when published, could render an entire top-level assembly in the Non-Compliant state.

Users who have the authority to decide not to buy non-compliant parts should be enabled to use the Archive button to remove offending compositions from the product record.

When a composition is inactivated, that is, removed from Active status, those assemblies containing that part now have a better chance of being in compliance.

You can now reinstate as Active, archived, Inactive compositions by filtering for Archived compositions (of the part), selecting the composition (select the row), and clicking the Unarchive button. Re-activation of compositions also applies only to items and manufacturer parts.

When the system is told to unarchive a composition, it automatically archives any "matching" Active compositions (compositions with the same supplier and specification).

If there are compositions with the same specification and same supplier for one item, so that one composition is seen when Views filter is set to Active, and one is seen when Views filter is set to Archived, when you select the archived composition and click Unarchive, the system automatically archives the active composition. This is consistent with established behavior of the system when importing compositions.

Note that, on the item's or mfr.part's History tab, both the Archive and Unarchive actions are recorded. External compositions may not have the Archive action record if the external composition is deleted during the archiving action. For more information about archive settings, see "Number of Archived External Compositions Preference."

Both the archiving and unarchiving process cause the Need Compliance Check field on the part to be re-set to Yes, except for external compositions. While that change is visible in manufacturer parts, the field is not visible in items. Moreover, the Archive and Unarchive action may change the compliance states for all specifications on the part or assembly. The best practice is, whenever you change a composition's Inactive or Active state, do a compliance rollup on the part or related assemblies.

4.4 Compositions in the Context of Declarations

A composition describes the aggregate data collected in a (published) declaration. A composition represents the sum of (1) a supplier for (2) a given specification and for (3) a given part (plus revision) or part group.

4.4.1 Declarations Gather and Store Information about Compositions

Declarations are a structured way of bringing information concerning the environmental compliance of parts into Agile PLM. Each declaration is for a single supplier. Every declaration contains associations to parts or part groups, which, combined with one or more specifications, is the composition. You can store information in a declaration at these levels:

1. At the General Info ("cover page"), Page Two (fields from the class), and Page Three (fields from the subclass) levels of the declaration - these represent entered data about the declaration and describes what information is being sought;

2. At the part level within the declaration - that is, in reference to associated parts or part groups in the context of a specification - and at each of the Bill of Substances (BOS) levels if the declaration <type> requires the supplier to create a BOS for each affected part;

3. At the subpart level - in reference to associated Subparts;

4. At the material level - in reference to associated Materials;

5. At the substance group level - in reference to associated Substance Groups;

6. At the substance level - in reference to associated Substances.

Figure 4-1 Contents of a Declaration

4.4.2 Information on Declarations also found on the Parts

There are several similarities between routable objects in the Product Collaboration solution - change orders - and the PG&C routable object, declarations.

A core idea in Agile PLM is the inter-linked quality of data found in "products" - parts, manufacturer parts, part groups (all of which are non-routable) - and the routable "change objects" that modify those products - Changes in PC and Declarations in PG&C. You can view data and information about parts and assemblies in the change objects or in the parts themselves. Many attributes about the parts are duplicated in the linked objects.

So, in the PG&C solution, specific composition information is found in two places, on the part/part group and on declarations that list the part. For example, for Part/PG P033, composition data is found as follows:

Part/Part Group P033	Declaration MD211
Compliance tab	Items tab > Items table > click P033 item number link Manufacturer Parts tab > Manufacturer Parts table > click link Part Groups tab > Part Groups table > click link
Compliance tab > Declarations and Compositions table > click View Substances link, you see the associated substances-per-supplier	Items tab > Substances for Items table shows associated substances-per-supplier for P033 Manufacturer Parts tab > Substances for Manufacturer Parts table shows associated substances-per-supplier for listed (linked) mfr.parts Part Groups tab > Substances for Part Groups table shows associated substances-per-supplier for listed (linked) part groups

A compliance manager adds parts/part groups to a declaration. Parts in a BOM that are listed in a change order as affected items indicates that the change affects the item by modifying it in some way, thus altering the product record. Parts in a BOS that are listed in a declaration can be called affected parts, indicating that the declaration seeks to affect the part or part group by collecting its compliance data, thus altering the product record. Taking the specification(s) into account, the system merges the affected parts and specifications to create a unique "Affected Part/Part Group-Specification" line item for that one supplier - each line is a composition.

So, compositions are found under the various "affected parts" tabs contained in published declarations and under the Compliance tab of associated parts and part groups. Although each declaration goes to only one information supplier, declarations can contain multiple parts, manufacturer parts, and part groups simultaneously. In this way, a declaration can contain the data for multiple compositions.

Note: A field called Composition on the Compliance tab of parts and part groups displays links to declarations: this heading simply indicates "the declarations below provide information about compositions."

Types of compositions in a declaration:

• "Yes / No / Exempt" declaration at the part or part group level

• "Yes / No / Exempt" declaration at subpart, material, substance group, and substances level of part or part group

• "PPM / Mass" declaration at the material and substances level of a part or part group

• Combination of the previous types.