| Agile Product Lifecycle Management Product Collaboration User Guide Release 9.3.5 E61150-03 |
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| Agile Product Lifecycle Management Product Collaboration User Guide Release 9.3.5 E61150-03 |
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Items can be parts or documents. In general, if the document is shipped as part of a product, or if it has costs associated with it, then create it as a part object. If the document is an internal document, procedure, or reference, then create it as a document object. (In some cases, you may want to create a document as a part. For examples, see "Part or Document?.")
This section includes the following topics:
To locate and open an item, follow the instructions in Getting Started with Agile PLM.
When you view an item in Web Client, information about it is displayed on tabs in the right content pane.
When you view an item in Java Client, information about it is displayed on tabs in an item window.
The following table lists the items tabs.
The Agile administrator may have added additional tabs or sections, called Page Two and Page Three by default. These tabs or sections contain custom fields defined by the administrator.
Table 2-1 Item object tabs
| Item tab name | Tab information includes |
|---|---|
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Title Block Tab |
General information about the item, unique class and subclass fields defined by the Agile administrator |
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Changes Tab |
Any pending changes or released changes against the item |
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BOM Tab |
The item's bill of material |
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Manufacturers Tab |
Manufacturer and manufacturer parts information about sources for that part |
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Sites Tab |
The manufacturing sites that use the item |
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Prices Tab |
Prices associated with the item. For more information about Product Cost Management (PCM), see the Product Cost Management User Guide. |
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Quality Tab |
Information about Product Quality Management (PQM) objects associated with this item. Product Service Requests (PSRs) are problem reports or non-conformance reports about this item. For more information about PQM, see the Agile Product Quality Management User Guide. |
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Compliance Tab |
Information about the compliance to material regulations related to the item. For more information about Product Governance & Compliance (PG&C), see the Agile Product Governance & Compliance User Guide. Note: The Compliance tab is visible in Web Client only. Agile PG&C is a Web Client-based solution. |
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Suppliers Tab |
Information about the approved suppliers for the item. This tab is used in both the PG&C and PCM solutions. For more information about PG&C, see the Agile Product Governance and Compliance User Guide. For more information about PCM, see the Product Cost Management User Guide. Note: The Supplier tab is visible in Web Client only. Agile PG&C and Agile PCM are Web Client-based solutions. |
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Relationships Tab |
The Relationships tab lets you create relationships with other Agile objects and to create dependencies between the current item object and other routable objects. For more information about relationships, see the chapters about working with business objects in Getting Started with Agile PLM. |
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Where Used Tab |
Where the item is used |
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Attachments Tab |
Attached drawings and files |
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History Tab |
Actions taken on the item, for example, when attachments were added and removed |
A lifecycle phase name at the top right of the object window of an item indicates the production lifecycle phase of the item. (The names that you see may differ if the Agile administrator has customized the lifecycle names for your organization.)
The lifecycle phase name also appears in the Lifecycle Phase field on the item Title Block tab. See "Title Block Tab."
The following table shows the default lifecycle phases.
Table 2-2 Default Item Lifecycles
| Lifecycle phase name | Lifecycle definition |
|---|---|
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Preliminary |
The item has never been released. It may have a pending change against it. |
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Prototype |
The item has been released to be built in very limited quantities for testing. |
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Pilot |
The item has been released to be built in limited initial quantities. |
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Production |
The item has been released for regular production. |
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Inactive |
The item is temporarily not in use but may be reactivated. |
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Obsolete |
This item is no longer in use. |
The Title Block tab has fields that contain the information found on a typical paper-based title block. Some fields are filled in automatically and then you complete the rest. You may not be able to edit the contents of some fields. Your assigned roles and privileges determine which entries you are allowed to edit.
For more information about editing items, see "Editing an Unreleased Item" and "Editing a Released Item."
For more information about Title Block fields, see "Fields on the Title Block Tab."
By default, the item object Title Block tab contains the fields listed in the following table. Agile administrators determine which fields are enabled and visible on the Title Block tab.
In Web Client, the Title Block can contain two additional sections, called Page Two and Page Three by default. In Java Client, these are separate tabs. Agile administrators can add custom class fields to Page Two section and customer subclass fields to the Page Three section. The Agile administrator determines whether these sections are enabled, and what they are called.
Table 2-3 Title Block Tab fields
| Field | Definition |
|---|---|
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Number |
The item's number. The item number is completed when the item is created. Depending on Agile system settings, the number may be automatically generated or the user may enter a number. |
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Description |
Text that describes the item. By default, descriptions can be up to 240 characters, counting spaces and carriage returns (carriage returns count as two spaces). |
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Size |
Drawing size - select from the list. |
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Product Line(s) |
The product group or groups that include this item - select from the list. |
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Lifecycle Phase |
The lifecycle phase of the item for the displayed revision, for example, Prototype or Production. See "Lifecycle Phase" for more information. |
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Rev Incorp Date |
The date an item is incorporated - automatically completed when the item is incorporated. |
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Rev Release Date |
The date an item is released - automatically completed when the item is released. |
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Part Type |
The subclass of this item - completed when the item is created. Depending on Agile system settings, the part type field may be automatically completed or the user may select a part type. See "Changing an Item's Subclass" for more information. |
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Part Category |
The category that includes the item - select from the list. |
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Effectivity Date |
Displays the date the revision becomes effective. This date is specified on the Affected Items tab of the change that released the revision. See also "Site-Specific Effectivity and Obsolete Dates." |
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Item Group(s) |
If this field has been enabled, then it displays the item groups of which the current item is a member. |
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Shippable Item Exclude from Rollup Compliance Calculated Date Part Family Mass Overall Compliance |
These fields are associated with Agile PG&C. For more information about Product Governance & Compliance (PG&C), see the Agile Product Governance & Compliance User Guide. See also Agile PLM Administrator Guide and Getting Started with Agile PLM. |
The item object Changes tab displays a list of changes related to the item you are viewing. The changes are displayed in two tables. The information on this tab is filled in automatically. You can sort the tables by clicking the heading of the column by which you want to sort. For example, to sort by description, click the Description column heading.
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Note: If you do not have Discovery privilege for a change, then the change does not appear on the Changes tab. You may see a message telling you how many changes are not displayed. For more information, see "Details about Discovery and Read Privileges." If you have questions about your Discovery or Read privileges, see the Agile administrator. |
The upper table, Pending Changes, shows pending changes, including changes on hold. The lower table, Change History, shows released and canceled changes.
The Site column displays the site entered on the Affected Items tab of the change. If more than one site is listed on the Affected Items tab, then the change is listed once for each site.
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Note: Although its name is similar, the History tab shows actions made against an item, while the Change History table on the Changes tab lists released and canceled changes for the item. |
To open a change listed on the Changes tab:
In Web Client, click the change number.
In Java Client, double-click the change row.
The change opens with the Cover Page tab on top.
The BOM tab lists all the items on an item's bill of material (BOM). For details on the BOM tab, see Chapter 5, "Bills of Material."
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Note: If you do not have Discovery privilege for an item, then the item does not appear on the BOM tab. You may see a message telling you how many items are not displayed. For more information, see "Details about Discovery and Read Privileges." |
If there are site-specific items on the BOM tab, then common items and site-specific items are grouped together. The common items are listed first. The Sites column is blank for common items. The Sites column of site-specific items displays the associated site name.
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Note: You can directly edit the BOM table when an item is initially created and before it is added to the Affected Items table of a change. See "Creating a Common BOM" and "Creating a Site-Specific BOM." |
The common section of the BOM lists items that are associated with all the sites where the parent item is associated. The common section of a BOM can be modified through a revision change only.
The site section of the BOM lists items specific to the selected site. The site section of the BOM can be modified through a revision change or an SCO (site change order). For a site to be listed in a section of the BOM, the site must also be associated with the parent item.
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Note: By assigning a color to each site, you can color code the site section of the BOM tab. |
To view all the components for all sites, then select ALL from the Site drop-down list.
To open an item listed on the BOM tab:
In Web Client, click the item number. The item opens with the Title Block tab on top.
In Java Client, double-click the item row. The item opens with the Title Block tab on top.
Or, right-click the item row, choose Open, and then choose a tab. The item opens with the selected tab on top.
You can directly edit the item object BOM table when an item is initially created and before it is added to the Affected Items table of a change.
For detailed instructions about adding items to the BOM tab, see:
"Web Client, Adding Items to the BOM Table of a Preliminary Item"
"Java Client, Adding Items to the BOM Table of a Preliminary Item"
When you add an item to the common portion of the BOM table, the Sites column is blank to indicate that the item is associated with all the sites assigned to the BOM.
You can directly edit the item object BOM table when an item is initially created and before it is added to the Affected Items table of a change.
If the site for which you want to create a site-specific BOM is not on the Site list, then you must associate the item with that site through the item's Site tab. See "Associating a Site with an Item."
For detailed instructions about adding items to the BOM tab, see:
"Web Client, Adding Items to the BOM Table of a Preliminary Item"
"Java Client, Adding Items to the BOM Table of a Preliminary Item"
When you add an item to a site-specific portion of the BOM table, the Site column is automatically completed with the site selected from the Site list as the associated site.
The Manufacturers tab displays the manufacturer parts used for the item, including site-specific manufacturer parts. The information on the tab is derived from associated manufacturing objects. If your company is using Agile AML features, and you have the appropriate privileges, then you can use this tab to construct an approved manufacturers list (AML) for the item.
The Manufacturers tab displays, in a sortable table, information about:
The manufacturers that produce the part
The manufacturer parts that they supply, including:
Whether the manufacturer part is the preferred or an alternate part.
Whether they are currently an active manufacturer of that part.
The manufacturer's part number corresponding to the part in Agile PLM.
The manufacturing site to which the manufacturer part applies (manufacturer parts are listed once per applicable site). The AML Split column on the Manufacturers tab enables you to define the percent (%) allocated for the AML for the selected site.
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Note: If you do not have Discovery privilege for a manufacturer, then it does not appear on the Manufacturers tab. You may see a message telling you how many manufacturers are not displayed. For more information, see "Details about Discovery and Read Privileges." |
To open a manufacturer part from the item object Manufacturers tab:
In Web Client, click the manufacturer part number.
In Java Client, double-click the manufacturer part row.
Or, right-click the manufacturer part row, choose Open, and then choose a tab. The manufacturer part opens with the selected tab on top.
The Sites tab of an item lists all the manufacturing sites that use the item or that have site-specific information that pertains to the item.
To make an item available to site-specific BOMs and AMLs, you must add the appropriate sites to the item's Sites tab. For example, to enable users at the India site to add site-specific information for a part, then add India to the part's Sites tab. With the necessary privileges, you can add, edit, and remove information on the Sites tab.
For more information about manufacturing sites, including how to work with the Sites tab, see "Associating a Site with an Item."
The item object Prices tab shows information about the prices associated with the item.
For more information about pricing and the Prices tab, see Getting Started with Agile PLM or the Product Cost Management User Guide.
The Quality tab of an item (part or document) lists the product service requests (PSRs) that reference the item. PSRs may include non-conformance reports (NCRs) and problem reports (PRs). The Agile administrator may have defined additional PSR types for your company. This tab is filled in automatically. For more information about the Quality tab and PQM features, see the Product Quality Management User Guide.
The item object Compliance tab relates to Agile PG&C and lists the compliance declarations associated with the item. For more information, see Agile Product Governance & Compliance User Guide.
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Note: The Compliance tab is visible in Web Client only. Agile PG&C is a Web Client-based solution. |
This item object Suppliers tab relates to Agile PG&C and lets you associate suppliers with the item. For more information, see Agile Product Governance & Compliance User Guide.
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Note: The Supplier tab is visible in Web Client only. Agile PG&C is a Web Client-based solution. |
The item object Relationships tab lets you create relationships between the item object and other business objects, both lifecycle objects and routable objects. You can create dependencies (rules) between the item object and routable objects.
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Note: You can create a relationship between two lifecycle objects (for example, two items). However, you cannot add a rule to a relationship between two lifecycle objects. In any rule, at least one of the objects must be a routable object. For more information, see Getting Started with Agile PLM. |
The Rule column displays the rule that defines how the lifecycle phase of a related lifecycle object affects the workflow progression of a routable object. In a relationship where both related objects are routable objects, the rule defines how the workflow progression of one routable object affects the workflow progression of the other routable object.
A relationship without a specified rule does not limit or affect the workflow progression or lifecycle status of either related object. You can use non-rule relationships to record objects that are somehow related to the current item object, but do not have any dependencies with the current item object.
Revision-specific relationships are available to you only if the Agile administrator has configured Agile PLM to enable revision-specific relationship capabilities. Revision-specific relationships allow you to select a specific revision for a Part object, Document object, or Published Price object in a relationship
If Agile PLM has been configured for the use of reference objects, then you can add, on the Relationships tab, a reference, or link, to an object in an external application.
For more information about relationships, revision-specific relationships, reference objects, and how to use this tab, see the chapters about working with business objects in Getting Started with Agile PLM.
For information about all change object tabs, see Chapter 7, "Changes."
All objects have an Attachments tab. On the Attachments tab, you can attach files and URLs to the object by referencing those files and URLs in a file folder object. On the Attachments tab, you can view, copy (get), or print attached files if you have the appropriate privileges.
Individual attached files are stored in file folder objects and can be attached to multiple objects. The files in a file folder object can be drawings or scanned images, documents, non-viewable files, compressed files, and so on.
For detailed information about working with file folder objects and the Attachments tab, see Getting Started with Agile PLM.
You cannot make modifications to the Attachments tab of incorporated items. For more information about incorporated items, see "Incorporating and Unincorporating Items."
Attachment tab operations (add, remove, edit) for items are revision-based. Attachments are added to or deleted from a specific ECO-created revision of the item, such as Rev A, Rev B, and so on. ECO-created item revisions have attachment capabilities. MCOs and SCOs are based on a particular item revision, but have no revision of their own, and therefore do not have attachment capabilities. For more information about item revisions and attachments, see "Revisions and Attachment Capabilities."
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Note: Attachments apply to all manufacturing sites of an item. That is, there are no site-specific attachments. |
Common Attachments tab operations in Web Client include:
View file in AutoVue for Agile - click its filename link. If the attached file is not viewable with AutoVue for Agile, then it opens in the native application, if it is installed on your computer.
Get a local copy of a file - select one or more rows and click the Get button.
Common Attachments tab operations in Java Client include:
View a file in AutoVue for Agile - select a row in the Attachments table and click the View Files button.
View a file in its native application - select a row in the Attachments table and click the Open Files button.
Get a local copy of a file - select a row in the Attachments table and click the Get Files button.
The History tab shows a summary of actions taken against an object, including a description of the action, which user took the action, the date of the action, and other details.
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Note: If you do not have the appropriate Read privilege for an object, then you cannot see the contents of the fields on the History tab. See "Details about Discovery and Read Privileges." |
The types of actions recorded for items are:
Creation of the item
Attachment actions: view, open, add, delete, get, check in, check out, cancel checkout, incorporate, unincorporate, and field modifications on the Attachments tab.
Save As
Send
Modification of the subclass or any field of a released item
Subscription modification and sharing
Field modifications for preliminary items that have not been released are recorded for modifications to the Relationships tab and Attachments tab only. Other field modifications to preliminary items are not recorded.
For modifications to released items, the revision information is included in the history table row in the Rev column.
The Site and Rev fields above the item tabs let you display item information based on manufacturing site and revision.
When you open an item, the Rev field displays the latest released version.
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Note: When you open the item from the Affected Items tab of a change order, the revision associated with that change order is displayed. |
This section includes the following topics
To view a different revision:
To see a revision that pertains to a specific manufacturing site, then select that site from the Site drop-down list.
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Note: When you select ALL from the Site drop-down list, the default value in the Rev list is the latest released change for that item. |
Select a revision from the Rev drop-down list above the tabs. When you select a revision, the corresponding effectivity date is displayed.
When you select a different revision, all the tabs display information from the selected revision. For example, if the BOM tab is displayed, and you switch from revision C to revision B, then the other tabs also show revision B.
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Note: Not all tabs are revision-specific, for example, the Where Used tab and the History tab are not revision-specific. When you view tabs that are not revision-specific, the Rev drop-down list is disabled. |
The initial revision of an item-that is, the revision of a newly created, unreleased item-is labeled Introductory. Introductory revisions have no changes against them, and they are not assigned a revision letter. When an item is in the Introductory stage, it is not under change control and can therefore be modified directly.
Introductory revisions are treated the same as released revisions. That is, they are considered the base revision by Where Used and Object searches, the Where Used tab, changes, and the Save As feature.
Introductory appears in the Rev drop-down list at the bottom of the list because it is the earliest revision. It is the only revision on the list that is not associated with a change.
See also: "How the Revision List Works."
You may see revisions in the list that are not Introductory and that do not have an assigned revision letter. These are referred to as blank revisions.
Blank revisions occur when an MCO is released against an item before an ECO releases the item. That releasing MCO creates a blank revision, as do any subsequent changes that occur before a new ECO revision is created. The Rev list displays the number of the MCO instead of a revision letter. The following is an example of a Rev list that includes a blank revision created by MCO M00001.
(A) C00004 M00001 IntroductoryAs stated above, a revision labeled Introductory in the Rev list indicates the initial revision of the object, with no pending changes. Once the object is listed on a change, a letter sequence of revisions is started.
For released revisions, the number of the releasing ECO is displayed next to its corresponding revision. (Remember, an item can be revised only by an ECO.) For example, for a part, if ECO E54321 resulted in the release of revision C, then revision C in the Rev drop-down list reads
C E54321
A revision number or letter inside parentheses indicates that the revision is pending, not yet released:
(A) C00004
You may see revisions in the list that are not Introductory and that do not have an assigned revision letter. These are referred to as blank revisions.
Blank revisions occur when an MCO is released against an item before an ECO releases the item. That releasing MCO creates a blank revision, as do any subsequent changes that occur before a new ECO revision is created. The Rev list displays the number of the MCO instead of a revision letter:
M00001
MCOs and SCOs are based on item revisions, but neither can create a new revision of a part, and, therefore, neither has attachment capabilities. MCO and SCO modifications, which you can select in the Rev drop-down list, inherit the attachments of the ECO-created revision or the Introductory revision upon which they are based.
The MCO or SCO number is displayed next to the corresponding revision on the Rev drop-down list. For example, if there is a pending MCO M12345 against Rev B of a part, then on the Rev drop-down list, that revision is listed as "(B) M12345."
Item attachment operations (add, remove, edit) are revision-based. Attachments can be added to or deleted from only an ECO-created revision or an Introductory revision. MCOs and SCOs are based on an item revision, but have no revision of their own, and therefore do not have attachment capabilities. MCO and SCO modifications, which you can select in the Rev drop-down list, inherit the attachments of the ECO-created revision or the Introductory revision upon which they are based.
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Note: If the ECO-created revision or the Introductory revision is incorporated, then you will not be able to add or remove attachments and you will not be able to edit the attachments table. For more information about item incorporation, see "Incorporating and Unincorporating Items." |
See also "Attachments Tab." For detailed information about attachments and file folders, see the chapter about working with attachment files in Getting Started with Agile PLM. For information about ECO-redlining attachment files, see Agile PLM Viewer Addendum.
The following tables illustrate attachment capabilities (add, remove, edit) for different entries on the item Rev drop-down list.
Table 2-4 Rev list example, item released by ECO, and attachment capabilities
| Rev list entry | Attachment capabilities |
|---|---|
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(C) ECO -356 |
Yes, has attachment capabilities, because it is a pending ECO-created Rev. |
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B SCO-444 |
No attachment capabilities; it is based on Rev B and inherits Rev B's attachments. |
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B ECO-233 |
Yes, has attachment capabilities, because it is an ECO-created Rev. |
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A MCO-888 |
No attachment capabilities; it is based on Rev A and inherits Rev A's attachments. |
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A ECO-222 |
Yes, has attachment capabilities, because it is an ECO-created Rev. |
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INTRODUCTORY |
Yes, has attachment capabilities, because it is an introductory revision. Introductory revisions have the same features as an ECO-created revision. |
Table 2-5 Rev list example, item released by MCO, and attachment capabilities
| Rev list entry | Attachment capabilities |
|---|---|
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(B) MCO-934 |
No attachment capabilities; pending MCO based on Rev B and inherits Rev B's attachments. |
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B ECO-572 |
Has attachment capabilities, because it is an ECO-created Rev. |
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A SCO-444 |
No attachment capabilities; it is based on Rev A and inherits Rev A's attachments. |
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A MCO-788 |
No attachment capabilities; it is based on Rev A and inherits Rev A's attachments. |
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A ECO-333 |
Has attachment capabilities, because it is an ECO-created Rev. |
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MCO-766 |
No attachment capabilities; it is based on the Introductory revision and inherits the Introductory revision's attachments. |
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INTRODUCTORY |
Has attachment capabilities, because it is an introductory revision. Introductory revisions have the same features as an ECO-created revision. |
All revisions are shown to all users regardless of their default site or site access. However, when you open an item, the Rev drop-down list is set to the last change for your default site.
The default revision of an item that is shown is based on your default site. Even if you select a different site from the Site drop-down list, then the default revision still reflects what you see from your default site.
You can create a pending revision of an item. When you create an ECO against an item, the ECO creates a pending revision of that item. Pending revisions let you modify the item under change control, including redline modifying its BOM table and its Manufacturers table. You can also create pending revision attachment markups.
A pending revision can be identified by the parentheses around the revision number in the Rev field, for example, (A).
For information about incorporating pending revisions of items, see "Incorporating and Unincorporating Items."
By default, when a pending revision is created, it inherits the same list of attached files that are attached to the current default revision. If any files are then either added to or removed from the current default revision, then those modifications are not reflected on the Attachments tab of the pending revision. For additional information about attachments and item revision levels, see Getting Started with Agile PLM.
See also: "Removing an Item from the Affected Items Tab."
The CopyFilesToRev (Copy Files to Rev) SmartRule setting determines how pending revision item attachments are created or referenced. The Agile administrator sets the Agile PLM system to either copy, copy with warning, reference, reference with warning or disallow the list of attachments to be copied to a new pending revision. There are two "Copy File to Rev" SmartRules, one for File folders class and the other for Designs class, which have different options and which can be set independently.
When you add an item to the Affected Items table of a pending ECO, you create a pending revision of an item. Depending on the Agile PLM Copy Files to Rev SmartRule setting, pending revision attachments are processed as followed:
Copy (available for File folders only) - For the item's new pending revision, Agile PLM creates a new file folder and creates a new copy of the attachment file, which is placed in the new file folder.
Reference - Agile PLM uses the existing file folder and creates a new reference to it on the item's new pending revision Attachments tab.
Disallow - The new item pending revision is created with no attachments.
Copy with Warning (available for File folders class only) - The same as the Copy setting, with the option of choosing no attachments for the new pending revision.
When you add items to the pending ECO, you are presented with a warning dialog that includes a row for each item you are adding.
To add the item and to copy the attachments, check both the Add check box and the Attachments check box.
To add the item with no attachments, check only the Add check box.
Reference with Warning - The same as the Reference setting, with the option of choosing no attachments for the new pending revision.
When you add items to the pending ECO, you are presented with a warning dialog that includes a row for each item you are adding.
To add the item and to reference the existing attachments, check both the Add check box and the Attachments check box.
To add the item with no attachments, check only the Add check box.
When this SmartRule is set to Reference or Reference with Warning, if there are multiple versions of any attachment file, then only the reference to the latest version is used for the new reference on the pending revision.
For example, if you create an ECO against Part 456, Rev C (thus creating a pending Rev D), then all the attachment files that are attached to Rev C are also attached to pending Rev D. (The file and file folder references on the Attachments tab of released Rev C are duplicated on the Attachments tab of pending Rev D.) Any attachment files that are added to the Attachments tab of Rev C, or any other Rev C Attachments tab modifications (for example, modifying the file folder version numbers) after the creation of the ECO are not copied to pending Rev D.
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Note: Attachment files that are added to the Introductory revision after the object is associated with a change (that will result in released Rev A) will not be copied to subsequent revs. This SmartRule does not affect MCO or SCO revisions because MCOs and SCOs do not create separate new revisions. |
Writing a pending ECO against an item creates a pending revision of the item. A pending revision can be identified by the parentheses around the revision number in the Rev field, for example, (A).
To create a pending revision:
Create the item.
Create an ECO.
Place the item on the Affected Items tab of the change.
Give the affected item a revision number.
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Note: SCOs are for site-specific changes only. They do not affect common site information, and they do not increment the revision number. SCOs cannot be used to create a pending revision of a newly created item that has never been released. |
For information about creating changes, see Chapter 7, "Changes."
You modify pending revisions the same way you modify other objects. Because modifying a pending revision could affect a released revision, you must have the appropriate privileges to modify the Title Block, Page Two, and Page Three fields. If you have privileges to modify preliminary items, then you can modify fields on the pending revisions of items. If you have privileges to modify released items only (and you do not have privileges to modify preliminary items), then you cannot modify fields on the pending revisions of items. If you have questions about your assigned modify privileges, see the Agile administrator.
See also: "Editing a Released Item."
To create an item, you must have the appropriate create Item privilege.
In Web Client, you can create an item with the Create New > Items command or the Actions > Save As command.
In Java Client, you can create an item with the File > New > Item command, the New Object button, or the Save As command, on the More Actions menu (click the More button at the top of the object window) and on the right-click shortcut menu.
You can also create an item as you add it to the BOM tab of a parent item or the Affected Items tab of a change.
This section contains the following topics:
The initial revision of an item-that is, the revision of a newly created, unreleased item-is labeled Introductory. For more information about Introductory revisions, see "Introductory Revisions."
Once you create an item, that item exists until you delete it. If you create a new item, and you then decide that you do not want to keep it, be sure to delete the item. Otherwise, the new item is still in the database, and the number cannot be reused. See Appendix A, "Deleting Agile Objects."
A wizard leads you through the process of creating an item and specifying the BOM, manufacturing sites, manufacturers, and attachments.
To create and complete an item in Web Client:
Using the Create New menu button, choose the object class you want to create. For example:
Create New > Items > Parts
Create New > Items > Documents
In the Create New dialog, use the Type drop-down list to select the type (subclass) of item you want to create.
Assign a number to the item. To do so, either accept the number that appears, click the AutoNumber button (123) to use the next autonumber, or type a number.
When you click the AutoNumber button (123) to enter the item number, you might see a list of autonumber choices. The autonumber format and sequence are determined by the Agile administrator. The Agile administrator also determines whether using autonumbers is required or optional.
Complete any required fields.
Click Save.
The item is displayed in the right content pane with the Title Page tab in edit mode.
Edit the title page fields as desired, and click Save.
Or, click any other tab to automatically save the title page and view the tab you selected.
You do not enter information on the Changes, Where Used, or History tabs. Those tabs are completed automatically.
See also: "Creating Items in Java Client," "Creating an Item Using Save As," "Creating an Item Using Add."
Using the Save As feature is a quick way to create an item that is similar to an existing item.
For site-specific items, the original item's manufacturing sites are copied to the new item, as are all components and manufacturer parts on the common and site-specific portions of the BOM and Manufacturers tabs. (Sites for which you do not have privileges are not copied.) If you select a specific site in the Site drop-down list and Save As, then only the selected site's data will be copied to the newly created item.
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Caution: In general, you should not use Save As to create an object in a different class or subclass (type) from the original object. The different classes or subclasses may not have the same tabs or defined fields, and you may lose access to some data in the newly created object. |
For example, parts generally have a BOM tab. By default, documents do not. When you save a part as a document, you cannot view the part's BOM in the resulting document unless the Agile administrator has configured your system to permit documents to have BOMs.
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Note: If you do not have Discovery privilege for any of the items on the BOM list of the existing item, then you can use Save As to create a new item, which includes the BOM list items that you cannot discover. You also will not be able to discover those BOM list items on the newly created item. |
If the Agile administrator has set the appropriate attributes, then fields in the optional Page Two and Page Three sections are copied to the new item. For information about the behavior of Page Two and Page Three fields in your Agile PLM system, see the Agile administrator.
If the item has one or more attachments, then the attachments for the new item are created using the method specified by the Agile administrator in Agile system preferences:
Create new copy of file(s) - Agile PLM creates a new file folder and creates a new copy of the attachment file, which is placed in the new file folder.
Reference existing file(s) - Agile PLM uses the existing file folder and creates a new reference to it on the new item's Attachments tab.
Do not copy file(s) - The new item is created with no attachments.
Prompt - You are prompted to select one of the above three methods. If the item has no attachments, then no prompt appears.
Save As copies data from a field in the existing object to the same field in the new object. If a field or list value in the existing object is not available in the new object, then that field or list value is not copied to the new object.
For items using sites:
The new item has only the default site associated with it (that is, the site selected in the Sites drop-down list when you performed the Save As action), even if the original item had multiple sites. If the new item needs additional sites, then you must add sites to the new item manually.
If you select All from the Site drop-down list of the original item and then perform a Save As action, then all the sites from the original item are copied to the new item.
If the original item does not have a default site then, after the Save As action, the resulting new item also does not have a default site.
In Java Client, you can create an item using the File > Save As command or the Save As command on the More Actions menu (click the More button at the top of the object window) and on the right-click shortcut menu.
In Web Client, you can create an item using the Actions > Save As command.
For more information about creating items or other objects using Save As, see Getting Started with Agile PLM.
See also: "Creating Items in Java Client," "Creating Items in Web Client," "Creating an Item Using Add."
The process for creating new objects involves two main steps: creating an empty object, and then filling in the object tabs with information specific to the object.
To create and complete an item in Java Client:
Using the File menu, choose the object class you want to create. For example:
File > New > Items > Parts
File > New > Items > Documents
In the New dialog, use the Type drop-down list to select the type (subclass) of item you want to create.
Assign a number to the item. To do so, either accept the number that appears, click the Autonumber button to use the next autonumber, or type a number.
If more than one autonumber format can be used, then the available autonumber formats appear in a list when you click the Autonumber button. Select the autonumber format you want.
The autonumber format and sequence are determined by the Agile administrator. The Agile administrator also determines whether using autonumbers is required or optional.
Complete any required fields.
Click OK.
The new item appears with the Title Block tab showing.
Fill in information on the item tabs, as desired.
You do not enter information on the Changes, Where Used, or History tabs. Those tabs are completed automatically.
See also: "Creating Items in Web Client," "Creating an Item Using Save As," "Creating an Item Using Add."
When you click the Add button on certain tabs of items and changes, such as the Affected Items or BOM tab, you can create a new item to add to the tab.
To add an item to the BOM table by creating a new item, see:
See also: "Creating Items in Java Client," "Creating Items in Web Client," "Creating an Item Using Save As."
Writing a pending ECO against an item creates a pending revision of the item. A pending revision can be identified by the parentheses around the revision number in the Rev field, for example, (A).
To create a pending revision:
Create the item.
Create an ECO.
Place the item on the Affected Items tab of the change.
Give the affected item a revision number.
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Note: SCOs are for site-specific changes only. They do not affect common site information, and they do not increment the revision number. SCOs cannot be used to create a pending revision of a newly created item that has never been released. |
For information about creating changes, see Chapter 7, "Changes."
You modify pending revisions the same way you modify other objects. Because modifying a pending revision could affect a released revision, you must have the appropriate privileges to modify the Title Block, Page Two, and Page Three fields. If you have privileges to modify preliminary items, then you can modify fields on the pending revisions of items. If you have privileges to modify released items only (and you do not have privileges to modify preliminary items), then you cannot modify fields on the pending revisions of items. If you have questions about your assigned modify privileges, see the Agile administrator.
See also: "Editing a Released Item."
You can edit preliminary and released items in different ways. Preliminary items can be edited directly, but released items must be edited with a change order.
This section contains the following topics:
You can edit numbers and much of the other information about an item on the Title Block tab if the item has not been released. For additional information about editing an item that has not been released, see "Working with Item Revisions" and "About Modifying the BOM Table."
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Note: When you renumber a part that is a child of another item, the connection between the parent and child is maintained. If the parent item has been released, then you will see a warning asking you whether to continue. |
Whether the item is released or unreleased, you cannot edit item tabs that are completed automatically, such as the Where Used tab, the Changes tab and the History tab.
For example, to renumber an unreleased item using Web Client:
Open the item.
Click Edit.
Select the number in the Number field, and type a new number.
Or click the 123 button to assign a new autonumber automatically.
When your modifications are complete, click Save to keep them, or click Cancel to close the Edit page without saving the changes.
Other fields can be modified in a similar way. For more information about editing object fields, see the chapter "Navigating in Agile Web Client" in Getting Started with Agile PLM.
For example, to renumber an unreleased item using Java Client:
Open the item.
Select the number in the Number field, and type a new number.
Or click to assign a new autonumber automatically.
When your modifications are complete, click Save to keep them, or click Close to close the object window without saving the changes.
Other fields can be modified in a similar way.
For more information about editing object fields, see the chapter "Navigating in Agile Java Client" in Getting Started with Agile PLM.
If you have sufficient privileges, then you can edit most fields on the item object Title Block tab even after an item is released, including:
The Number field.
The Description field.
For more information about editing a released item, see "Redlining the BOM of a Released Item."
With sufficient privileges, you can also add or modify attachments (on the Attachments tab) after an item is released.
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Note: If you have questions about your privileges, ask the Agile administrator. |
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Note: The Agile administrator may have configured Agile PLM so that the Description field of a released item can be changed only by using the Affected Items tab of a change order. |
If you have sufficient privileges, then you can edit the Description field of the latest released revision of an item or of a pending ECO revision.
When you edit a released item's Description field, the new description appears only on the latest released revision of the item.
If the Description field has been modified several times, then only the most recent modification appears in the Description field of the item.
If the item has pending revisions, then a warning message appears that lets you choose whether to copy the new description to the pending revisions as well.
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Note: If the change order Affected Items tab of the pending revision displays both the Old Item Description (latest released revision) and the New Item Description (pending revision), then the Old Item Description field on the Affected Items table will be updated to reflect the actual item description of the latest released revision. The Affected Items table New Item Description (pending revision) remains unchanged. |
To modify the Description field of a pending revision, use one or both of the following methods. The methods available on your Agile system depend upon how the Agile administrator has configured the Agile system and which privileges you have.
Open the item, and then select the pending revision in the Revision drop-down list. Then edit the Description field and save your edits. (You must have the appropriate privileges.)
Use the Affected Items tab of the change order. Select the appropriate item row on the Affected Items table and click Edit. Edit the (new) item description field, and save your edits. (Requires the appropriate privileges.)
Description field modifications are recorded on the History tab of the item after the item is released.
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Important: The item Description field cannot be modified through an MCO because an MCO does not create a new item revision. The MCO uses the Description field information from the ECO revision or Introductory revision on which it is based. |
If your administrator has created additional subclasses, and you have the appropriate privileges, then you can change the subclass of an item. For example, you can change the subclass of a particular document from Specification to Data Sheet.
For information about how to change the subclass of an item, see "Changing an Item's Subclass."
Items are not released to production directly. Rather, a change (an ECO) is created against the item, and that change is released through the change control process, described in Getting Started with Agile PLM. For more information about ECOs and other Agile changes, see Chapter 7, "Changes."
To release an item to production:
Follow the steps in "Creating Changes" to create an ECO that releases the item.
Route the ECO as described in Chapter 7, "Changes."
When the change has progressed through the required statuses, then it is ready for release. Usually, this includes at least one Review status type, when users sign off the change.
If AutoPromote is set, then the change is released automatically when the change has been signed off and all required values to enable release have been filled in.
If AutoPromote is not set, then click the Next Status button to release the change.
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Note: If you have the appropriate privileges, then you can use the Workflow tab to move the change directly to the Released status type in the workflow. |
When the change is released, the item is also released.
For more information about working with workflows, see Getting Started with Agile PLM.
If you have sufficient privileges, and the workflow allows it, then you can unrelease a released item.
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Caution: Do not unrelease items if you use Agile ChangeCAST or Agile Content Service (ACS). |
To unrelease an item:
Open the item.
Click the Changes tab.
Open the change that released the item.
(If there are subsequent changes to the item, then you must first unrelease those changes in the reverse order from which they were made.)
On the Workflow tab, click the Pending status type in the status chart.
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Note: Switching a change to any status in the workflow that occurs before the first Released status type unreleases the change and, therefore, unreleases the item. If there is no such status displayed as an available status to select in the change status flowchart (Pending, Submit, Review, or Hold type), then either you do not have the necessary privileges to select that status to unrelease the change, or the workflow assigned to the change does not allow unreleasing the change. (For information about how to view the sequential list of statuses in a workflow, see the chapter "Routing Objects with Workflows" in Getting Started with Agile PLM.)The Change Status dialog opens. |
Fill in the Notify field.
Enter any comments in the Comments field.
Click Finish (Web Client) or OK (Java Client).
If you have sufficient privileges, then you can incorporate an item. When you incorporate an item, you lock its attachments so no unauthorized modifications can be made. If you incorporate an item with no attachments, then none can be added to it.
This section includes the following topics:
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Note: For detailed information about attachments and file folder objects, see Getting Started with Agile PLM, "Working with Attachments" and "Working with File Folders." See also "Attachments Tab" and "Revisions and Attachment Capabilities." |
All objects have an Attachments tab. On the Attachments tab, you can attach files and URLs to the item by referencing those files and URLs in a file folder object. Individual attached files are stored in file folder objects and can be attached to multiple objects. On an item's Attachments tab, the file folder Version is listed in the attachments table. Each time you check out and check in an attachment from the item's Attachments tab, the file folder Version is advanced by one number. If you have the appropriate privileges, then you can also edit the attachments table and select a specific Version of the file folder.
Because multiple objects, including items, can reference the same file folder, it is possible for different items to reference different Versions of the same file folder. Item 123 can reference Version 3 of file folder FF444, and Item 987 can reference Version 6 of file folder FF444.
When you incorporate an item revision, you lock the item's attachments to the specific file folder Version currently displayed on the item's Attachments tab. Incorporation is an action that applies to item objects only. Non-item business objects, including file folder objects, cannot be incorporated.
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Note: Only ECO-created revisions and Introductory revisions can be incorporated. For more information about attachments and item revisions, see "Revisions and Attachment Capabilities." |
For example, if the item's attachment is file SPEC.doc, and it is stored in FF004, and the file folder Version on the item's Attachments tab is Version 3, then when you incorporate the item, the item's attachments are now locked to Version 3 of FF004. In a similar manner, if the Version selected on the item's Attachments tab is Latest-4, then when you incorporate the item revision, the file folder Version reverts to Version 4, and is now locked on that Version for the incorporated item. If the item has multiple attachments in multiple file folders, then all the file folder Versions are locked when you incorporate.
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Important: Regardless of how many Versions a file folder has, once you incorporate an item revision, it always refers to the locked file folder Version. |
Due to checkout and checkin actions that can be performed from the Attachments tabs of any objects that reference the same file folder, and also checkout and checkin actions on the Files tab of the file folder object itself, it is possible for the file folder to be modified and additional file folder Versions to be created.
Once an item is incorporated, you can no longer check out its attachments from the item's Attachments tab. Copies can be taken of attachments to view the attachment copy and to work with the attachment copy, but the attachments cannot be amended on that revision of the item without unincorporating. (Amending an item's attachments includes adding or deleting attachments and changing the file folder Version number shown in the attachments table.) Likewise, you cannot incorporate an item that has any files checked out.
Before you can add or edit the attachment files of an incorporated item or the file folder Versions referenced by an incorporated item, the item must first be unincorporated. Once the changes are made, the item can be incorporated again. Appropriate privileges are required to either incorporate or unincorporate items.
The Incorporated/Unincorporated status refers to all the attachments to the item for a specific revision. When you incorporate an item, only that revision with its attachments is incorporated. For example, if you have three unincorporated revisions of an item (revisions C, D, and E), then when you incorporate revision D, revisions C and E remain unincorporated.
For information about working with attachments and file folder objects, see Getting Started with Agile PLM.
An item with a pending change can be incorporated before it is released, in which case it is referred to as pre-incorporated. Pre-incorporating an item provides a way to mark a revision as tentatively complete, and to freeze attachments to prevent checkout. (It is still possible to get a copy of an attachment, but the files attached to an incorporated item revision cannot be modified.)
Pre-incorporation is performed the same way as incorporation, except that it is performed on an unreleased item. For instructions, see "Incorporating an Item."
You cannot incorporate an item that has any attachment files checked out.
To incorporate an item using Web Client:
Open the item.
Choose Actions > Incorporate.
To incorporate an item using Java Client:
Open the item.
Click the More button at the top of the object window to display the More Actions menu and choose Incorporate.
Or, right-click in the window, and choose Incorporate from the shortcut menu.
If an item is incorporated before it is released, then the incorporation process is performed in the same manner, but it is known as pre-incorporation. See "Pre-incorporating an Item."
When you unincorporate an item, only that particular revision is unincorporated.
To unincorporate an item using Web Client:
Open the item.
Choose Actions > Unincorporate.
To unincorporate an item using Java Client:
Open the item.
Click the More button at the top of the object window to display the More Actions menu and choose Unincorporate.
Or, right click in the window, and choose Unincorporate from the shortcut menu.
In Web Client, you can use the Actions menu to execute the Item Attribute History report for the item you are viewing. For more information, see also:
To execute the Item Attribute History report:
In the Actions menu, choose Attribute History Report. The Run Item Attribute History Report wizard appears.
In the Select Layout and Configuration wizard step, select the layout you want from the drop-down list, or use the Edit button to edit an existing layout or use the Create button to create a new layout.
For more detailed information about layouts, see the Working with Agile Reports chapter in Getting Started with Agile PLM.
Select a report output format: PDF, WORD, EXCEL, or HTML.
Click Next. The Select Item wizard step appears.
The currently viewed item is pre-selected for you.
You can either accept the pre-selected item or you can remove the pre-selected item and choose a different item. Type in the text field or click to execute a quick search.
In the Change Type field, use the drop-down list to select the changes you want to include in the report: Changer Orders, Manufacturing Orders, or Both.
Click finish to run and display the report.
You are prompted to download the report in the format you selected.
The item object Where Used tab lists all the assemblies that use the item. The information on this tab is filled in automatically.
The Where Used tab includes two tables:
Where Used - displays the latest released revision of the assemblies where the item is used. If the assembly has never been released, then the Introductory revision is displayed. For more information, see "Introductory Revisions."
Pending Change Where Used - displays the pending revisions of the assemblies where the item is used, including the associated change order number.
To view or hide the Pending Where Used table in Web Client:
On the Web Client Where Used tab, click the sub-tab you want to view:
Pending Changes Where Used
Where Used
To view an item from the Where Used tab using Web Client:
Click the item number.
To view or hide the Pending Change Where Used table in Java Client:
Use the View drop-down list to select either Show Pending or Hide Pending.
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Note: When you first view the Where Used tab, the Pending Change Where Used table is hidden by default. |
To view an item from the Where Used tab using Java Client:
Double-click the item row in the where-used table.
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Note: If you do not have Discovery privilege for an item, then it does not appear on the Where Used tab. You may see a message telling you how many items are not displayed. For more information, see "Details about Discovery and Read Privileges." |
For information about site information displayed in the Where Used tables, see Sites and the "Where Used Tab."
The item object Where Used table displays all the assemblies where the item is used. Assemblies can be listed multiple times, once per site. The Sites column in the Where Used table shows common (blank) and site-specific portions of the BOM that include the item.
For more information about the where used tables, see "Where Used Tab."
You can print object tabs and other data from your Agile PLM system. You can print the current tab or all tabs. Attachments are printed from their native applications or from the AutoVue for Agile viewer.
In Web Client, with the object open, choose Actions > Print.
In Java Client, with the object open, use the Print button.
For additional information about printing objects, see Getting Started with Agile PLM.
