Implementing a Systematic Documentation Approach for Managing Process Changes Via ECN
Tervo, Laura (2025)
2025
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025121536753
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025121536753
Tiivistelmä
The thesis aimed to examine how a company's product change documentation process can be implemented and systematised, using the Engineering Change Notice approach as a new process in the company's product manufacturing. The research was limited to making changes to standardised products and developing the existing Engineering Change Management system, but not so much to the company's quality management and related methods in general. To give the reader a comprehensive understanding, the literature also presents other aspects related to quality, such as organizational culture and the basics of the product life cycle. The study is a case study based on qualitative research methods, including interviews with the company, analysis of the process and its risks, and observations.
The PDCA has been used to ensure the implementation of the new process, to ensure consistent progress with the structured quality-oriented approach, with clear stages of development. FMEA has been used as an analysis method to outline the overall picture, the risks involved, current management methods, and opportunities for change process improvement. The process has been visually represented in a Process Mapping diagram, which shows the steps in the existing process and after the development process in a visual form. The process has been implemented through employee training, where feedback has been collected for refining the process. Since this is a new way of working, employee training is an essential part of the new approach.
For the future recommendations development and continuous improvement of change management, it is recommended to add engineer changes also part of the company's ERP. An ERP system enables to improvement the versioning and management of existing products in stock when they are in digital form. It is also important to maintain and evaluate the new engineering change method process at regular intervals of employee training and assessing the value of the developed process. Improvements are presented at the end of this thesis.
The PDCA has been used to ensure the implementation of the new process, to ensure consistent progress with the structured quality-oriented approach, with clear stages of development. FMEA has been used as an analysis method to outline the overall picture, the risks involved, current management methods, and opportunities for change process improvement. The process has been visually represented in a Process Mapping diagram, which shows the steps in the existing process and after the development process in a visual form. The process has been implemented through employee training, where feedback has been collected for refining the process. Since this is a new way of working, employee training is an essential part of the new approach.
For the future recommendations development and continuous improvement of change management, it is recommended to add engineer changes also part of the company's ERP. An ERP system enables to improvement the versioning and management of existing products in stock when they are in digital form. It is also important to maintain and evaluate the new engineering change method process at regular intervals of employee training and assessing the value of the developed process. Improvements are presented at the end of this thesis.