{"id":4703,"date":"2023-01-27T19:42:58","date_gmt":"2023-01-27T19:42:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/durolabs.co\/?p=4703"},"modified":"2025-07-28T15:36:07","modified_gmt":"2025-07-28T15:36:07","slug":"engineering-change-order","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/durolabs.co\/blog\/engineering-change-order\/","title":{"rendered":"Engineering Change Orders (ECOs): What are They, Challenges, and Tips"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"4703\" class=\"elementor elementor-4703\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-50430492 posts-inner-container e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"50430492\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7f27cad1 post-text-block elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"7f27cad1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The success of any hardware product company is impacted by how well the team can manage change. Market events, customer feedback, product issues in the field, and new competition all result in a need to adapt products.<\/p><p>Hardware companies require processes in order to manage changes efficiently, ensuring engineers understand the scope of a change and can articulate it to the rest of the organization. An engineering change order (ECO) is central to managing those product changes.<\/p><p>While different types of change orders are used in product development and manufacturing, an ECO is the most common way to promote changes to an established design baseline.<\/p><p>An engineering change order is a streamlined process that ensures every relevant team member sees and understands the changes so they can provide feedback and approve the proposed changes.<\/p><p>In this article, we\u2019ll discuss engineering change orders in more detail, providing information on what they entail and offering tips for setting up the most efficient process for\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.durolabs.co\/blog\/engineering-change-management\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">engineering change management<\/a>.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6c0d8df elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"6c0d8df\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/durolabs.co\/request-demo\/\" target=\"_blank\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"124\" src=\"https:\/\/durolabs.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/BANNER-CHANGE-ORDER.png\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-14531\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/durolabs.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/BANNER-CHANGE-ORDER.png 1000w, https:\/\/durolabs.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/BANNER-CHANGE-ORDER-300x37.png 300w, https:\/\/durolabs.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/BANNER-CHANGE-ORDER-768x95.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1eb02c3 post-anchored-tag elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"1eb02c3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">What is an engineering change order (ECO)?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3bf6e6a2 post-text-block elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3bf6e6a2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>An\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.durolabs.co\/blog\/2020-10-22-guide-to-plm-based-engineering-change-orders\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">engineering change order<\/a>\u00a0is a formal review process of proposed engineering changes to an established baseline that will impact form, fit, or function. An ECO, at minimum, will list all of the affected components and will provide the reasoning behind the proposed changes.<\/p><p>Red-lined drawings, inventory disposition instructions, and part effectiveness are other types of information that may be contained within an ECO.<\/p><p>The ECO process will involve different team members that are required to review or <a href=\"https:\/\/durolabs.co\/blog\/change-order\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">approve the proposed changes<\/a>. Having an established engineering change order process ensures that all proposed changes are evaluated and signed off before they are implemented.<\/p><p>The ECO record is necessary to refer back to for compliance or to determine the root cause of an issue once a product is in production.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-564a561 post-anchored-tag elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"564a561\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Other types of change orders<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-64065642 post-text-block elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"64065642\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>There are other types of COs besides ECOs, most notably manufacturing change orders (MCOs) and documentation change orders (DCOs). These types of change orders are similar to ECOs, but carry differences in both intent and execution.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-477bba61 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"477bba61\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Manufacturing change orders (MCOs)<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-63ab0b53 post-text-block elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"63ab0b53\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>An MCO is typically initiated by the manufacturing team rather than the engineering team. It is used for process or documentation changes, rather than for changing the design of a part, assembly or product.<\/p><p>For example, a production team might submit process improvements using an MCO if the existing process is not efficient or straightforward.<\/p><p>If there are changes required to both the design and the manufacturing process, an MCO will be submitted to the appropriate teams for review alongside an ECO.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6af0771 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"6af0771\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Document change orders (DCOs)\n<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2063e05 post-text-block elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"2063e05\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>A DCO is used to update or otherwise change the documents for a product or component, such as:<\/p><ul><li>Fabrication drawing<\/li><li>Protocols and procedures<\/li><li>Written instructions<\/li><\/ul><p><br \/>More minor changes, such as adapting work order instructions or editing a typo in a document, will go in a DCO rather than significant design changes. A DCO will go through the same approval process as an ECO or MCOs, but the component revision values will not be incremented, nor will the status of the components be altered.<\/p><p>Learn how Duro PLM can help you establish best practices for your change order process by hardware organizations streamline their change order process.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/meetings.hubspot.com\/blake-o-connor\/discovery-call-with-duro?utm_source=blog&amp;amp;utm_medium=cta&amp;amp;utm_campaign=text_CTA_test&amp;amp;utm_content=text_CTA_1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Schedule a demo.<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2b9c8650 post-anchored-tag elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"2b9c8650\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">What\u2019s the difference between an engineering change request (ECR) and an engineering change order (ECO)?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-05777e6 post-text-block elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"05777e6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>An\u00a0engineering change request\u00a0(ECR) is another common change management process that precedes an\u00a0engineering change order\u00a0(ECO).\u00a0ECRs\u00a0are used to document the initial request or suggestion to address a design problem. Similar to an\u00a0ECO, an\u00a0ECR\u00a0would contain a list of the components that would be impacted and the reasoning behind the\u00a0requested changes.\u00a0<\/p><p>It\u2019s often feasible to combine the\u00a0ECR\u00a0and\u00a0ECO processes, as the\u00a0ECR\u00a0can be seen as redundant for certain organizations.\u00a0PLM\u00a0software like Duro runs a single\u00a0engineering change order process\u00a0that merges the concept of the\u00a0ECR\u00a0into the\u00a0ECO process. For those organizations that absolutely need a separate\u00a0ECR\u00a0process, integrations to tools like Jira provide a nicely integrated\u00a0ECR\u00a0step.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5833e2b post-anchored-tag elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"5833e2b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">How long does an engineering change order take to process?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-db419f6 post-text-block elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"db419f6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The time it takes to process an ECO depends on the complexity of the change, how many people are involved in the approval process as well as how established your processes are.<\/p><p>The type of software you use to manage ECOs can also impact the timeframe to process them.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.durolabs.co\/blog\/best-product-lifecycle-management-software\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">product lifecycle management platforms<\/a>\u00a0can help streamline your ECO process and allow you to achieve a resolution in a quick and repeatable manner.<\/p><p>PLM platforms like Duro use pre-established workflows that make it simpler and faster to process a ECO as well as ensure relevant team members are alerted when they need to take an action based on a proposed change.<\/p><p>Duro can also help ensure that all the necessary information for a CO is surfaced easily, preventing delays and enabling more agile workflows. Incomplete ECOs are likely to get rejected, causing potential delays with production. Using a PLM-based ECO process reduces the rejection rate and helps speed up the approval process for product changes.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4eedc0e elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"4eedc0e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/durolabs.co\/case-study\/rapid-robotics-stays-agile-and-reduces-duplication-with-duro\/\" target=\"_blank\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"124\" src=\"https:\/\/durolabs.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/BANNER-RAPID-ITERATIONS.png\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-14525\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/durolabs.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/BANNER-RAPID-ITERATIONS.png 1000w, https:\/\/durolabs.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/BANNER-RAPID-ITERATIONS-300x37.png 300w, https:\/\/durolabs.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/BANNER-RAPID-ITERATIONS-768x95.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3581839 post-anchored-tag elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"3581839\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">The 7 stages of the engineering change order process<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7b40acda post-text-block elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"7b40acda\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>An engineering change request usually goes through seven different stages before it is approved and implemented. Make sure you take the right steps to increase the chances that your COs include complete information, can be easily interpreted by all parties and that resolution is achieved quickly.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-703638a elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"703638a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">1. Identifying the need for an ECO<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ef3040e post-text-block elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ef3040e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The first part of the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/gamep.org\/tips-for-effectively-managing-change-at-manufacturing-plant\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ECO<\/a>\u00a0process is the identification stage. Here, the need for an engineering change order is identified, potentially due to a design error or a flaw in the engineering or product development processes that previously went unnoticed.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-288d0e3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"288d0e3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">2. Investigating the need for change<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-05dfd46 post-text-block elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"05dfd46\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Once the need for an ECO is identified, the change needs to be investigated. This helps determine the scope and severity of the change and examines the potential impacts that it could have on other components or products. You\u2019ll uncover what the possible repercussions of the change would be and what actions might need to be taken.<\/p><p>This step is often captured in an Engineering Change Request (ECR) document but is just as often merged into the initial stage of an ECO (this depends on your organization\u2019s requirements, as addressed above).<\/p><p>In a separate ECR document the proposed change will be examined to assess feasibility and to identify the affected parts, components, and other documents that will need to be changed if it is approved. This documentation might also include estimated costs, resources, and materials required to make the change.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b0f2803 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"b0f2803\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">3. Creating the engineering change order<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d229448 post-text-block elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"d229448\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>An engineering change order lists all of the parts, assemblies, items, or documents (like drawings and designs) that need to be changed in order to complete the order. The more detailed the descriptions, the better, as they will help other people understand the full impact of any change.<\/p><p>Other things noted in the CO may include:<\/p><ul><li>CAD files<\/li><li>Fabrication drawing<\/li><li>Work instructions<\/li><li>Disposition codes<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4017725 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"4017725\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">4. Reviewing the engineering change order<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e5c8103 post-text-block elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"e5c8103\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>A change control board is in charge of looking at all the ECOs. They will then review the ECO as it stands and take a look at the suggestions or implementation requirements needed for the order to be fulfilled.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0022ab5 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"0022ab5\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">5. Approving the engineering change order<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5af87e5 post-text-block elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5af87e5\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The stakeholders will either approve or reject the CO after they have reviewed all of the documentation. If it is approved, a notification will go out alerting relevant parties that the CO will need to go into effect.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a0e35f5 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"a0e35f5\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">6. Notifying relevant stakeholders<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ee3f1ef post-text-block elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ee3f1ef\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The approved CO will be communicated across different teams who need to understand the approved engineering change and its impact. This stage is often captured and documented in an Engineering Change Notice (ECN).<\/p><p>Whether you use an ECN or notify relevant stakeholders through a separate means, it\u2019s critical that approved changes are disseminated effectively so as not to cause any miscommunications or unintended consequences.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a028725 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"a028725\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">7. Implementing the change<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-34f8b7d post-text-block elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"34f8b7d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Once the changes specified in an approved CO have been communicated across different teams, the implementation plan, which is typically defined in the CO, will need to be executed. The implementation plan will be driven by the instructions defined in the ECO and may include an inventory disposition and part effectiveness.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-29af9632 post-anchored-tag elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"29af9632\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Engineering change order benefits<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2711a9cc post-text-block elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"2711a9cc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>While the engineering change order process might sound complicated, a well executed process will ensure that your product development efforts stay on track and that stakeholders are on the same page. The following are among the important ways in which a well designed ECO process can benefit your organization.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4279133a elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"4279133a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Keeps product development on track<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5105f7d4 post-text-block elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5105f7d4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Product development is all about advancement and improvement. If there is a more efficient way doing a task or process, then it needs to be addressed in order to:<\/p><ul><li>Keep product development on track.<\/li><li>Ensure that you are competitive with other companies.<\/li><li>Enabling continuous product and process improvement.<\/li><\/ul><p><br \/>COs are an important step in evolving your products. The more streamlined the process the faster you can increase quality and get your products to market.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3994ae03 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"3994ae03\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Reduces errors, delays, and bottlenecks<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b071296 post-text-block elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"b071296\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Product design flaws can lead to serious issues that create delays, production bottlenecks, and even product failures. These issues can impact your customer satisfaction levels and damage your business\u2019s reputation.<\/p><p>It\u2019s essential to reduce and resolve any product issues as early as possible. ECOs are essential to ensure you rapidly address any product design issues and keep your business on sure footing.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-471616a elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"471616a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Maintains clear records of any changes<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7e9f1ab post-text-block elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"7e9f1ab\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>It\u2019s essential to maintain a clear record of document changes so that you can easily go back to a product baseline or point in time. You might need to review specific steps in the production process or revert back to a previous design.<\/p><p>In addition, these steps are often required for compliance to get products approved for the market. ECOs provide access to the necessary history log of designs with details of who made each change and why.<\/p><p>A convoluted or poorly documented process can lead to major complications when it\u2019s time for internal reviews, quality checks, or even new employee training.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bfb7e45 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"bfb7e45\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Ensures stakeholders have bought into the change<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-78143e8 post-text-block elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"78143e8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Making changes in any area of a business without buy-in from stakeholders often leads to problems. By involving the right team members in the ECO process, you ensure that they are aware of any changes and will support the implementation at the end of the process.<\/p><p>This is particularly important for communicating changes to procurement and manufacturing teams. They need updated information about which parts to order or how to adjust their manufacturing workflows and account for existing resources.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7a08a5c elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"7a08a5c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/durolabs.co\/request-demo\/\" target=\"_blank\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"124\" src=\"https:\/\/durolabs.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/BANNER-CHANGE-ORDER.png\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-14531\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/durolabs.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/BANNER-CHANGE-ORDER.png 1000w, https:\/\/durolabs.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/BANNER-CHANGE-ORDER-300x37.png 300w, https:\/\/durolabs.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/BANNER-CHANGE-ORDER-768x95.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6ebc9882 post-anchored-tag elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"6ebc9882\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Engineering change order challenges<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ef47456 post-text-block elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ef47456\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>While there are many benefits of ECOs, there are also challenges to be addressed.\u00a0Here are a few of the most common problems that can arise while creating an ECO.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ca7fa3d elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"ca7fa3d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Relying on a single author to carefully document everything<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4785b05 post-text-block elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4785b05\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Engineering changes need to be well documented. Because not every team member will have access to the CAD software (which usually requires an expensive license) or understand the design adaptations, this documentation typically falls to a single person.<\/p><p>If there are no standards in place, the individual responsible for a change needs might not write up complete notes or miss a step. Managing this documentation and setting out clear outlines for what should be included eliminates the likelihood of common issues incurred when relying on a single author, such as:<\/p><ul><li>Typos or misinterpretations<\/li><li>Accidental information omission (resulting in incomplete sections of the ECO)<\/li><li>Shorthand that make the author\u2019s notes hard to interpret<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fd2bbd0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"fd2bbd0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Not understanding the full impact of a change<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2167b5d7 post-text-block elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"2167b5d7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Having\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.durolabs.co\/blog\/part-traceability\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">visibility and traceability<\/a>\u00a0into a change is an important part of the ECO process. When your data is disparate and not centralized, it can be difficult to take a step back and consider everything that will be changed and why.<\/p><p>A small change with one component could affect other products that use it. This ripple effect might not always be readily apparent when the change is initially made, but can lead to unknown production issues later on.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8dae168 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"8dae168\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Delays in approvals\n<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a9db263 post-text-block elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"a9db263\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The sheer number of people needed to approve forms and gain access to documents can also cause a delay. This is especially true if you need to access multiple chains of command who start at square one in understanding each request.<\/p><p>If you don\u2019t have a standard process, you might also risk accidentally leaving people off of the approvals list. With a PLM system, approvers receive automatic alerts to remind them that they need to review or approve a change. This significantly speeds up the approval process, which shortens the overall production timelines.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3f3b6a4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"3f3b6a4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Risk of changes not being approved<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-72b303f post-text-block elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"72b303f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Thorough\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/biotech.com\/2021\/01\/21\/the-importance-of-good-documentation-practices\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">documentation practices<\/a>\u00a0are essential when creating and executing COs. However, they can be time consuming and there\u2019s a chance that key information gets missed. If key details are accidentally excluded, a change might get rejected dragging the process out even further. This is a major risk to businesses, as it leads to missed timelines and lost revenue.<\/p><p>Opting for a PLM system like Duro gives businesses a better way to handle documentation, helping to reduce the frequency of rejected ECOs and leading to more consistent approvals.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4749f236 post-anchored-tag elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"4749f236\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Engineering change order best practices<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-56cda48c post-text-block elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"56cda48c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The following includes few best practices that can help organizations avoid issues during the engineering change order:<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0964f1b elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"0964f1b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Keep change orders clean and manageable\n<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-944a080 post-text-block elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"944a080\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Having a clear scope of what your CO covers and making sure the size and volume of the request is manageable helps to speed up the change management process.<\/p><p>When making a change, it might initially seem like a good idea to merge multiple functional updates or include other processes or product development changes in the same CO.<\/p><p>However, this adds unnecessary complexity and can increase the odds of getting it rejected. After all, if just one part of a complicated CO has an error, the entire ECO will be impacted.<\/p><p>Instead, break down changes into granular modules to make sure they\u2019re easy to understand and speed up the review process.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a67f039 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"a67f039\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Keep documentation consistent<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-459e6a9 post-text-block elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"459e6a9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Having repeatable processes and standardized documentation templates are key components to a successful ECO process. Consistency is also key for making sure everyone can understand the changes as well as their involvement.<\/p><p>A PLM platform like Duro can help centralize product requirements documents (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.durolabs.co\/blog\/product-requirements-document-template\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">PRDs<\/a>) as well as information from CAD designs. Standard policies and templates encourage consistency and completeness of information. Automating information transfer across systems or using approval templates can help speed up ECOs.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-490b5838 post-anchored-tag elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"490b5838\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Streamline ECO processes with Duro<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c8923d9 post-text-block elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"c8923d9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"inner wysiwyg\" data-v-0163b48d=\"\"><p>The right software will go a long way in helping you\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=W_wFZ3Pp1z4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">submit and complete engineering change orders<\/a>\u00a0in a way that doesn\u2019t slow your team down. Duro offers product lifecycle management software that focuses on accelerating your internal ECO processes.<\/p><p>To learn more about Duro and how it can take your business to the next level today,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/meetings.hubspot.com\/blake-o-connor\/discovery-call-with-duro?__hstc=10334826.15eeb94afecfd1974e95723b2a5ce9b0.1655133851233.1673547862682.1673551954074.205&amp;__hssc=10334826.11.1673551954074&amp;__hsfp=69714730\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">schedule a demo<\/a>. You\u2019ll be able to see for yourself the many ways in which Duro can improve your processes and increase your success as a hardware organization.<\/p><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The success of any hardware product company is impacted by how well the team can manage change. Market events, customer feedback, product issues in the field, and new competition all result in a need to adapt products. Hardware companies require processes in order to manage changes efficiently, ensuring engineers understand the scope of a change [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":4704,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"Engineering Change Orders (ECOs): What are They, Challenges, and Tips","_seopress_titles_desc":"An engineering change order (ECO) is a streamlined process that ensures every relevant team member understands product changes. Learn what ECOs entail.","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[93],"tags":[],"resource-tag":[77],"class_list":["post-4703","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","resource-tag-plm"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/durolabs.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4703","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/durolabs.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/durolabs.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/durolabs.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/durolabs.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4703"}],"version-history":[{"count":87,"href":"https:\/\/durolabs.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4703\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20723,"href":"https:\/\/durolabs.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4703\/revisions\/20723"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/durolabs.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4704"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/durolabs.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4703"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/durolabs.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4703"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/durolabs.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4703"},{"taxonomy":"resource-tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/durolabs.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource-tag?post=4703"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}