Engineering Document Control Handbook 2nd ed.

Citation

Watts, F.B. (2002), "Engineering Document Control Handbook 2nd ed.", Assembly Automation, Vol. 22 No. 3, pp. 298-298. https://doi.org/10.1108/aa.2002.22.3.298.1

This book stresses the importance of configuration management (CM) and engineering documentation control (EDC) on the road to successful world class total quality management (TQM). It aims to bridge the gap between design engineering and the rest of the corporate world.

Chapter 1 introduces CM and its history. The managers job, documentation control functions, CM functions, and organisation with CM, are also discussed. Chapter 2, Product documentation, addresses topics including: documentation and standards, the body of a part drawing, document signatures, and specification control and source control drawings.

Identification numbers, and interchangeability are discussed in chapters 3 and 4 respectively. Topics addressed include: product and model number, traceability, revision number and levels, spare parts and assemblies, and PCB interchangeability. Bills of materials (BOMs) are presented in chapter 5 and address data responsibility, parts list and BOMs, 100 per cent BOM accuracy, MRP/phantom solutions, and modular designs.

Cross‐functional teams, responsibility, nonconforming material, and ISO/QS/ AS 9000 are amongst the topics discussed in chapter 6, while chapter 7 addresses Product and document release. The following three chapters discuss Change requests, Change costs, and Change control respectively. Topics addressed include: reliability and other test data, production problems, costing a change, design and development costs, types of change, advanced document change notice (ADCN), effectively, and tracking the change.

Chapter 11, Fast change, addresses why process speed is important, while Process standards and audits are presented in chapter 12. Benchmarking is discussed in chapter 13 and includes surveys and examples and techniques for benchmarking. The final chapter of the book addresses CM in the Future and provides a summary of the key ideas discussed in the text. References and a recommended reading list are also provided.

Overall, the Engineering Documentation Control Handbook provides clear and simple coverage of how configuration management can enhance small and large companies alike. It will be of interest to engineering managers and executives, manufacturing engineers, production control and QA managers, planner‐buyers, and field service personnel.