Change categories improve visibility into the type of change that is occurring for PLM items and allows for users to scope which fields and data are permitted to changed under each category. Category fields can be set up to supplement the category with additional information and can be required to create or approve a change.
Follow the steps below create, reorder, and edit change categories and category fields.
Creating Change Categories
1. From the Change Categories tab in the Categories & Fields setting, click + New in the top right corner.
2. Enter a Name, optional description, and adjust the Change Order Prefix if desired. Users can classify this change as being Structural, meaning it groups other selectable change categories. They can also choose to assign it to an existing structural category or Parent.
Other options include...
Revision Settings: Choose whether this type of change will lead to a new revision number for the items involved.
Allowed Modifications: Choose the modifications since the previous release that are allowed for items to be added to this type of change. Edits can be allowed or disallowed for the item information (BOM, Design Files, Suppliers), default item fields (Name, Part Number, Description, etc.), and item category fields.
Users can allow modifications to all Item Category Fields between revisions e.g. Material, Nominal Size, etc. or toggle this off to allow none. See Creating Item Category Fields to view and add these.
An error will appear for any items that have "modifications that are not allowed by this change category" when attempting to add them to a change.
3. Click the Create button when satisfied.
Organizing and Editing Change Categories
Click and hold the six dots to left of the name to reorder the list of change categories.
Click the eye icon to show or hide categories. Hide a category instead of deleting it to allow changes with that category assigned to be edited and used in any operation.
Hover over a category name and click the pencil icon that appears to make any changes or delete the category.
Creating Change Category Fields
1. From the Change Category Fields tab in the Categories & Fields setting, click + New in the top right corner.
2. Assign it a Field Name and choose the relevant Value Type (Text, Number, Select, etc.) depending on the information it will capture. Choose whether the field is Global or relevant to specific categories.
Other options include...
Default Value: Specify the value for the created field that is initially populated when a change is created.
Show on Create: When enabled, this field will be visible in the change creation window.
Required on Create: It will be required for this field to be filled out at the time the change is created when toggled on.
Required for Approval: Enabling will require this field be filled out before initiating an approval for this change.
Global: If this field applies to all categories, toggle this on.
3. Click the Create button when satisfied.
Editing Change Category Fields
Edit or delete change category fields by hovering over the desired field and clicking the pencil icon.
