Some of you out there are using the Change Order module that is included in Vault Professional. I would like to highlight a feature that has been a part of change orders for a long time but is seldom used. We are familiar with properties in vault, and that those properties can be applied to files, folders, items and change orders. Within the change order configuration is another special set of properties, called Linked Properties, which have some unique features. Linked properties are available to those using items in Vault.
When we look at the standard properties with regard to change orders, the values of these properties are global to the entire change order. They can have one value. Let’s start a change order to see how this works and then we will look at how the linked properties are configured. I start by identifying a required change. Below, I have identified four brackets in my system that are failing. They appear to be a bit too weak, so I will start an engineering change order (ECO) for these parts to have them redesigned a bit thicker.
I have assigned items to these parts and then in the item master view, I select these desired items and add them to a new change order. In my ECO, I fill in the required information. Notice at the bottom there is the section for what I describe as the global ECO properties. For each ECO, I can only choose one value or type in information that must apply to the ECO as a whole. Yes, I can spell out specifically something for each affected part, but that becomes hard to read when there are more than a few.
As I change to my Records tab, I see the items I have associated to this ECO. To the right are the columns of linked properties.
In my system I have a property to specify what should be done with the existing stock for each part. Since each part may be dealt with uniquely, I want a separate value for each. I also want to specify when each change becomes effective and again, I can assign the same date or a different date for each part. As you can see, this provides a much easier way of tracking the information that is pertinent to the ECO and specific to each individually affected part.
Let’s look at how these properties are created. Within the Tools – Administration – Vault Settings, we select the Change Orders tab. At the bottom, we see a section for linked properties.
We open the Linked Properties section to display the user-defined linked properties. Select the New button to create a new linked property. The process of defining the new property is very similar to defining the global properties. We specify a name, type of information to store, it defaults to being enabled, specify an initial value if desired, and create a lookup list, also if desired.
You can see I created a test property and disabled it. Once created and associated with an ECO, you cannot delete that property, only disable it. Keep that in mind as you create these and put some extra thought into what you need.
There is one disappointing aspect of this feature. It is not available for files. If I do not use items, then I attach files to the records tab of my ECO. The linked property columns are displayed, but I cannot set values for any of the files. If you would like this feature enhanced to include files as well as items, please consider following the link below to the Autodesk Vault Ideas forum. You can vote for your favorite enhancements, which helps prioritize which features Autodesk considers for future releases of Vault. The more votes, the better.
https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/vault-ideas/eco-link-properties-for-files/idi-p/6622029
Comments