Purpose

• To specify the company phases of product release. To chart all the critical aspects of those phases. To determine critical phases and elements for the whole company as opposed to any part of the company. To specify the process of Release in a flow diagram.

Applicability

• Applies to all new product and spin-off products to be processed by this CM Group.

Policy/Practice

• The company has analyzed the alternatives and chosen to normally use some or all of the following phases (choose from this list or name your own).
  • Concept Phase
  • Quotation / Contract Phase
  • Design and Development Phase
  • Pilot / Pre-production / Qualification Phase
  • Production Phase
  • In Service (Out of Production) Phase
  • Obsolete Phase
• Phases should be established at the company level — resulting in fewer phases not more phases. The Engineering Design Organization can establish sub-phases and standards as they wish. This standard is for a typical commercial product company.
• The company phases are charted as follows: (add/revise as required – Quotation Phase, etc.)

• Costs for building prototype units will be charged to the engineering project. Costs to build pilot units will be charged to pilot manufacturing accounts and costs for building production units to production accounts.
• The vertical separation between phases is often referred to as a “Baseline.”
  1. Between prior phase & Design & Development = Preliminary Design Review
  2. Between Design & Development and Pilot = Critical Design Review
  3. Between Pilot and Production = Qualification Test Review
• Appropriate team meetings might be designated as “baseline” reviews.
• Parts, assemblies, design documents and products can only be released (cross a baseline) by a Change Form checked “release for __________ phase.”
• After a product is released, if new item(s) are required for a design change, the ECO making the change may also release the new item(s).
• Purchase orders, fabrication orders, or production orders may not be executed for a given phase unless the documentation revision level and the ERP status code match that phase or a “higher” phase.
  Example of use: Don’t buy production quantities with a drawing still in the pilot phase.
  Example of use: Buying an item for pilot build may be done if the item is coded Pilot or Production.

Procedure

• See the Release Flow Diagram attached.

Primary Responsibility

• The VP of engineering may take exception to this standard on any particular product by letter/email to the President/GM (copying all key management) outlining the specific exception(s) with reasons given.
• The engineering services director is responsible for keeping this standard current.

Authorization