Any changes to product designs have to be approved by a number of departments before the final product is manufactured. Tetra wanted to automate the steps required to process these Engineering Change Notifications (ECN). The journey from conception to finished product involved numerous back-end processes. To change a product drawing, modify a part, or alter a dimension, Tetra engineers have to make formal ECN requests. An ECN has to be reviewed and approved by as many as six departments, which consists of 40 people any of whom could be involved in any one request.

One ECN potentially includes drawings of more than 50 parts, generating an exponential amount of paperwork to process the request. Use of interdepartmental mail to process the requests usually led to lost forms, further delays, and an inadequate system for engineers and drafters to keep track of requests. There also was no way of knowing whether or not the approver was in the office to review the ECN for approval. The end result was that project planning was successful by happenstance at best, and it was difficult at worse.

This scenario was compounded by the fact that three different applications were used for drawings and plans, and licensing everyone with the required software was both expensive and difficult to support.

To escape this predicament and find the balance between producing a profitable, uniform product and one that can accommodate ECNs to suit market needs, Tetra turned to Metastorm BPM™ to automate and streamline actions, thus shortening the engineering process. The solution revamped the ECN process to ensure that products are designed with the appropriate parts and level of input from other departments.

The ECN request process now is initiated by an electronic form sent automatically to the desktops of individuals with review and approval authority. It appears on their To Do list, a part of the Web-based BPM solution that prioritizes tasks. Unlike email that can hold a request forever, BPM uses timers to alert recipients of the ECN request so tasks are completed by deadline; if not then it can escalate the request to the next layer of management. It also provides users with a transparent view of the process via the Watch list so they can see the stage where the ECN is. This is particularly helpful to drafters who make the final changes to drawings once they are approved, so they can keep an eye on incoming requests and plan workloads accordingly.

With all documentation online multiple users can review simultaneously the folders and subfolders on the system – a collaborative quality that also leads to more efficient production. Because the solution can store all file formats, documents can be opened without needing a full implementation of the original application software on each desktop. Any ECN ever created can be retrieved through the Tetra Intranet portal, too.

Another key differentiator of the BPM solution is that it resides on Tetra's Windows 2000 server and it integrates with the Oracle database. Metastorm provided seamless integration into the current Tetra framework, which was essential to a quick and easy rollout. An added benefit was that the database gives automatic updates and backups of processes and Tetra Business tables, providing consistent and timely data.

Use of Metastorm BPM has sped up the ECN request process dramatically. The delays and mistakes associated with the manual system are gone, so there has been a greater focus on product development. What used to take an average of five days and required one full time employee now takes about one day. In addition, the automation of the ECN request process assures that every approval procedure had been adhered to, and all appropriate personnel have seen and confirmed any changes to engineering plans. Tetra does not have to worry about tracking and auditing the process, as it is inherent in Metastorm BPM that the appropriate actions are completed at every stage.

"Software solutions typically used by manufacturers don't have the change- management flexibility that we require in this process," said Charlie Lisanti, Information Systems Consultant at Tetra. "We need to incorporate into the process multiple users, as well as data and applications, so BPM is a technology that is a perfect fit for us."

Buoyed by the positive results of the new ECN process, Tetra has developed a second BPM-based solution for requesting and approving lab tests for new or existing products. This solution will also have online forms capability and an automated process for obtaining approvals. In addition, a solution for Purchase Requisitions has recently been implemented, and features auto-loading of the data. Other future projects include Education Assistance Program, billing instructions, and graphics project request.

Tetra is sharing best practices across the enterprise as a whole and has gathered support from upper management to take the BPM-based solutions company-wide.