In this lesson, we’ll walk you through creating new item numbering rules according to an example part numbering scheme. We’ll then demonstrate how the numbering is applied as items are created to confirm that rules are being applied correctly.
Consider what your desired item numbering scheme is and map this out in a document ahead of time.
In this video, we’ll discuss what an item is and the different parts of the item data model.
Any referenced datasets can be downloaded from "Module downloads" in the module overview.
Transcript
00:09
In this video, we'll discuss what an item is, item types, and the different parts of the item data model.
00:16
So, let's take a look.
00:19
What is an item?
00:21
Before we can begin configuring item numbering rules, we need to understand what an item is.
00:28
An item represents one object in a design.
00:31
It is one level in a bill of materials that can be a part, assembly, subassembly, or end item, which is a top-level item with no parent.
00:42
Think of an item like a box.
00:44
It contains all data associated with 1 object in a product design, including attributes, which is your metadata,
00:53
CAD models and drawings, non-CAD documentation, translations, visualizations and markups.
01:02
It is not just a CAD file.
01:04
This means that an item can contain no CAD files or drawings if necessary.
01:12
What are item types and what are they for?
01:16
You are provided with a set of default item types.
01:20
Item types help to broadly categorize the purpose and function of the item.
01:25
This allows users, at a quick glance, to determine whether the items are mechanical or electrical, parts or assemblies,
01:34
purchased or manufactured, and so on.
01:40
The default item types are Assembly, Electrical Package, Manufactured Item,
01:49
Product Structure Item, Purchased Electrical Parts, Purchased Electromechanical Parts,
01:56
Purchased Mechanical Parts, Purchased Phantom Assembly, Software Package, Subassembly, and Virtual Item.
02:06
You don't have to use all of the above item types, and you can request different item types if you wish by reaching out to Upchain Support.
02:14
However, we recommend that you keep this list as simple as possible to reduce complexity and therefore user error, in how you manage your data.
02:24
Upchain provides you with many default item attributes and you can create your own custom attributes,
02:30
and or categorization to allow you to fully describe and classify your items in more detail.
02:37
You are not limited to the item type and item number to provide this information.
02:47
What is the item data model?
02:50
The item data model is the full representation of the item that includes its unique identifier,
02:57
and information about what stage of its life cycle it's at.
03:02
When an item is created, it is assigned an item number.
03:08
This number uniquely identifies the item and stays with it for its entire lifecycle.
03:15
Because of this, it is sometimes referred to as the item master.
03:19
This is the first part of the item data model.
03:24
Please note, once an item number is assigned, it can never be changed or used again for different items.
03:34
Though we've used the term "Item Number", the number itself can include numbers, letters and certain special characters based on your desired format.
03:43
You can also configure different item numbering rules based on division and item type.
03:49
We'll explore this later on in this course.
03:53
The item master only forms part of the full item data model.
03:58
Items also contain a major and minor revision.
04:02
These two components identify what stage of its life cycle the item is at and how many release and revision cycles it has been through.
04:19
While it is up to your organization to decide how these two components are implemented,
04:25
typically, the major revision represents a design evolution of the item master that is commonly known as a customer facing revision.
04:35
We don't mean the daily design changes that happen as the item is being created and finalized.
04:40
This is captured in the CAD file versions, but rather a significant change that occurs after an item has been finalized or released.
04:54
The minor revision represents an evolution of the item major revision that is commonly known as an internal or administrative revision.
05:06
You might need to make changes to an item for reasons other than design changes,
05:10
such as missing dimensions on drawings, attribute changes or documentation updates.
05:19
The last part of the item data model is the item version.
05:24
The item version represents the version of the item at a specific major and minor revision level.
05:32
Item versions allow branching of the same item revision,
05:36
but will typically be version 1 for items in development and will always be version 0 for items that are released.
05:44
You'll often see it represented as shown here, like V0, V1, V2, and so on,
05:51
but occasionally you'll see it represented as a decimal at the end of the item data model, such as .000, .001, .002, and so on.
06:08
Let's look at an example.
06:12
Consider this item.
06:15
The 10-12345 at the beginning is the item master, and its format follows the rules set up in this tenant.
06:26
AA is the major revision.
06:29
By default, it is represented by a double alpha character sequence that starts at double XX when the item is new,
06:38
and increments to AA at its first release, and subsequently AB, AC, and so on.
06:49
By default, it is represented by a double numeric character sequence that starts at double XX when the item is new,
06:57
and increments to 00 at the first release, and subsequently 01, 02, and so on, if multiple minor revisions have occurred.
07:08
In the above, in the above example, the item has been through a major release to first set it to AA,
07:16
and then a subsequent minor release to increment the minor revision to 1.
07:23
The version at the end is version 1, so this means that the item must be in development.
07:33
Now that we have established the key concepts of the item, item type, major and minor revision, and version,
07:40
keep going to learn how all of this comes into play when configuring the item numbering rules in your tenant.
00:09
In this video, we'll discuss what an item is, item types, and the different parts of the item data model.
00:16
So, let's take a look.
00:19
What is an item?
00:21
Before we can begin configuring item numbering rules, we need to understand what an item is.
00:28
An item represents one object in a design.
00:31
It is one level in a bill of materials that can be a part, assembly, subassembly, or end item, which is a top-level item with no parent.
00:42
Think of an item like a box.
00:44
It contains all data associated with 1 object in a product design, including attributes, which is your metadata,
00:53
CAD models and drawings, non-CAD documentation, translations, visualizations and markups.
01:02
It is not just a CAD file.
01:04
This means that an item can contain no CAD files or drawings if necessary.
01:12
What are item types and what are they for?
01:16
You are provided with a set of default item types.
01:20
Item types help to broadly categorize the purpose and function of the item.
01:25
This allows users, at a quick glance, to determine whether the items are mechanical or electrical, parts or assemblies,
01:34
purchased or manufactured, and so on.
01:40
The default item types are Assembly, Electrical Package, Manufactured Item,
01:49
Product Structure Item, Purchased Electrical Parts, Purchased Electromechanical Parts,
01:56
Purchased Mechanical Parts, Purchased Phantom Assembly, Software Package, Subassembly, and Virtual Item.
02:06
You don't have to use all of the above item types, and you can request different item types if you wish by reaching out to Upchain Support.
02:14
However, we recommend that you keep this list as simple as possible to reduce complexity and therefore user error, in how you manage your data.
02:24
Upchain provides you with many default item attributes and you can create your own custom attributes,
02:30
and or categorization to allow you to fully describe and classify your items in more detail.
02:37
You are not limited to the item type and item number to provide this information.
02:47
What is the item data model?
02:50
The item data model is the full representation of the item that includes its unique identifier,
02:57
and information about what stage of its life cycle it's at.
03:02
When an item is created, it is assigned an item number.
03:08
This number uniquely identifies the item and stays with it for its entire lifecycle.
03:15
Because of this, it is sometimes referred to as the item master.
03:19
This is the first part of the item data model.
03:24
Please note, once an item number is assigned, it can never be changed or used again for different items.
03:34
Though we've used the term "Item Number", the number itself can include numbers, letters and certain special characters based on your desired format.
03:43
You can also configure different item numbering rules based on division and item type.
03:49
We'll explore this later on in this course.
03:53
The item master only forms part of the full item data model.
03:58
Items also contain a major and minor revision.
04:02
These two components identify what stage of its life cycle the item is at and how many release and revision cycles it has been through.
04:19
While it is up to your organization to decide how these two components are implemented,
04:25
typically, the major revision represents a design evolution of the item master that is commonly known as a customer facing revision.
04:35
We don't mean the daily design changes that happen as the item is being created and finalized.
04:40
This is captured in the CAD file versions, but rather a significant change that occurs after an item has been finalized or released.
04:54
The minor revision represents an evolution of the item major revision that is commonly known as an internal or administrative revision.
05:06
You might need to make changes to an item for reasons other than design changes,
05:10
such as missing dimensions on drawings, attribute changes or documentation updates.
05:19
The last part of the item data model is the item version.
05:24
The item version represents the version of the item at a specific major and minor revision level.
05:32
Item versions allow branching of the same item revision,
05:36
but will typically be version 1 for items in development and will always be version 0 for items that are released.
05:44
You'll often see it represented as shown here, like V0, V1, V2, and so on,
05:51
but occasionally you'll see it represented as a decimal at the end of the item data model, such as .000, .001, .002, and so on.
06:08
Let's look at an example.
06:12
Consider this item.
06:15
The 10-12345 at the beginning is the item master, and its format follows the rules set up in this tenant.
06:26
AA is the major revision.
06:29
By default, it is represented by a double alpha character sequence that starts at double XX when the item is new,
06:38
and increments to AA at its first release, and subsequently AB, AC, and so on.
06:49
By default, it is represented by a double numeric character sequence that starts at double XX when the item is new,
06:57
and increments to 00 at the first release, and subsequently 01, 02, and so on, if multiple minor revisions have occurred.
07:08
In the above, in the above example, the item has been through a major release to first set it to AA,
07:16
and then a subsequent minor release to increment the minor revision to 1.
07:23
The version at the end is version 1, so this means that the item must be in development.
07:33
Now that we have established the key concepts of the item, item type, major and minor revision, and version,
07:40
keep going to learn how all of this comes into play when configuring the item numbering rules in your tenant.
In this video, we’ll show you how to set up a simple item numbering rule in Upchain.
Any referenced datasets can be downloaded from "Module downloads" in the module overview.
In this video, we’ll show you how to set up a more complex item numbering scheme that relies on item types in Upchain.
Any referenced datasets can be downloaded from "Module downloads" in the module overview.
