How to manage multiple PCBs in a company?

[Faringdon]

Hi,
Most companies have multiple products and PCBs.
Each product's PCB/Schem/BOM etc is usually stored in a folder with the name of the
product, eg Spider_One_Product.

So if you wander into the company as a newcomer, and pick up any PCB, you would
have no idea where to find its PCB layout files. No idea where to find its PCB BOM.

As such, is it not better for every company to have a folder called "PCBs".
In that folder would be the PCB layout files for that PCB.
Those layout files will not be duplicated anywhere else on the server.

Every PCB should have a number, and in fact, it is that number that should be used
as the file name in the PCBs folder.

Many products contain multiple PCBs.
As such, they must simply refer back to the PCBs folder.

No PCB layout files should be held (duplicated) in  the product folder.

Sometimes a different product may use the same PCB as another PCB...but have various no-fits.

In this case, this version,  should  be in a sub file of the main PCB number folder.

The BOM should not be kept with the PCB file, since the BOM may vary for the same PCB with different products.
The BOM should be in its own folder, and should have a specific number reference.


Would you agree with all this?

Why does ISO9001 not even touch on this?

[SMTech]

What a delightful word salad. ISO and other standards require a level of version control and stock control. They require you devise and document a system for implementing such control. They do not dictate what that system should look like or how it should be implemented as that would be industry and requirement specific. Customers and sector regulators might have their own specific requirements. An audit will check if your rules and system comply with the requirements and if your processes match your own rules.

There are both document management systems and things like MES that you can use to track this stuff.

No N00b should be randomly picking up boards with no knowledge or data.

Access control is whole other layer of consideration to add on top, who can see what, why and what access do they have.

[Daixiwen]

I think it's just easier to create a new company each time you design a new PCB

[DenzilPenberthy]

The key is to remember that the bare PCB and the finished PCBA (assembly) have different part numbers.

e.g. Mega Widget UK version has a BOM that contains

P-1000-1000 Case
P-1000-1001 Switch
P-1000-1002 Lamp
A-1000-1003 Assembled UK spec PCBA
etc etc


Bom for Assembly A-1000-1003 (UK Spec PCBA)
P-1000-1000 Bare PCB
P-1000-1001 Component 1
P-1000-1002 Component 2
... etc

Bom for Assembly A-1000-1004 (Europe Spec PCBA) might be
P-1000-1000 Bare PCB
P-1000-1001 Component 1
P-1000-1003 Component 3
...etc


So Europe Spec Widgebt would have a different BOM that uses A-1000-1004 PCBA instead of UK PCBA but that both use the same part number bare PCB.

And yes, in my experience they live in a directory structure based on their part or assebly number, not in a project specific directory. Because, as you've said, many parts and assemblies will be common to many projects.

[meshtron]

I think it's just easier to create a new company each time you design a new PCB

 

[tggzzz]

I think it's just easier to create a new company each time you design a new PCB

Do you agree, an alternative is to have a new employer.

(And "word salad" from Faringdon? Surely not. Who could possibly imagine such a thing?)

[Gyro]

...
Why does ISO9001 not even touch on this?

Truly a brainless, word salad. Proper companies have procedures which they follow, all components, including PCBs have unique part numbers and revision control etc. Are you hoping to get in and grab anything convenient before you get fired again?

As far as ISO9001, do you have any understanding at all of what it means? It's about companies having comprehensive procedures in place and its staff demonstrably understanding and following them. It's not about folder structures.

You'll need to stay long enough to read the company procedures before you 'leave'.

[Faringdon]

And yes, in my experience they live in a directory structure based on their part or assebly number,

Thanks, we are on the same  page i think.

In every company that has bare PCBs, there must be a file with that PCB's number as its name.
That file should exit in a folder with other similar files.
And the folder should be called something like "PCBs _Bare Boards".

There should be  another folder called "PCBAs"

Would you agree, that without such things, a company is not in a good place.

I think it's just easier to create a new company each time you design a new PCB

Thanks.....there is a lot more truth behind this than it seems.
Eventually, when a company has loads of PCBs......the work of maintenance of these will take up  a lot of design engineers time...and it may at some point, be worth
hiving some of the products to a completely new company.
Otherwise , if just kept as one place, there is danger of it stagnating in bureaucracy, amongst other technical issues.

Any obselete or nil stocked component best needs a fully fledged design engineer to check it, (not always, but its impossible to depict when , so they all need it) or else a mass load of failed products could ensue.

[Smokey]

Wouldn't it be funny if "Faringdon" was actually Dave... Like if he needed to reach some minimum forum post count every month to make an advertiser happy or something so he post stuff like this just to pump up the post numbers...

"Do you think this post is stupid?  Do you think I'm stupid? What do you think is stupid?  Let us know in the comments...."

[tggzzz]

As far as ISO9001, do you have any understanding at all of what it means? It's about companies having comprehensive procedures in place and its staff demonstrably understanding and following them. It's not about folder structures.

You'll need to stay long enough to read the company procedures before you 'leave'.

Of course the OP doesn't understand.

He won't realise that it is perfectly acceptable for an ISO9001 compliant semiconductor company to sell ICs with random bits of their packaging missing.

It only requires that their ISO9001 documents state that it is acceptable.

[abeyer]

if he needed to reach some minimum forum post count

If this is the case, it's must be a "Say Thanks" count that is the goal. 

[tggzzz]

if he needed to reach some minimum forum post count

If this is the case, it's must be a "Say Thanks" count that is the goal. 

IMHO faringdon is doing everybody a service by devaluing the "thanks" mechanism. But then I dislike the mechanism as it is too much like asocial media for my taste Fortunately the mods fully understand that downvoting can become distructive.