What is an Primary Specification?
An Item Primary Spec is generally the most comprehensive specification defining a given item. Suppliers do not see Item Primary Specs. They have access only to Item Shared Specs, which usually do not disclose every detail on the Primary for security purposes.
Creating Primary Templates in Specification Management
Steps:
Step 1: To begin your Specification Management setup, plan your attributes and TraceStations (Specification forms) carefully for the information you need to collect. If any of your needed attributes don't exist yet, navigate to Configuration > Attributes and use 'New' to create them. Select 'Specification Management' for 'Use; this will add a "_SpecMgmt" suffix on the name of the Attribute for easy identification.
One of the attributes you'll need to create should be called something like 'Specification Approvals', or 'Sign-Offs'. Along with the standard 'Approved', 'Conditionally Approved', and 'Not Approved' entries, here are some suggestions for Business Rule values to put into that attribute:
Events That Might Need a Sign-Off
| Draft | Draft - In Process |
Waiting on R&D Review |
| Placed on Hold by R&D | Returned to Originator | Waiting on QA Review |
| Placed on Hold by QA | Ready to Release to Supplier for Approval | Released to Supplier |
| In Process with Supplier | Approved and Returned from Supplier | Ready for Publication |
| Declined by Supplier | Rejected by QA | Rejected by R&D |
| Return to Originator by QA | Return to Originator by R&D | Supplier Approved Specification |
Step 2: Hover over 'Configuration' and select 'TraceStations'. Then, click 'New'. Complete the 'Name' and 'View Name' boxes, then click 'Save'. The sections grid will appear lower in the page.
You can also start a new Primary Spec Template by using 'Copy' (upper-right area) on an existing template, then modifying it as needed and saving it under a new name or version number.
Step 3: Each section of the template will likely contain multiple attributes, so name the sections for the classes of those groups of attributes, e.g., Identification, Physical, Chemical, Certifications, Business Info, etc. Include a section for approvals, with your 'Specification Approvals' / 'Sign-Offs' Attribute(s) in it. You can also section your Attributes by the departments or specific employees that may need to see them, e.g., Marketing, Sales, Lab, etc.
After a bit of work, your Primary Spec Template will look more like this, each section covering a group of the characteristics of your developing item.
Step 4: To certify the ownership of your spec, you can add a header and footer which will allow you to add your logo, special printing, etc. Attributes with this data type can handle images, special text fonts, colors, etc., by using HTML. In your Primary Spec Template, your header & footer attributes might look like this.
Be sure to save occasionally.
Step 5: Approvals Section - Versions, or at least sections, of the item specs derived from this template will be reviewed by several of your own internal departments. And a shared (limited) version will likely be reviewed by multiple suppliers. So you'll need to include an Approvals Section where each "Approval Event" is made into a business rule in your "Specification Approvals" attribute. Here's an example.
The following image is a portion of a "live" Item Primary Spec. Business Rule lists on TraceStation attributes are not available in Template Mode (the images shown above).
Now that you've completed your TraceStation Template, you need to apply it to the specific items that it will be used to define in your system.
While one of the options in the Version Status dropdown menu is 'Approved,' it is critical that you do not prematurely set your template to 'Approved'. Doing so permanently locks the specification and may prevent you from collaborating properly with your supplier(s). Leave your Primary 'In Process' until you are ready to go into production. See Step 5 - More Spec Management Features.
Creating Individual-Item Primary Specifications
Steps
Step 1: Click the Specification Management tab, and click 'New' at upper right.
Step 2: If you are creating a primary specification for an existing Item, select your preferred template. Start typing your Item ID into the Select Item box. For example, 1CH88. Existing Items in your system beginning with that string of characters will form a drop-down below the Select Item box as you type. Even if there is only one existing Item shown, BE SURE TO CLICK ON IT to put it in the box. Simply typing into the box will not work. Click 'Create'. This will open a copy of your Primary Spec Template filled in with data from the Item you selected.
Here's an example of a Primary Spec Template as applied to the item "1CH88 - CONC. CHICKEN STOCK #1021". This is called an "Item Primary Spec". Once you have your Item Primary Spec filled in as completely as possible, you can create shared specs to send to your supplier(s) for their input. Be sure to fill in Approval Date, Sign Off Approved By, and Specification Approval Status in your Item Primary.
You can also "Create New Item". The panel will change to look like this, and the system will create the new item. Then, open a copy of your Primary Spec Template with only the identification info you've provided below.
Step 3: Once you've gotten a basic Item Primary Spec created for your product, several of your coworkers will likely want to review and contribute to it. If you don't already have one, you'll need to set up an Email Group containing all of these internal stakeholders. To do this, set up an eNotification Profile. See article Email Notifications.
Step 4: As each of your Item Primary Spec Sections is oriented toward a different subject, like physical characteristics or business info, we give you the ability to share individual sections of the spec with these stakeholders. To do this, go to the hamburger menu drop-down at upper right in the Primary Specification page and select 'Share by Section(s)'.
Make your selection(s), then click Next.
Choose the appropriate email group from the drop-down, check that all info is correct, and click 'Share'. A PDF version of the Section(s) you specified will be emailed to each member of your internal email group. If you need to temporarily change the email group members to send a different section, you can go to Configuration > Email Groups and revise the group's membership as needed. Your stakeholders should email you back with any comments, documents, and the PDF with whatever revisions/additions they may have made.
Specification Change History - Audit Trail
Tracking Development & Modification of Your Spec
Our Audit Trail feature records every change made to your primary spec, including the first time you save it. This gives you complete history-tracking for your spec and helps you easily pinpoint and correct errors.
Next Step: Shared Specifications & Notifications