Lesson 3 · The life cycle of a part

Draft, Confirmed, Released, Under Modify and Obsoleted: each move's button and right.

Goal of this lessonTo move a part through its five life-cycle states with the right button and the right right.

The life cycle of a partDraftdesign openConfirmedawaiting releaseReleasedvalid · lockedUnder Modifynew rev. in workObsoletednot for new workConfirm Componentintegration userRelease Componentrelease userECO: Starta new revision is made,this one waitsECO: Applywhen the new revision isreleased: automaticCorrect Component (back to draft)ECO line: Make obsolete (replaced by a new code)Confirming or releasing an assembly moves its children and documents in the same state with it.
The state machine. The colours are the ones the PLM lists draw; each arrow carries the button's name on the screen and the right it needs.

Step by step: the life of a part

  1. Draft: the design is open

    The part is edited freely; drawings and CAD files are attached, the BoM is built. When done, Confirm Component.

    A draft part12345
    1. Guide box: “the design is open… then Confirm”.
    2. State: Draft.
    3. Confirm Component
    4. Part number.
    5. Counters.

  2. Confirmed: waiting for release

    The design is finished; a release user checks it. Release Component is shown to release users only; Correct Component sends the part back to draft.

    A confirmed part1234
    1. Release Component: the part becomes Released.
    2. Correct Component: the part goes back to Draft.
    3. State: Confirmed.
    4. Guide box and the open changes on this part.

  3. Released: valid and locked

    Purchasing and production work only with the released part. To change it, Request a Change.

    A released part12345
    1. State: Released.
    2. Guide box.
    3. Request a Change
    4. Part number.
    5. Take Baseline

  4. Under Modify: a new revision is in work

    When a change order starts, this revision becomes Under Modify; it stays valid until the new one is released. The guide box names the open request and order, so nobody opens a second one.

    A part under modification12345
    1. Guide box: open changes ECR-2026-0002 and ECO-2026-0001.
    2. State: Under Modify.
    3. 1 Change Requests: the requests on this part.
    4. 1 Change Orders: the orders on this part.
    5. Request a Change: still available on a part under modification.

  5. The new revision is born a draft

    The order makes the new revision with copies of its documents and BoMs, and writes in its history which order made it.

    The bracket's revision 1123
    1. Same code, revision 1.
    2. State: Draft — editable.
    3. History: “New revision created by change order ECO-2026-0001”.

  6. Obsoleted: replaced

    The moment the new revision is released, the old one becomes Obsoleted by itself. The guide box names the current revision.

    An obsolete part12
    1. Guide box: “Do not use it in new BOMs, purchases or sales. The current revision is 1.”
    2. State: Obsoleted.

The revision timeline

Revision timelineRev 0Rev 1ReleasedUnder ModifyObsoletedDraftConfirmedReleased12ECO Start: rev 1 is madeECO Apply: rev 1 released, rev 0 obsoleteproduction and purchasing use rev 0rev 1 from the effective date
While the change is in work the old revision stays valid; the moment the new one is released the old one becomes obsolete by itself.
Caution: releasing an assembly moves its children
Confirming or releasing an assembly moves its children and documents in the same state with it. A checked-out document stops the move: check it in first (Lesson 4).

Mini case: the cover waits for release

Part
PW-CVR-80 Cable Entry Cover · IP54 — Confirmed.
Who releases
Release user Nazlı Şen; Kerem (integration) does not see Release Component.
How
The new part's first release goes through a change order's “Release” line (ECO-2026-0003, In review).

Check yourself

You cannot see Release Component. The most likely reason?
You are not a release user, or the part is not Confirmed.
Can production use a revision that is Under Modify?
Yes: it stays valid until the new one is released.
When does the old revision become Obsoleted?
The moment the new revision is released, by itself.
You find a mistake on a confirmed part. What do you do?
Correct Component sends it to draft; fix it and confirm again; no new revision is needed.