What is a Document Change Request (DCR)?

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Document Change Request Definition

A document change request (DCR) is a type of change request used to describe a proposed change to documents (e.g., standard operations, procedures, instructions). The DCR initiates the change process and promotes discussions with the affected team. Upon approval, the DCR is released and a document change order (DCO) is used to implement the change request.

What is a Document Change Request

FAQs

Why are change request procedures documented?

A documented engineering change request serves as a formal record for employees to review and understand a problem or make a suggested change to a product or process. It provides a method to document problems, raise issues, capture responses, propose solutions, and define consequences when deferring issues. It also captures the action the group wants to take on a particular problem or suggested change.

What should be included in a change request?

A change request should include the following:

  • A description of the problem encountered
  • The reason the change is needed
  • A proposed change (optional)
  • The part number(s) affected by the problem
  • The part descriptions
  • The request originator’s name
  • The change request submission date
  • The key stakeholders’ names and roles
  • The stakeholders’ opinion on the change request
  • The disposition action required to resolve the original issue
Why is it important to document change requests? What happens if a development team doesn't?

It is important to document engineering change requests so that all impacted teams can see the origins of an issue, discussions of options, and thoughts behind the action chosen. The information captured on the ECR can also be helpful in making decisions regarding future product modifications.

Best
Practice

Engineering change request (ECR) forms help engineering teams determine impact and create a plan of action when a product enhancement is proposed. This article outlines the essential parts of an ECR form and how one can be managed in Arena PLM and QMS.

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