Run a calculation
The phase-in calculation can run at two stages: during the Engineering Change (as a preview) and when creating the ECO (final calculation).
When calculation runs
Section titled “When calculation runs”- At the EC level (preview) — on the Affected Items tab, select a strategy and click Suggest Phase-in Dates. Redline calculates dates for every affected item using current ERP data. These are suggestions you can accept or reject before moving forward.
- At ECO creation — when an ECO is created from an approved EC, Redline runs a fresh calculation using the latest ERP data. This produces the final phase-in schedule.
- Per item (ECO) — click Recalculate on any affected item in the ECO Phase-In tab to refresh its calculation.
EC-level phase-in suggestions
Section titled “EC-level phase-in suggestions”Before an ECO exists, engineers can preview phase-in dates directly on the EC:
- Open the EC and go to the Affected Items tab
- Select a strategy from the dropdown (RunDown, NewOnly, Stop, or Proactive)
- Click Suggest Phase-in Dates
- Review each item’s suggested date, conflict flags, and action preview
- Click Accept on individual items, or Accept All to accept every complete suggestion
Accepted dates are written to the affected items. Items with missing lead times or other data gaps are flagged as incomplete and cannot be accepted until the gap is resolved.
Each suggestion includes an action preview — a read-only list of the actions that would be generated (e.g. Cancel PO, Update BOM, Hold Production Order). These are template-based previews; the final action list with AI-generated instructions is produced when the ECO is released.
The Phase-In tab
Section titled “The Phase-In tab”Each affected item appears as a collapsible accordion panel showing:
| Section | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Header | Item reference (monospace), description, change type badge |
| Phase-in date | Calculated date with editable date picker |
| AI reasoning | Plain-language explanation of why this date was chosen |
| Conflict flags | Any conflicts detected (open PO after phase-in, production order conflict, missing lead time, concurrent EC) |
| Stock levels | Current stock on hand by warehouse |
| Open purchase orders | PO number, quantity, supplier, expected delivery date |
| Production orders | Order number, quantity, planned end date, BOM revision |
| Recalculate button | Fetches fresh ERP data and reruns the calculation |
Manual override
Section titled “Manual override”If the calculated date does not work for your situation, you can override it:
- Click the date picker on any affected item
- Select the new phase-in date
- Enter a reason for the override (mandatory)
The override is recorded in the audit trail. The original calculated date is preserved for reference.
Cascade dates
Section titled “Cascade dates”To apply the same phase-in date across all affected items, use the Cascade date action at the EC level. This sets the EC header date and pushes it to every affected item. The ECO header date always reflects the latest (maximum) of all individual item dates.
Lead time resolution
Section titled “Lead time resolution”Redline resolves lead times using one of three priority modes (configurable in Settings):
| Mode | Resolution order |
|---|---|
| Item master first (default) | Item master lead time → preferred supplier lead time → any supplier lead time |
| Supplier preferred first | Preferred supplier lead time → item master lead time → any supplier |
| Supplier shortest | Shortest supplier lead time across all suppliers |
If no lead time can be resolved, Redline raises a MISSING_LEAD_TIME conflict flag.
Buffer days
Section titled “Buffer days”A configurable safety margin (default: 5 days) is added to every calculated phase-in date. This accounts for delivery variability and internal processing time. Change the buffer in Settings.