[ADD] version control doc

Co-authored-by: brse-odoo <brse@odoo.com>

Author: Felicious

content/applications/inventory_and_mrp/manufacturing.rst

@@ -21,4 +21,5 @@ and allow workers to trigger maintenance operations, feedback loops, quality iss
 
    manufacturing/maintenance
    manufacturing/management
+   manufacturing/plm
    manufacturing/quality_control

content/applications/inventory_and_mrp/manufacturing/plm.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+:nosearch:
+
+============================
+Product Lifecycle Management
+============================
+
+Odoo Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) offers a systematic approach for testing, collaboration, and
+iteration of products across concept development, design, manufacturing, marketing, and post-launch
+support stages. With approvals, key stakeholders can review changes before implementation.
+
+.. toctree::
+   :titlesonly:
+
+   plm/version_control

content/applications/inventory_and_mrp/manufacturing/plm/version_control.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,140 @@
+===============
+Version control
+===============
+
+.. |BOM| replace:: :abbr:`BoM (Bill of Materials)`
+.. |BOMs| replace:: :abbr:`BoMs (Bills of Materials)`
+.. |ECO| replace:: :abbr:`ECO (Engineering Change Order)`
+.. |ECOs| replace:: :abbr:`ECOs (Engineering Change Orders)`
+
+Odoo's Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) app helps to easily manage the revision history of bills
+of materials (BoMs). :menuselection:`PLM` can be used to access previous |BOM| versions, assembly
+instructions, component details, and past product design files. |BOM| effective dates are recorded
+for error tracking, and changes are compartmentalized in an :ref:`engineering change order
+<plm/eco>`, which makes merging |ECOs| back to the production |BOM| simple.
+
+Current BoM version
+===================
+
+To see the current version of the |BOM| used in production, go to :menuselection:`PLM app --> Master
+Data --> Bill of Materials`, and select the desired |BOM| from the list. Then, switch to the
+:guilabel:`Miscellaneous` tab, where the currently live :guilabel:`Version` of the |BOM| is
+displayed.
+
+.. note::
+   |BOMs| can also be accessed from :menuselection:`Manufacturing app --> Products --> Bill of
+   Materials`.
+
+Version history
+===============
+
+As long as the *PLM* app is installed, all all |ECOs| linked to a |BOM| can be viewed by clicking
+the :guilabel:`ECO` smart button on a |BOM|.
+
+Click the :guilabel:`≣ (four horizontal lines)` icon to switch to list view.
+
+.. image:: version_control/eco-smart-button.png
+   :align: center
+   :alt: Show ECO smart button on a BoM.
+
+In the list of |ECOs|, navigate to the search bar and click the :guilabel:`▼ (down arrow)` icon to
+access a drop-down menu of :guilabel:`Filters`. Next, filter by :guilabel:`Done` |ECOs| to view the
+revision history of the |BOM|, the :guilabel:`Responsible` user who applied the change, and the
+:guilabel:`Effective Date` of the |BOM|. Click each |ECO| to view the past components, operations,
+and design files associated with the |BOM|.
+
+.. image:: version_control/eco-list.png
+   :align: center
+   :alt: Display ECO revision history for a BoM for a product.
+
+.. tip::
+   If no date is displayed in the :guilabel:`Effective Date` field, this means the
+   :guilabel:`Effective` date of the |ECO| was set to :guilabel:`As soon as possible`.
+   Alternatively, check when the |BOM| went live by navigating to the chatter and hovering over the
+   time the |ECO| was moved to the :ref:`closing stage <plm/eco/stage-config>`.
+
+   .. image:: version_control/effective-asap.png
+      :align: center
+      :alt: Show *Effective* as soon as possible field.
+
+
+Design files
+============
+
+Attach computer-aided design (CAD) files, PDFs, images, or other design material to the |BOM|
+itself. To do so, navigate to :menuselection:`PLM app --> Master Data --> Bill of Materials`, and
+select the desired |BOM|. On the |BOM|, navigate to the *chatter* and click the :guilabel:`📎
+(paperclip)` icon. The files associated with the |BOM| are displayed in the :guilabel:`Files`
+section. To add more design files, select the :guilabel:`Attach files` button.
+
+.. image:: version_control/attach-files.png
+    :align: center
+    :alt: Show paperclip icon in the chatter to attach files to a BoM.
+
+Manage design files in an ECO
+-----------------------------
+
+After creating a :ref:`new Engineering Change Order <plm/eco/create-eco>` (ECO), all files stored
+in the :guilabel:`Files` section of the |BOM| are automatically copied over to the
+:guilabel:`Documents` smart button. Click on the button to open the :guilabel:`Attachments` page.
+
+Hover over each attachment to reveal the :guilabel:`︙ (three vertical dots)` icon. From there,
+choose whether to :guilabel:`Edit`, :guilabel:`Remove`, or :guilabel:`Download` the file. Any
+changes made to these files are contained within the |ECO|, and will only apply to the production
+|BOM| once the :ref:`changes are applied <plm/eco/apply-changes>`.
+
+.. example::
+   Replace the keyboard PDF in an active |ECO| by first selecting the :guilabel:`Documents` smart
+   button.
+
+   .. image:: version_control/documents-smart-button.png
+      :align: center
+      :alt: Show *Documents* smart button from an active ECO.
+
+   On the :guilabel:`Attachments` page, hover over the design file and click the :guilabel:`︙ (three
+   vertical dots)` icon, then the :guilabel:`Edit` option. Rename the file something specific to
+   express why the file is about to be archived in this active |ECO|. In this case, the |BOM| is for
+   a smaller keyboard, so the manual for a larger keyboard is no longer relevant. Rename `100%
+   keyboard manual`, and then save and click back to the :guilabel:`Attachments` page using the
+   breadcrumbs. Click on the :guilabel:`︙ (three vertical dots)` icon again, and then select the
+   :guilabel:`Remove` option to archive the file.
+
+   Next, click the :guilabel:`Upload` button to upload the new design file, named `60% keyboard
+   manual`.
+
+   .. image:: version_control/attachments.png
+      :align: center
+      :alt: View of *Attachments* page from the *Documents* smart button. Displays one archived and
+            one newly added attachment.
+
+.. note::
+   Archived files are not permanently deleted—they can still be accessed in the previous |ECO| or as
+   an archived file in the latest ECO where the archival occurred.
+
+Apply rebase
+============
+
+Odoo simplifies the process of merging different versions of a |BOM| when multiple |ECOs| are open
+for the same product. If the |BOM| used in production is updated while an |ECO| is still open and in
+testing, review the differences between the production |BOMs| in the newly appeared
+:guilabel:`Previous Eco Bom Changes` tab. Then, click the :guilabel:`Apply Rebase` button to update
+the |BOM| and make it cohesive with the production |BOM|.
+
+.. example::
+   Two |ECOs|, `ECO0011` and `ECO0012`, are created when the current |BOM| version is `5`. In
+   `ECO0011`, a new component, `Space stabilizer` is added, and the changes are applied. This means
+   the current |BOM| version has become `6`.
+
+   .. image:: version_control/branch-change.png
+      :align: center
+      :alt: Apply changes to an ECO to update the production BOM.
+
+   This means that `ECO0012`'s |BOM| is missing the `Space stabilizer`, as shown in the
+   :guilabel:`Previous Eco Bom Changes` tab. To ensure the changes applied by `ECO0011`
+   are kept when the changes in `ECO0012`, click the :guilabel:`Apply Rebase` button to apply the
+   previous |ECO| changes without affecting the changes already made to `ECO0012`.
+
+   .. image:: version_control/merge-change.png
+      :align: center
+      :alt: Click the *Apply Rebase* button to update the BOM to match the production BOM.
+