An engineering change order (ECO) is a documentation packet that outlines the proposed change, lists the product parts that would be affected. ECOs are used to make modifications to components, assemblies, associated documentation and other types of product information. A good ECO contains the full description, analysis, cost and impact of a change. Having an organized method of handling product changes reduces potential design, manufacturing and inventory errors, minimizes development delays and makes it easy to get input from different departments, key suppliers, and contract manufacturers.
Keeping a record of product changes will also help you debug any problems that occur after your product launches. The task of identifying and fixing the root cause of any problem is easier when you have a complete product change history document.