Free Updates for RCM++ Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) Software

Modifications and Enhancements to RCM++

The modifications/enhancements for each service release are described next. This information is also available in the ReadMe file that is installed with the software. The most recent service release (build) contains all previous modifications.
Build 4.0.5
Modifications

Added a report that displays the full set of data from the Equipment Selection window for each item. On the RCM Reports page of the Report Generation window, select "One Form per Item" under the Equipment Selection Logic form.
Added a warning that appears when the user selects the Synch option in the Control Plan or the DVP&R window.
Addressed an issue with the Cause page in the Query Utility, where the SxO value was not displayed in the results if a Detection rating had not been assigned.
Addressed an issue with the ability to filter by Action Status in the Filtered View for actions.
Added the ability to copy the visible portion of the FMEA Hierarchy or System Hierarchy as a graphic that can be pasted into another document. Select one of the Copy Panel as Graphic commands from the Edit menu.
Added the ability within the Worksheet View to enter data for a lower-level record without first creating the higher-level record(s) that it will be associated with. For example, if you type the Cause description in a row that does not yet have an Effect defined, the software will now allow you to type the Cause description and will enter a placeholder ("<undefined>") for the associated Effect record.

Build 4.0.4
Modifications

Added Report Customization features to the Report Generation window. This functionality is currently available for the Standard and Comprehensive styles of the FMEA Spreadsheet, the Control Plan, the DVP&R and the DRBFM reports. Click the Customization/Settings button in the Report Generation window.

The Reports page has been removed from the User Setup. These options are now available on the Settings page of the Report Customization/Settings window.

Added the ability to specify the font style and size that will be used for print-ready reports. Report Customization/Settings: Settings.

Added the option to display two columns for Control records in the Worksheet View, the Standard FMEA Spreadsheet report and the Comprehensive FMEA Spreadsheet report. User Setup: Other.

Added the option to display the control type and the control description in the same column in a Standard or Comprehensive FMEA Spreadsheet report when the One Column option is selected on the Other page in User Setup (i.e. provides a display similar to the SAE J1739 format when using the more customizable Standard or Comprehensive report styles). Report Customization/Settings: Settings.

Added the option to generate DRBFM reports from the Report Generation window, in addition to the existing ability to generate the report directly from the DRBFM window.

When the Control Plan, DVP&R or DRBFM reports are generated from the Report Generation window, the user now has the option to include sub-items in the same table as the parent item.

Added the ability to generate FMEA Spreadsheet reports in which each row contains all FMEA information related to that row, even if some of the information is repeated from the row above and would otherwise have been "merged" within the table. This allows the spreadsheet report to be sorted in Excel, if desired.

Modified the AIAG and J1739 import templates (ImportSpreadsheet_AIAG.xls and ImportSpreadsheet_J1739.xls) so that the software is now capable of importing the Target Completion Date via a separate column at the end of the spreadsheet.

Modified the Associated FMEA Records window to display the full descriptions for all related records. When accessed from the Controls Manager, this utility displays the Actions and Tasks, if any, that have been defined for the same Cause. When accessed from the Actions Manager, it displays the Controls and Tasks. When accessed from the Tasks Manager, it displays the Controls and Actions.

Modified the Quantitative Criticality Analysis calculation method to allow analysts to define the failure behavior more realistically (e.g. with a Weibull or lognormal distribution) but still return results identical to the original MIL-STD calculation method if all items have been defined with a constant failure rate (exponential distribution). Mode Criticality = Expected Failures x Mode Ratio of Unreliability x Probability of Loss.

The Copy Existing command is now accessible directly from cells within the FMEA Worksheet View.

Made minor modifications to the Help menu and Project toolbar.

Updated the integration with Weibull++ and ALTA to support the latest released versions of those products.

Translated the interface and library data to Spanish. User Setup: Other.

Updated the Worksheet View to display key details from Task records.

Added the option to import Task record data using the Comprehensive import template.

Added the ability to Bulk Add Task records.

Build 4.0.3
Modifications

Addressed an issue with RPN calculations that was introduced in Build 4.0.2 and occurred only when the user copy/pasted a Function that had Causes with calculated RPNs. This service release prevents the issue from recurring in the future. To update the RPN calculations for existing databases, use the "Compact and Repair Database" feature (select Database Tools from the Tools menu and then click Compact and Repair Database).

Build 4.0.2
Modifications

Addressed an issue with saving the calculated RPN when data were entered in a specific sequence.
Addressed some issues with FMEA import templates when used under specific conditions.
Added support for the new FMEA Accelerator® Template Collection, which allows you to purchase "generic" FMEA templates for different types of components/equipment and import the valuable engineering knowledge into your own projects.
Added the ability to import Control Plan, DVP&R and/or DRBFM data from Excel. (The required templates are installed in the "Examples" folder of the application directory, e.g. C:\Program Files\ReliaSoft\RCM4\Examples.)
Added the option to automatically spell-check an entire analysis displayed in the Worksheet view. (With the Worksheet view displayed, select "Spell Check Worksheet" from the "Edit" menu.)
Added new report forms to the Report Generator: Analysis Plan Details, FMEA Spreadsheet: VDA-86, FMEA Spreadsheet: VDA-96, and VDA Action Tracking.
Added the ability to automatically remove Login Security from a database. (Select "Administrative Options" from the "Tools" menu. After supplying the administrative login, click "Remove Login Security.")
Improved the software's performance when transferring large amounts of data (e.g. import items from Excel, copy/paste, etc.).
In the Transfer Project window, added the option to transfer records as "<undefined>." For example, this allows you to transfer the Causes and Failures from the DFMEA but leave the PFMEA Functions undefined.
Added the option to delete an Analysis Plan. (Open the Analysis Plan window and click "Delete Plan."
Added the option to exclude specified Actions or Tasks from the query results, graphical charts and reports. For example, if you create Actions called <None> to indicate that no corrective actions will be performed, these Actions can be excluded from Actions lists and charts that are generated by the software. (Set this via the Other page of the User Setup.)
Added the option to set the Active Library from within the Profiles/Libraries Manager window (in addition to the Other page of the User Setup).
Added the option to transfer specified Actions to the DVP&R upon Synch. (On the Settings(1) page of the User Setup, select "Transfer Controls and Actions" and specify one or more Action Categories (separated by semi-colons) to identify the types of records that will be transferred. For example, if you type "Testing; Verification" then any Actions that have been assigned to the "Testing" or "Verification" Action Categories will be transferred when you synchronize the FMEA/DVP&R.)
Added the option to generate reports to a document that has "Page Setup" options configured specifically for A4 paper. (Select "A4" on the Reports page of the User Setup).
Added the option to set generated report files as "Read-Only." (Set from the Reports page of the User Setup.)
Modified the automatically generated Process Flow Diagrams to include information from more levels in the System Hierarchy, if applicable.
Modified the automatically generated Item Cause and Effect Diagrams to include the "Effect" descriptions from the FMEA.
Added the "Use Tabs" option to the Windows menu.
Modified the way Phrase Sets are maintained in the Profiles/Libraries Manager. Duplicate descriptions will be removed upon Save.
Translated the interface and library data to Portuguese. (Set from the Other page of the User Setup.)
Added "Attachments" command to the shortcut menu that appears when you right-click a cell in the Worksheet View. This opens the Links/Attachments window for the current record.
Addressed an issue with inserting rows into Control Plans and DVP&Rs.
Adjusted the No. column in the Control Plan so that numerical data such as 01-06 will appear as a number instead of a date when the data is exported to Excel.

Build 4.0.1
Modifications

Initial Release. Modifications/enhancements from Version 3 include:
- Added a "Change Log" utility. Authorized users can select "Activate Change Log" from the System Hierarchy menu or shortcut menu to activate the log. All users can select "View Change Log" from the System Hierarchy menu or shortcut menu to view the recorded changes for an item that has an active Change Log.
- Added a Design Review Based on Failure Mode (DRBFM) utility. Select "Attachments" then "Open DRBFM" from the System Hierarchy menu or shortcut menu.
- Added a "Display in Worksheet" field for the Action Person Responsible. This will allow users to type the information for the "Responsibility" column directly in the worksheet instead of using the "Person Responsible" window.
- Added customizable "tooltips" to the column headers for the FMEA, Control Plan, DVP&R and DRBFM worksheets. Select "Show tooltips for worksheet columns" from the Settings(2) page of the User Setup to turn on the tips. To edit the tips, use Notepad to the edit the "_Tooltips.txt" files in the application directory (e.g. C:\Program Files\ReliaSoft\RCM\FMEASheet_Tooltips.txt).
- Added two new profiles to the default Library that can be used to configure the software to fit the VDA-Volume 4 guidelines used by the German automotive industry.
- Added the option to choose "Export As Fault Tree" when exporting a project to an XML file that can be opened by BlockSim.
- Added the option to assign separate rating scales in the same project for the Severity rating used to calculate an RPN and the "Severity Class" used for Criticality Analysis; likewise for the Occurrence rating used to calculate an RPN and the "Failure Probability" used for Criticality Analysis.
- Added the ability to query Actions by individual Severity, Occurrence or Detection ratings of the associated Effect and Cause.
- Added the ability to query Controls by the RPN or SxO of the associated Cause.
- The large "Copy Existing" button in each Properties window has been replaced with a smaller icon. The functionality is the same.
- The software now "remembers" your preference for the position of the columns in the System Hierarchy and FMEA Hierarchy panels.
- Redesigned the Setup Wizard to present a more streamlined selection of the most important settings.
- Added the option to specify the "Port" for the SMTP Server that is used for automated e-mail notifications.
- Modified the design of the Probability tab for the Cause Properties window to try to make it clear that the time value on the right side of the window is not stored with the record or used for automated calculations. This feature allows you to calculate the probability "on the fly" for any time value based on the distribution and parameter(s) that you have specified.
- Enhanced the Analysis Plan window to work more intuitively. The % Completion is now updated automatically on the Analysis Checklist page and the Attendance feature on the Work Sessions page now displays all team members, even if the record has not been saved since new team members were added.
- Added an option to the Descriptions page of the User Setup (and the Options page of the Select Existing window) called "Show only unique." When this option is selected, then the Select Existing, Bulk Add and Copy Existing utilities include 1 row for each unique description (or set of properties), even if it occurs multiple times. However, the descriptions will be truncated to 255 characters only. When the option is not selected, the descriptions are not truncated (e.g. the full 1000 character Cause description can be copied) but there will be a separate row for each instance.
- Control #s have been changed to work the same way as Action #s and Task #s. There is a new option called "Autonumber new Controls" on the Settings(2) page of the User Setup and a new command in the File menu called "Renumber Controls."
- The date when a project was created is now stored in the database. In Login Secure databases, the name of the creator is also stored.
- Addressed an issue with the "Select Existing Person" window when the "Title" field is used for system user accounts.
- Addressed an issue with the units displayed in the Maintenance Task Manager for the "Run to Failure" Cost per Uptime.
- Addressed an issue with generating the Occurrence/Severity Matrix chart when the data set contains a very large number of Causes.