Is it me, or is it ePDM?

Frankly, I am very frustrated with ePDM this week (month and almost year), and, of course, I want to tell you all why. Though still being a newbie maybe I am missing something essential, in which case it should have been addressed in an Admin class.

Firstly, I am disgusted with the paste as reference. I create an ECO document in Word and paste as reference all the drawings being changed by the ECO. I would expect that a paste as reference would keep updating the version as referenced models keep changing, but ePDM says not! Here is my "contains" listing after I have finished revising the ECO word document and checked it in.

Note that the word document itself doesn't list the latest version, let alone two additional documents also don't identify the latest versions. If it is pasted as reference it should not be the version that was pasted, but constantly updated to the latest as it is changed, until the ECO goes through its approval process, and only then frozen in time. Only revisions should be locked to their revs with the paste as reference!

I am also very frustrated that there is not a "Latest Revisions" selection when querying BOMs, etc. It is ridiculus that when I modify a lower level part or assembly, and release it into production, that I can't view it in an ePDM BOM correctly in higher level assemblies. If I choose "Latest" then I get all released and unreleased changes to the assembly. When I choose "As Built" I get only the revisions/versions that were specific to that  build of the assembly, released or not. But I can not obtain a BOM that shows the latest released revisions of all the sub-assemblies/parts. Remember, if form, fit or function is not affected then I shouldn't have to put an assembly through an ECO process to see the correct indented BOM of released sub-assemblies/parts. Hate to say it, but Pro/INTRALINK, Windchill and Design Data Manager have this proper functionality.

So, am I missing something? Is there something in my ePDM education that I completely missed?

Your comments will be respected, and implemented if possible.

Regards,

Andy Dvorak