The release of the APIS IQ software Version 7.0 includes a great variety of innovations. This document gives an overview of the most important new features.

Since the release of the new AIAG & VDA FMEA Handbook on 3rd June 2019 it was still possible to make several adaptions. We are pleased to take your feedback on Version 7.0 and we will seek to respond constructively.

More functionalities and changes will be implemented with service packs, which we provide regularly.

Changes which were already implemented in service packs for Version 6.5, are described in the respective Readme file. A few select of those features were also integrated in this document.

After a new major release of the APIS IQ software you can find the news and changes also within the topic News in Version... in the online Help.

Conversion and data exchange

After installing the new version of the APIS IQ software, older documents need to be converted before they can be edited. The APIS IQ software executes this step automatically. When opening an IQ document with write access, the IQ software checks with which version the document was created and converts automatically if necessary. But it is also possible, to convert all documents of a directory automatically in one step.

Previous versions of the APIS IQ software cannot work with documents, which were already converted into the current format.

If it is necessary to provide other users, who do not have the current program version, with the document, we recommend to keep old documents for a certain period of time. The installation of the new version of the APIS IQ software requires a different program directory than the previous one.

Important: The documents created with the APIS IQ software may in no case be edited by any other program. This destroys the data and leads to software errors.

Use the existing interfaces for data exchange with other systems.

Outlook on Functional Safety

The release of V 7.0 does not include any of the planned innovations in the field of Functional Safety. That means, the functionality there is the same as in V6.5. However, preparations were done to implement the collected requirements with one of the next service packs.

Outlook on FMEA MSR

The method with Frequency (F) and Monitoring (M) described in the AIAG & VDA FMEA Handbook (2019) will not be implemented entirely with the first release of V7.0. According additions will be provided with one of the next service packs.

Operational concept

The new input collector

Toolbars at the workspaces

Auto complete support in Structure list and Function/Failure analysis

Extended input fields in Structure list and Function/Failure analysis

New folding operations

Create last structure level automatically

Focus in the Structure tree

Context menu for Hot-click symbols

Background color for objects

The new Object Inspector

Hide empty rows in the Object Inspector

New structuring in Display options, Document and Workstation settings

Zoom

Catalogs - Details of instance count

Multiple copying

Modularize structure subsequently

Activate Application components

Computer based training / Learning units

Conversion of process elements to system elements

The new input collector

The input collector has been reworked and now, in addition to a suggestion list, also has an auto complete list. This replaces the incremental search and the filters.

Picture: Input collector with catalog

If an entry was input by pressing the Enter key, the task pane includes additional possible actions, e.g. regarding variants and inheritance. It is also possible to change the object type, and this way enter functions, product and process characteristics at the same time.

Toolbars at the workspaces

The classical view includes up to three toolbars, which are displayed above the workspaces in the Personal Desktop. The actions always refer to the content of the active workspace.

The user now has the possibility to assign one of the three toolbars directly to the workspaces (menu: View | Toolbars | Headline workspace).

Picture: Two workspaces in the Personal Desktop, each with assigned third toolbar

Auto complete support in Structure list and Function/Failure analysis

The auto complete technique, also known as full text search or auto completion list, could only be used in table editors so far. It is now also available in the Structure list and the Function/Failure analysis, e.g. via Ins key.

Extended input fields in Structure list and Function/Failure analysis

All potential dependent objects can be displayed in the Structure list and the Function/Failure analysis. This is done when performing a direct edit, e.g. via the Ins key. New objects can then be created by double clicking a potential object or pressing Enter.

You can choose to activate Direct insert: Activate extended input fields in the rubric General of the Workstation settings.

Picture: Extended input fields - View after pressing the Ins key on a system element

New folding operations

The Structure tree and net editors now use +/- symbols for folding. Clicking on them folds/unfolds the neighboring nodes in this direction.

Remark: The line width of the folding symbol shows whether one or more levels have been folded.

Picture: Folding symbols when folding one or more levels

Create last structure level automatically

The FMEA method describes that e.g. in the field of Process FMEA the "5-M" (Man, Machine, ...) have to be considered as potential system elements for causes. For pragmatical reasons, the name of the process step is added to the name of the system element for causes quite often.

The editor Attributes and categories in the Data Manager now offers the possibility to define several Naming patterns with according system elements including placeholders.

This makes it possible to create the last level of a structure by context menu command.

Focus in the Structure tree

When working in the Structure tree, apart from the established possibilities to fold and filter, now there is also the possibility to set a focus, known from working in the net editors. You can find the command Make focus in the right click menu. As an alternative you can also use the hot key Ctrl+K.

Picture: Structure tree with two selected system elements

Picture: Structure tree with focus on the previously selected system elements

Context menu for Hot-click symbols

Via the Display options it is possible to show Hot-click symbols. In V6.5 and V7.0 the information e.g. in the Structure list is displayed as follows:


`Picture: Structure list Version 6.5`	`Picture: Structure list Version 7.0`

The behavior when executing a double click on one of these icons is unchanged in Version 7.0

But now there is also a context menu for these Hot-click symbols. A click with the right mouse button on one of them offers different options specific to the icon. The Hot-click context menu for the FMEA forms icon for example shows

Picture: Hot-click context menu FMEA forms icon

To open the regular context menu like in V6.5, you need to right-click on the name. The whole functionality can also be disabled via Workstation settings | Personal Desktop.

Background color for objects

So far it was possible to define a background color for the following objects:

Structure variant
System element
Action group
Categories for action groups

Now you can also choose a background color for:

Structure
Function
Error detection, Error response, Operating condition
Product characteristic, Process characteristic
Requirement
DRBFM Modification
Failure
Inspection
Reaction plan, Control method
Revision state, Action group, Categories for action groups
Preventive action, Detection action
FMEA form, Control Plan, Process Flow Diagram, DRBFM formsheet

So it is possible for example, to assign a background color to causes and maybe also effects in the FMEA form.

Picture: FMEA form (extract) with background colors at effect and cause

The new Object Inspector

The previous Object Inspector has been reworked. Important innovations:

Apart from the classical Object Inspector there is now also an editor Object Inspector (undocked).
It is possible to inspect multiple selected objects and bring them into Matrix display.
Possibility to show the displayed content as Reduced view in the undocked Object Inspector
Enhancements for working with variants and multiple document languages (filtered views)

Picture: Matrix display of selected actions

Picture: Reduced view of selected actions

Hide empty rows in the Object Inspector

The Object Inspector now offers the additional option to hide empty rows.

Picture: Context menu in the Object Inspector V6.5

Picture: Context menu in the Object Inspector V7.0

New structuring in Display options, Document and Workstation settings

Display options, e.g. FMEA form, Document and Workstation settings are now structured more clearly by topic.

Remark: There is still the possibility to work with a search pattern.

Picture: Display options FMEA form with optional entry of a search pattern

Zoom

The Edit menu in the editors offers the Zoom functionality. The zoom grades are 50%, 70%, 100%, 150% und 200%. So far also zoom by mouse wheel was bound to these predefined zoom grades.

Zoom by mouse wheel can now be done in steps of 10% from 10% to 390%. Zooming is also supported in all editors now.

Catalogs - Details of instance count

The catalog shows the entries in form of a list. Via the context menu it was possible to open a dialog Details of instance count.

Now it is possible, like in the Structure list of the Structure editor, to show the hierarchical list for selected catalog entries side by side. The context menu also includes the command Go to object to go to an editor if necessary.

Picture: Catalog with Details of instance count in list view

Multiple copying

Normal Drag&Drop moves or copies (pressed Ctrl key) objects to one (!) target. So far, Drag&Drop with the right mouse key (Special Drag&Drop) additionally supports several actions via the context menu. This also happens only in regards to one (!) target. It can be used e.g. to copy notes.

Now it is possible to transfer data to multiple targets using Special Drag&Drop. The target area has to be marked in advance.

Picture: Use Case - Assigning a function to multiple system elements

Picture: Use Case - Transferring actions; here to two failures

Picture: Use Case - Transferring of the object attribute "Note"; here to three actions.

Modularize structure subsequently

The context menu of system elements in the Structure tree now includes the feature Extract into new structure. This makes it possible to separate a complex structure tree into several structures.

Note: The newly created structure does not contain any variants.

Picture: Info dialog during modularization

Activate Application components

The APIS IQ software includes functionalities, which may not be needed by every user. Therefore it is possible to activate or deactivate application components via Tools | Workstation settings | Settings.

The product type APIS IQ-RM Pro Version 6.5 offers the following options:

Enable DRBFM
Enable mechatronics FMEA
Enable Customer Requirements Management

In Version 7.0. a separate rubric Application components was introduced in the Workstation settings. It includes the following options:

Mechatronics FMEA
Functional Safety - ISO 26262 / IEC 61508
Design Verification Plan and Report (DVP&R)
Customer Requirements Management
Parts Functions Matrix
Variants Transition Matrix
Ishikawa Editors
Design Review Based on Failure Mode (DRBFM)
Fault Tree Analysis (FTA)
Design for Six Sigma (DfSS)
eXternal Data Integration (XDI) Interface

Note: If a functionality is deactivated, no data is lost in the FME files. Only the respective editors are no longer displayed in the Editors menu.

Computer based training / Learning units

The learning units which so far could be accessed via Help | Open learning units were removed.

Instead, videos about how to use the APIS IQ software were created. You can find these on www.apis-iq.com or on YouTube.

Conversion of process elements to system elements

In V7.0 the structure tree only includes system elements with their object attributes and dependent objects.

Previous (V6.5) process elements are automatically converted to system elements.

Action analysis and FMEA form

Hot-click symbol for the Cover sheet

Create Cover sheet via header data

Simultaneous opening of multiple FMEA forms

New formsheet columns for S*O, O*D and S*D

Valuations in brackets

Filter criteria for action groups

Excel export with colors, symbols and graphics

Cascaded (relative) symbolic deadlines

RPN/AP calculation for Failure nets with 2 levels

Statistics- Icons for Analysis types

Statistics with incompletely rated revision states

Assigning multiple classifications

Hot-click symbol for the Cover sheet

The management dialogs FMEA Forms Management and Control Plan Management may now include a Cover sheet icon.

This can be used for hot-click, that means a double click on it opens the respective Cover sheet.

Picture: Hot-click icon „Cover sheet“ in the management dialog

Apart from the menu command Tools | Forms/Reports it is possible to use the context menu in the management dialogs to switch to the Cover sheet and thus create one.

Created Cover sheet via header data

The context menu (right click) in the header area of the FMEA form now includes the entry -> FMEA cover sheet. This can be used to create and open a Cover sheet.

Simultaneous opening of multiple FMEA forms

With the Document setting Enable opening of multiple FMEA forms it is possible to select several FMEA forms in the FMEA Forms Management and open these in one workspace.

So it may be possible to do without a possibly very large group form. Also contents can be displayed together in one view in a very flexible way.

You can find this Document setting in the rubric General.

New formsheet columns for SO, OD and S*D

Via the Display options additional columns for the result of the multiplication of S*O, O*D and S*D can be displayed in the FMEA form.

Picture: FMEA form – additional column S*O

When the display option Use colors for valuations is active, the background color will be displayed according to these parameters. You can find the respective display option in the FMEA form.

Picture: Dialog „Parameters for Color coding“

Valuations in brackets

To make it easier to recognise that a revision state is not completed yet, also O and/or D ratings will be displayed in brackets, if at least one of the actions is not completed.

Filter criteria for action groups

New additional filter criteria have been introduced for action groups. These can be used to determine degradations in O/D ratings or AP.

Picture: Filter criteria action group level - Extended

Excel export with colors, symbols and graphics

Apart from general enhancements for the Excel export of table views (e.g. an FMEA form), colors, symbols and graphics can be exported as well now.

Picture: APIS IQ Software - FMEA form (Extract) with color in cells

Picture: MS Excel – FMEA form (Extract) in the exported XLSX file

Cascaded (relative) symbolic Deadlines

For the deadline of an action a symbolic deadline can be assigned. The accordant specific deadline can be defined or changed at a later time if necessary.

For projects with a sequence of deadlines a symbolic deadline can be collated to another symbolic deadline. That means, it is located one level deeper in the hierarchy.

Deadline changes on higher levels will then affect deadlines on the lower level.

The allocation and the reordering can be done via Edit | Reorder or Drag&Drop.

The display of the symbolic deadlines in the Data Manager is either with outline name or indent string.

Picture: Cascaded symbolic deadlines with indent string

RPN/AP calculation for Failure nets with 2 levels

For the calculation of the RPN/AP in the Failure net the S rating is taken from the first effect level. This way it is possible to calculate an RPN/AP also for failure nets with only two levels.

Note: So far the S rating has been taken from the next higher level.

Statistics - Icons for Analysis types

The icons for the different analysis types which were partly located in the toolbar, have been moved to the extended toolbar now. Also an icon for the new analysis type Frequency analysis AP has been added.

Picture: Statistics editor with three toolbars

Statistics with incompletely rated revision states

With a Document setting it is possible to decide that statistics now also take failures into account, where a complete rating with S, O and D is missing. This can only work if a complete rating is not necessary for the respective analysis. A Risk matrix SxO for example can also take into account failures without D rating.

You can find the respective document setting Statistics: Allow evaluation of not fully rated revision states in the rubric General.

Assigning multiple classifications

With a Document setting the rubric Classification in the Properties dialog can be changed so that more than one classification can be assigned.

Picture: Dialog (Partial view) classifikation, if the setting for multiple classifications is active.

You can find the respective document setting Enable assignment of multiple classifications in the rubric Classification.

Generate operating figures of the FMEA

Management Report Editor

Summary Function

Management Report Editor

With the Management Report (Menu command Tools | Forms/Reports) you can create and manage regular status reports. In predefined areas, the user can define the appearance of the report. With the help of filters, quality rules and place holders certain operating figures can be determined and maintained automatically.

Picture: Example for Management Report

Using a special template, the user can create a report, which summarizes the results of the analysis. This summary can be used for documentation purposes.

Picture: Example for Management Report with calculated percentage and automatically assigned background color

Reports can be saved in versions, and also can be ex- and imported. If necessary, reports can be compared as well.

Picture: Comparison of Management Report examples including highlight of the differences

Summary Function

The functionality Summary Function makes it possible to determine operating figures and is based on the filter concept. Summary Functions can be used e.g. by text template in notes or in the PIM as individual Quality Report (IQR).

Apart from the dynamic placeholders it is also possible to save the operating figures permanently with the values they had when the analysis was executed. For this a conversion to static information is necessary. To do this either change the "%" at the placeholder to "%%" manually or use the context menu of selected information.

Picture: Calculation of dynamic operating figures by Summary Function

The functionality Summary Function which was already available in V6.5 was optimized in details. For example counted results (from filters) can include a link, which refers to the IQ Explorer and starts a search with the filter behind. So the result list which leads to the counted results becomes visible.

New settings

Fonts and colors / selection color

Transfer settings to a different workstation

Management for user information

Fonts and colors / Selection color

The topic Fonts and colors has been reworked.

The IQ software now includes e.g. a separate selection color which does not depend on the selection color of Windows. The predefined default value of yellow can be changed if necessary.

Transfer settings to a different workstation

With the TPL file (= TemPLate file) settings can be transfered from one workstation to another (Menu command Workstation settings | Settings | System optimization | Other).

Management for user information

User information dialogs, which are displayed from time to time, can be deactivated by the user, storing the user's choice if applicable. These dialogs can be "reactivated" via Tools | Workstation settings | Reactivate user information. Additionally there is now also the possibility to manage the deactivated dialogs and user choices (Menu command Tools | Workstation settings | Manage user information).

Remark: The dialog Manage user information shows context information, the text of the information dialog and the user's choice in form of a table.

Adopt and check data

Quality rules

Audit Trail

Innovations for filters

Quality rules

Quality rules are an additional concept to determine the degree of maturity of an FMEA and find abnormalities. The needed rules can be selected from a catalog with predefined rules. In contrast to the Assistent rules it is not intended that the user creates new rules.

Quality rules can be used in the following editors:

Management Report
Function/Failure analysis (FFA)
IQ Explorer

Use the suggestion list and select the Quality Rules command which opens a dialog to select the specific quality rules.

After highlighting or finding objects which match the quality rule, further steps can be taken, e.g. open in Object Inspector or Go to Next Highlighted.

Picture: Selection dialog quality rules

Audit Trail

The product flavors APIS IQ-FMEA PRO and APIS IQ-RM PRO include functionalities, which are related to the regulated environment of medicinal technonolgy (GxP). The following four requirements for computer-aided systems (here IQ software) have to be fulfilled:

Defined access: Access is only possible for authorized persons. The assigned role provides the permitions for write access.
Computer generated change log ( so called Audit Trail): With reasons and signature: Who did which changes, when, where and why?
Archiving of all revision states including version control: Only released changes are possible and approved. Only checked out working copies can be edited. Each working copy is converted to a documentation version, which only allows Read only access.
Electronic approval procedure for documentation versions: With electronic signatures (Who including role, date and time)

This functionality is called Audit Trail in the IQ software. It can be activated via the Document settings and should be combined with log in via an LDAP server.

Picture: Document settings - Administration

After the activation it is possible to log changes via an approval process for the current fme file. This way small and big versions of an FMEA can be generated, which either pass through only a part of or the whole procedure. And also the further workflow is supported.

Inovations for filters

System filters are now displayed ordered in topics. This makes it easier to find the needed filters.

Picture: System filters with outline

Further innovations:

For working with multiple notes categories the selection of relevant notes categories has been simplified.
There are additional system-defined filters, e.g. with the criterion "Not continuously linked Failure/Function net".
The FMEA form includes additional parametrizable system-defined filters with the criteria maximum RPN or Date in the future.

Translate

DeepL Pro integration of the translation service

Singe projects/structures in terminology control

DeepL Pro integration of the translation service

The translation service DeepL Pro, which evolved from Linguee, is a well known provider for professional, software based translation.

The Workstation settings now offer the possibility to enter an authentication key for DeepL. So it is possible to automatically translate selected objects, e.g. in Terminology and translation (Menu command Edit | Translate (de -> en).

Further information about DeepL Pro can be found under https://www.deepl.com/pro.html

Single projects/structures in terminology control

With multiple projects/structures in an FME file it may be wise to see only objects with instances in certain projects/structures in Terminology and translation.

There is now the menu command View | Limit to projects/structures.

Note: When closing Terminology and translation this restriction will be reset.

AIAG/VDA FMEA Handbook (2019)

FMEA scope analysis

Structure type AIAG/VDA MSR (2019)

Action Priority catalog

Statistics by AP

Valuation catalogs

Embedding of diagrams (e.g. Boundary diagram)

P-Diagram

AIAG/VDA form

FMEA scope analysis

Step 1 - Planning and preparation described in the method part of the AIAG & VDA FMEA Handbook (2019) is supported by the new editor FMEA scope analysis. In a selection matrix it is possible to assign different valuation criteria.

The criteria to be used are provided by structure type and are based on the entries in the administration editor Valuation criteria (FMEA scope) (Menu command Administration | Attributes and categories). They can be deselected individually and also their order can be changed.

It is possible to select already existing system elements of a structure, but also to create new system elements directly in the editor.

Picture: Editor FMEA scope analysis (Default)

Picture: Editor FMEA scope analysis (Complex)

It is possible to enter further information, e.g. Notes or link to a reference FMEA.

Structure type AIAG/VDA MSR (2019)

The AIAG & VDA FMEA Handbook (2019) introduces the new FMEA type FMEA for monitoring and system response (MSR). This is available