Configuration rules for part groups

By default, Maintenix considers all part groups and part numbers specified in an assembly to be applicable to all inventory that matches the assembly, at all times. It is also considered that they are all compatible with each other; for example, part A installed on configuration slot 1 is compatible with part F installed on configuration slot 4. Maintenix also considers all part numbers in a part group to be valid alternates to each other. Part applicability, part interchangeability, and part incompatibility are Maintenix features that let you further refine your equipment baseline by specifying exceptions to the default behavior.

Part applicability is used to identify the subset of the available inventory of a given assembly to which a part number applies. For example, a newer aircraft of a given type has an in-seat entertainment system installed, whereas older aircraft of the same type just has a cabin entertainment system. Therefore, different tail numbers (inventory) of the same type of plane (assembly) use different part numbers, or part groups, for their entertainment systems.

Part interchangeability is used to determine which part numbers can be used as substitutes for other part numbers within the same part group. This is useful when you want to make sure that certain parts, usually older versions of a part number, are not installed on an assembly after a newer version of the part has been installed.

Part incompatibility rules let you specify that a part number cannot be installed on the assembly or under a sub-assembly configuration slot position when another specific part number is installed—for example, to install a particular avionics unit, you must use a specific sensor that is compatible with the unit. (The avionics unit is incompatible with other sensor part numbers). You can also use part incompatibility to specify that a part number can only be installed on the inventory when a specific task has been completed on the inventory, or has not been completed.