UC-  Product Lifecycle Compliance Checker

Description

The Product Lifecycle Compliance Checker is an automated solution designed to continuously audit product-related data stored in enterprise systems. It ensures that product master records, associated documentation, and configuration data adhere to internal PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) standards and regulatory policies. The system identifies non-compliance—such as missing documents, expired certificates, invalid data owners, or policy conflicts—and initiates alerts and summary reports for lifecycle managers. These managers can then act via correction workflows to maintain data integrity throughout the product lifecycle.

Actors

• Lifecycle Manager: Receives compliance summary reports and manages resolution workflows.

• System Administrator: Configures rules, triggers, and monitors system health.

• Compliance Auditor: Reviews flagged items and validates audit outcomes.

• Automated Agent (Power Automate): Executes scheduled compliance checks, sends alerts and reports.

Preconditions

• Product master data, document attachments, and configuration records are stored in Dataverse.

• Audit rules and PLM compliance policies are defined and accessible.

• Microsoft Power Automate flows are configured to run periodically.

• Azure Cognitive Search index is created for relevant metadata and document text.

• Users have access to Outlook to receive notifications.

Flow of Events

1. Trigger: Power Automate runs on a schedule (e.g., daily/weekly).

2. Data Collection: Pulls product records and associated metadata from Dataverse.

3. Indexing: Azure Cognitive Search scans documents for keyword/policy compliance.

4. Validation: System applies rules to check for:

   • Missing or expired documents

   • Invalid or unassigned data owners

   • Conflicts with PLM naming conventions or approval workflows

5. Flagging: Non-compliant records are logged and flagged for review.

6. Reporting: Summary report is generated and emailed via Outlook to lifecycle managers.

7. Action: Lifecycle managers initiate corrective workflows from the summary dashboard (manual or automated).

Postconditions

• All flagged compliance issues are tracked and traceable.

• Managers are informed about areas needing correction.

• Updated records reflect improved data governance.

• Historical audit logs are stored for traceability.

Benefits

• Automates tedious manual audits, saving time and reducing errors.

• Improves PLM data accuracy and readiness for audits or certifications.

• Enhances visibility into compliance health across the product lifecycle.

• Encourages accountability with automated notifications and ownership checks.

Tools & Technology Used

• Microsoft Power Automate – Orchestrates scheduled compliance checks and report flows.

• Microsoft Dataverse – Stores structured product data and document references.

• Azure Cognitive Search – Enables semantic search and validation of unstructured attachments.

• Microsoft Outlook – Distributes compliance reports and alerts to stakeholders.