Overview
Purpose
The Process Steps Sheet enables process-to-system traceability by connecting ProcessStep work items to their associated SystemElement entities through RTM model expansion. This supports ISO 26262 and IATF 16949 workflows where manufacturing process steps must map to system architecture elements.
Configuration File Location:
.polarion/nextedy/sheet-configurations/Process Steps.yaml
Query and Data Source
| Property | Value | Description |
|---|
| Entity Type | ProcessStep | PowerSheet queries ProcessStep work items from the RTM domain model |
| Sort Order | asc | Default alphabetical sort by Process Step title |
| Document Scope | Current LiveDoc | Sheet displays only process steps from the currently open Polarion document |
RTM Expansion Path
The PowerSheet traverses the RTM domain model from ProcessStep through the systemElements relationship to retrieve linked SystemElement entities:
This one-to-many expansion creates denormalized rows where each process step row can display multiple linked system elements in a single cell or expanded view.
Column Groups and Layout
The PowerSheet uses a two-section color-coded layout for semantic clarity:
| Column Group | Color Theme | Purpose | Collapse Target |
|---|
| Process Steps | Dark Green (#388e3c) | Left section: process step metadata (ID, Title, Description) | Title field |
| System Elements | Dark Green (#388e3c) | Right section: linked system element entities | N/A (read-write section) |
Process Steps Column Group
This read-only section displays ProcessStep entity fields with visual emphasis on the title:
| Column | Type | Default | Formatter | Focus | Notes |
|---|
| ID | Work Item ID | objectId | Standard | — | Process step unique identifier; read-only |
| Title | Text | title | boldTitle | true | Primary navigation field; keyboard entry point; emphasized in bold; sorted ascending |
| Description | Text Area | description | Standard | — | Process step details; serves as collapse target when group is minimized |
The hasFocus: true property on the Title column designates it as the keyboard entry point. Users can navigate to this sheet and begin editing or reviewing process step titles immediately without clicking.
System Elements Column Group
This section displays linked SystemElement entities expanded through the systemElements relationship:
| Column | Type | Source Path | Multi-Item | Editable | Notes |
|---|
| System Element ID | Work Item ID | systemElements.systemElement.objectId | Yes | No | Displays all linked system element IDs in this cell |
| System Element Title | Text | systemElements.systemElement.title | Yes | No | System element name; multiple items rendered stacked or comma-separated |
| System Element Classification | Enum | systemElements.systemElement.classification | Yes | No | System element type or status classification from RTM model |
When a ProcessStep is linked to multiple SystemElements through the systemElements relationship, all linked items are displayed in the same cell. The rendering strategy (comma-separated, line breaks, or stacked display) is determined by PowerSheet’s multi-item column renderer.
Configuration Properties
Entity Factory (Inline Creation)
| Property | Value | Description |
|---|
| Entity Type | SystemElement | Creating new system elements from this sheet |
| Target Module | Design/SystemElementStructure | New system elements are placed in the Design space folder |
| Auto-Link | systemElements | New elements are automatically linked to the parent ProcessStep |
- Creates a new SystemElement work item in the Design/SystemElementStructure module
- Automatically establishes the
systemElements relationship to the current ProcessStep row
- Returns focus to the new element for immediate editing
Column Group Collapse Behavior
| Property | Process Steps | System Elements |
|---|
collapseTo | title | N/A |
Minimized View | Shows only Title column | Full view maintained |
| Use Case | Screen space optimization for wide RTM grids | Always visible for relationship review |
Property-Level Details
All Process Steps fields use read-only styling to prevent accidental modification during process-to-system traceability review:
- name: objectId
formatter:
expression: "true"
style: "background-color: #f5f5f5; color: #555;"
- name: title
formatter:
expression: "true"
bold: true
style: "background-color: #f5f5f5;"
- name: description
formatter:
expression: "true"
style: "background-color: #f5f5f5;"
Process steps are defined and maintained in manufacturing planning documents outside this sheet. This PowerSheet is for traceability verification only. To modify process step details, open the source Process Flow document directly.
boldTitle formatter with an unconditional expression ('true'), meaning bold styling applies to all rows:
- name: title
formatter:
expression: "true"
bold: true
defaultWidth: "300px"
Sort Order
Rows are sorted alphabetically by ProcessStep title in ascending order:
sort:
field: "title"
direction: "asc"
Traceability Workflow
Use Case: Linking Process Steps to System Elements
- Open Process Steps Sheet — Navigate to the Process Flow document and select the Process Steps Sheet PowerSheet
- Identify Process Step Row — Find the manufacturing step requiring system element association (e.g., “Sensor Calibration”)
- Add System Element Link — Use the System Elements section to link existing SystemElement work items or create new ones via entity factory
- Verify Relationship — Confirm the process-to-system mapping in the traceability grid
- Review for Gaps — Use coverage reporting to identify process steps without system element associations
Integration with Manufacturing Workflow
The Process Steps Sheet supports IATF 16949 APQP workflows:
Each process step must map to at least one system element to establish responsibility and enable failure mode analysis (PFMEA links to process steps; design failures originate from system elements).
| Related Document | Purpose | Link Type |
|---|
| Use Steps Sheet | User need to process step traceability | See also |
| Characteristics Sheet | Process step characteristics for control plans | Downstream |
| Subsystem Functions Sheet | System element functional decomposition | Related |
| System Verification Sheet | System element verification evidence | Cross-reference |
The Process Steps Sheet depends on the ProcessStep and SystemElement entity types defined in the RTM domain model (.polarion/nextedy/models/rtm-model.yaml). Changes to entity definitions or the systemElements relationship cardinality may require sheet reconfiguration.
Best Practices
✅ Do’s
- Use the Process Steps Sheet for reviewing and validating process-to-system traceability
- Create new system elements inline via entity factory when identifying missing architecture associations
- Sort interactively to reorganize step sequences during process planning reviews
- Collapse Process Steps group to focus on system element relationships in wide layouts
❌ Don’ts
- Do not edit process step titles or descriptions in this sheet — update the source Process Flow document instead
- Do not delete process steps from this view (deletion is not supported in read-only sections)
- Do not use this sheet to create ProcessStep entities — use the Process Flow document for process definition
Configuration Customization
To adapt the Process Steps Sheet for custom workflows:
- name: "processCategory"
label: "Category"
type: "enum"
source: "processCategory"
width: "150px"
- name: "riskLevel"
label: "Risk Level"
type: "enum"
source: "riskLevel"
formatter:
expression: "riskLevel == 'HIGH'"
style: "background-color: #ffcdd2;"
Expand to Multiple System Element Levels
Traverse deeper into the system hierarchy:
expand:
- relationship: "systemElements"
nestedExpand:
- relationship: "subsystems"
targetFields: ["objectId", "title", "status"]
Add Document Grouping
Group process steps by their source manufacturing specification:
groupBy: "sourceDocument.title"
collapsible: true
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Cause | Solution |
|---|
| System Elements column shows no data | ProcessStep not linked to SystemElement | Use entity factory to create missing links; verify systemElements relationship defined in RTM model |
| Title column not sorted | Sort configuration missing or incorrect | Check sort.field and sort.direction in sheet YAML |
| Read-only styling not applied | Formatter expression incomplete | Ensure formatter has expression: "true" and background-color style property |
| Entity factory button not visible | Module path incorrect or insufficient permissions | Verify entityFactory.targetModule path exists; check user role permissions for Design space |
