Introduction
Product configuration is a flexible tool that promotes reusability for areas that require constant setup. It lets users quickly satisfy customer requirements by providing access to frequently selected data by using configuration templates.
This approach can save time when you configure items on sales orders, sales quotations, purchase orders, and production orders. The product configuration user interface also benefits users by providing a visual overview of the product configuration model structure. With this user interface, you can arrange components and attributes by organizing them into logical groups.
Reasons for using a constraint-based product configuration model
The need to configure a product to meet special requirements is quickly becoming the rule instead of the exception in both business-to-business and business-to-consumer relationships.
For a manufacturer, the ability to support configure-to-order scenarios represents an opportunity to carefully respond to the needs of the customer and reduce high costs that are tied to inventory. Stocking semi-finished goods in the form of generic components instead of finished products can help achieve this goal.
Terminology and concepts
The following are common terms and concepts in product configuration:
Microsoft Solver Foundation (MSF) - Product configuration uses MSF to solve expression constraints and conditions. You can use MSF to find one or more valid solutions and to eliminate invalid values for product configuration models.
Optimization Modeling Language - MSF includes an algebraic modeling language called Optimization Modeling Language (OML) that is designed exclusively for modeling and solving. The language includes identifiers, comments, string literals, Boolean constants, and arbitrary numeric literals.
Product - The term product is used to provide a single entity that represents tangible and intangible deliverables. Items (tangible) and services (intangible) are both supported.
Product Configuration Model - Represents a generic product structure that can be differentiated to specific instances based on values that are selected by the user.
Distinct Product - Represents the first level of specialization of the generic product term, such as a shirt or a home theater system.
Product master - Serves as a template for models for variants. Product master variants can be predefined or created in sales scenarios by using product configuration.
Product Configuration - The representation of a product model with specific values that are selected for all mandatory attributes.
Configuration Template - A partly completed product configuration. Its objective is to reduce the time that is required to configure common product variants and to promote particular configurations.
Component Instance - Represents an instantiation of a component in the product configuration. One component can be instantiated into several component instances. For example, a TV component can be instantiated into a "kitchen TV" and a "living room TV" in the product configuration.
Attribute Value - A specific value for a product characteristic, for example, the color "red" for the attribute type named "color."
Attribute Group - An attribute group can be defined to increase the usability of the configuration user interface. A subset of attributes that are defined for a component can be grouped and a title is attached to the group.
Domain - A set of all permitted values. In the product model context, it represents the permitted attribute values, for example, all instances in an enumerated text type attribute.
Configuration User Interface - The User interface page displays the attribute groups that are created to help a person configure a product because the selections are arranged in a certain context by the product designer.
Translation Text - Text that is translated from the base text with the purpose of making the configuration user interface available in different locales. For example, the attribute value "red" can be translated into the French text "rouge."
Version - Represents the relationship between the product configuration model and a product master. An approved and activated version must exist to configure an order line.
Constraint Model - The concept of constraint models is used to describe product models. The number of permitted attribute and component combinations is reduced by imposing constraints on the model.
Expression Constraint - A constraint type, in the form of an expression. The MSF constraint solver will be used. All constraint expressions must follow the syntax that is defined by MSF.
Table Constraint - A constraint type that specifies allowed attribute combinations. Each row in the table represents a legal combination of values. User-defined table constraints consist of attribute types.