Product configurator
Product configurators are computer programs with which the specification of products can be generated individually for offers or orders and orders ( consumer goods or capital goods ). The terms configurator and variant configurator are often used synonymously here.
definition
The term product configurator is not defined uniformly. The spectrum ranges from the selection of simple product features, such as B. when buying a DVD, up to systems that automatically generate all product data such as 3D CAD data, drawings , parts lists , offers and graphics.
Examples of definitions:
“Product configurators are multifunctional, computer-aided systems that act as an interface between sales and value-added functions. They are used for information technology knowledge and task integration with the aim of supporting the sales and task processing processes effectively and efficiently . "
“The product configuration describes the assembly of a product from specified product components (so- called selection and combination ) and the selection of the content characteristics of the component properties (so-called parameterization ) in compliance with the configuration rules. The configuration options result from the selection, combination and parameterization options of a product restricted by the configuration rules. "
“A product configurator is a knowledge-based tool that supports the user in the design (selection and combination) of a product that can be composed according to properties (application features and characteristics) (selection and relationship knowledge). A product or service is automatically compiled step by step according to properties (customer view, application view) and rules (buildability) and the processes between customers, sales, technology and ERP are effectively and efficiently supported. The areas of application are to be differentiated according to offer configuration (e.g. Configure Price Quote ), development / construction (e.g. Design Automation) and ERP (e.g. BOM generation). "
"Configuration systems represent [...] an integral link between product development , production and customer requirements. Equipped with a simple user interface , these systems guide the customer (and possibly an employee in sales) through the collection of information about their needs - and immediately check the consistency and production capability the desired variant . "
"A product configurator is a tool which supports the product configuration process so that all the design and configuration rules which are expressed in a product configuration model are guaranteed to be satisfied."
“Product configurator: A tool that helps to define a product in such a way that it meets specified properties. A product configurator can be created in various ways, it can be specially programmed or a tool can be used to create it. The software for creating a product configurator is called configuration software. "
“With“ customer-specific mass production ”, a trend can be observed that is producing products that, despite high individuality, are offered at prices that can only be achieved with the help of mass production processes. This strategy requires largely modularized product structures, which also allow modifications and changes to individual pre-developed product components. Such an approach, in which the final product is determined as a collection of pre-engineered components, is called "configuration". "
Reasons for use
Product configurators can be seen as a decisive competitive advantage for manufacturing companies and retailers, especially on the Internet. The advantages of a product configurator (error-free offers, short response times, minimization of the complaint rate, increase in customer satisfaction) result in productivity increases in the entire company.
The demands of the markets for the individualization of products require manufacturing companies to develop and produce products that are tailored to customer needs and that each customer can configure and order individually according to his wishes. The solution to this task is vital for many companies in the context of globalization, especially in order to be able to maintain their market position, unique selling points and, last but not least, their price level in international competition. Mastering the complexity of the product and the variety of variants, both during order acquisition and in order fulfillment, are of crucial importance.
The previous option of choosing a specific product from a large number of product variants is often no longer sufficient today. The customer (a private person or a company) would like to order "his" tailor-made product or "his" individual system solutions in addition to the standard range of variants. He will only accept minor losses in terms of price and delivery time. Quality and service must be in line with traditional mass-produced products. Providers must react individually to customer inquiries and be able to calculate technically clarified offers as quickly as possible, which ensure that they can be manufactured in accordance with cost and quality and delivered on time.
This market demand for individualization (high external variance) is also opposed to the internal compulsion to standardize (low internal variance). The conflict of goals can be resolved with methods and automation solutions for the realization of individualized mass production ( mass customization ) and customer-specific series production. These include, among other things, sensibly structured and modularized products that are organized in kits or platforms. Product classification systems allow product data to be found and used quickly. Cross-departmental product knowledge management makes constructive know-how available, for example in the sales process . Interactive configuration systems record the specifics / features of products based on rules. In the automotive industry, the multitude of equipment options results in up to a quintillion product variants. A consistent variant formation can be supported and extremely simplified by a Boolean product definition.
With these measures, an optimal variance and individuality for the market can be achieved while reducing the internal variance and number of parts. Individualization is thus possible without reducing productivity. The aim is to offer the customer a cost-effective, quality-optimized, individual solution that is essentially "pulled out of the drawer" internally.
tasks
The tasks processed by a product configurator are influenced by the following factors:
- Business processes
- User groups
- Problem class or manufacturing approach
- Additional IT functions
- Integration into the existing system landscape
- Vitality of the product
Business processes
In principle, a product configurator is suitable for fully automating business processes without further user intervention. The focus here is on the following business processes:
- Order acquisition process (product marketing, distribution, sales, acquisition, customer acquisition, ...)
- Order fulfillment process (order processing, construction, work preparation, ...).
Order acquisition process
During product identification, the appropriate product or product group is determined based on the customer's requirements. Electronic product catalogs with search options and so-called “product guides” or “product finders” are typically used for this task. The support in product identification is of particular interest to non-product experts such as new sales employees or end customers. In sales, good product identification reduces the training period for new employees and also the time to market for new products.
The result of the sales product configuration is an offer document that can be sent to the customer. In terms of content, the following tasks must be processed:
- technically correct and complete product specification,
- commercial offer calculation,
- Offer documentation,
- Technical Documentation,
- Product visualization.
The use of the sales product configuration primarily affects the performance of the sales department (lower processing time, higher throughput) and error reduction (technically correct and complete specification, with the correct price).
Order fulfillment process
The production-oriented product configuration supports the order entry and order processing. If this is operated separately from sales, it also takes on the task of clarifying the order; in the case of a coupling, this task is already processed by the sales product configuration. The result of the production-oriented product configuration is all production-relevant information. Avoiding errors through the use of a product configurator to generate production-relevant information can significantly reduce the order processing time, as time-consuming queries with the customer in advance can be avoided.
The use of the production-oriented product configuration primarily affects the performance of the construction and work preparation (lower processing time, higher throughput) and the reduction of errors (technically correct and complete production data).
The seamless connection of both processes is of particular importance. Configured on the Internet e.g. B. a business customer a tailor-made product and after ordering all business processes up to production and delivery run fully automatically without any media discontinuity. A central application orchestrates all involved DP systems. In this context, one speaks of 3D-based business processes when the product is object-oriented and interactively visualized and processed in 3D in all phases.
User groups
It is also important which user groups should work with the product configurator. A distinction can be made between
- Customers and prospects,
- Sales (sales partner, field sales force, internal sales force, trading partner, ...),
- Technology (project planning, construction, technical office, work preparation, ...).
The design of the surface will be different for the customer than for the back office employee, the customer needs an appealing interface with the possibility of requesting explanations, while the back office employee attaches importance to efficient usability. The sales representative sees different commercial information than the sales partner. Production costs are displayed to one, while the other only sees list prices. Differences can also lie in the functionality; the back office employee can have a wider range of components to choose from than the sales employee. Online product configurators are also increasingly being created for customers, in which customers can put together their personal product and order it directly from the provider.
Problem class or manufacturing approach
The difficulty with configuration problems is that the individual components cannot be selected independently of one another, but are dependent on one another in many different ways. The following classifications (of manufacturing approaches) are often used to characterize the complexity of the task.
- "Pick-to-order" (PTO)
- The individual components of the product (offer) are selected independently of one another, without the support of the product configurator. Any dependencies between the components are taken into account by the user. No constructive effort is necessary.
- "Configure-to-order" (CTO)
- From CTO onwards, there are “correct” configuration problems. A software tool is extremely helpful when considering the dependencies. No constructive effort is necessary.
- "Assemble-to-order" (ATO)
- Special case of a CTO task. The components of the product cannot be selected independently of one another, dependencies must be taken into account. The possible components are specified, for example they are prefabricated in stock. A new arrangement of existing components (new assembly) requires little construction effort. A parts list alone is not enough!
- "Make-to-order" (MTO)
- Another special case of a CTO task in which dependencies have to be taken into account. However, the components can still be parameterized and / or changed in the building structure. New, rule-based components and new arrangements of new and existing components require a higher design effort.
- "Engineer-to-order" (ETO)
- The components used are not necessarily all known in advance. Based on the dependencies, their characterizing properties can be determined so that they can be constructed in the event of an order. New, rule-based components and new arrangements of new and existing components, as well as completely new designs require a very high design effort.
Additional IT functions
In addition to the "pure" product configuration, further IT functions are required for use.
A product catalog (“repository”) can help with the compilation of the offer items. In the case of a PTO task, the product configurator can even be omitted entirely; it is up to the user which items he puts together. Often there is also a close coupling between catalog functions and configurator functions. The catalog helps to determine a product group that is specified by a configurator. The configuration is called up from the catalog. Conversely, the catalog can also be called up from the configuration in order to offer the user a sub-area for selection.
The result can be stored in a calculation module (“shopping cart”), for example. This is where the content can be compiled and the commercial calculation can be made, provided it has not already been done in parallel with the configuration.
Document generation functions generate the requested documents from this. The user decides on the type of document; if necessary, the layout can be varied using additional print options.
The 3D visualization (“preview”) of an individual product at the runtime of the configuration optimally supports the user in the selection of its features through immediate visual feedback. This makes the configuration an experience for the user.
Integration into the existing system landscape
A product configurator should not be operated as an isolated solution, but should be integrated into the existing system landscape. The technical framework conditions decide whether it is more beneficial to integrate the function modules individually or as a closed application.
If a CRM system is in use, information about customers and sales projects is managed there. All relevant information is made available to the product configurator via the interface to the CRM system. This typically includes contact and address data, customer-specific discount rates, etc.
A distinction is made between two different interfaces for integration with an ERP system. An interface to the ERP system is used to transfer order data. In scenarios without a CRM system, the offer management is sometimes also carried out in the ERP system, then the offer data is also transferred via this interface.
The second interface to the ERP system is important for modeling. They are used to synchronize article master data from the ERP system with the product configurator. The catalog can also be filled with article master data from the ERP system via this interface.
An interface to the CAD system can be operated on one or both sides. A visualization of the configuration results in a 2D or 3D representation is often useful. For this purpose, the configuration data is transmitted to the CAD system, either at the end of the configuration process or simultaneously, where the corresponding representation is generated. As an additional service, the 2D or 3D models generated in this way can be delivered to the customer. An even closer coupling can be useful for ETO tasks, where the CAD system can be used as an input surface for the configurator.
Depending on the application scenario, additional interfaces are required. For example, integration with a content management system in order to integrate texts and graphics for catalog and configuration or integration with a PLM / PDM system is widespread . A connection to the Internet, for example to an online shop, is also useful . In some cases, the product configurator is also available directly online so that customers can use the product configurator to put together their desired products themselves. This is often the case with print products, for example. The information is then often compared in the underlying ERP system so that there is little manual effort involved in the transfer.
Not all modules shown need to be fully developed for a specific application. For example, if only the back office is to be supported in processing orders, many of the functions described can be taken over by modules of the ERP system.
In addition, Excel is a very popular tool for storing product and relationship knowledge and making it available for other applications ( copy and paste ). But the more variants and details that have to be maintained in Excel, the less clear and manageable this tool is. Therefore it should be possible to import Excel data into configurators.
Product-specific calculation and design programs are operated by many companies in application technology. It must also be possible to integrate these programs into the configuration process.
Product changes
In the course of time, many products are changed in terms of their composition, appearance and properties, technically improved and adapted to market and customer needs. Therefore, the product knowledge for the product configurator must be constantly updated and the changes mapped in a suitable way. Therefore, a configurator should not only be able to represent the product statically, but dynamically over time. To do this, the product features must be delimited in terms of time by means of an application and a discontinuation date. The time delimitation ("validity") of product features can be done in two ways: either calendar dates are entered for delimitation or change keys are entered, which are then scheduled using a reference table.
If, on the other hand, product properties change very rarely, the effort is in the initial recording of the product knowledge. The maintenance effort is comparatively low. In the case of complex products, as is the case in automotive engineering, the number of features and feature relationships to be maintained can, however, be very extensive. Here the products have to be maintained with all possible combinations for many years. It is a special task to consistently maintain the hundreds of restrictions between the characteristics.
The maintenance effort is also an important cost factor. Therefore, the maintenance of the characteristics, possible combinations and restrictions should be supported by a suitable tool. The product experts should be able to enter and update the product knowledge in the configurator independently and not be dependent on the software provider.
species
In the area of consumer goods
Configurators in the field of consumer goods ( business-to-consumer , B2C) are used to implement so-called mass customization . This means a customized mass production. The aim is to manufacture customer-specific products, but at costs that are not higher or only slightly higher than the costs for standard products manufactured in traditional mass production. Typical products that can be configured are cars, bicycles, computers, furniture, and clothing.
In the automotive industry with its complex and varied end products, the correct product definition can sometimes be very difficult for the customer. Between the many different features (equipment) of a vehicle, there are numerous different dependencies and restrictions or constraints depending on the country or sales market and vehicle model . Certain equipment combinations are "prohibited" (e.g. roof rails with a folding or sliding roof) or certain equipment combinations must be selected (e.g. a more powerful battery when choosing an air conditioning system). Legal regulations can also 'enforce' certain characteristics and combinations of characteristics. A car configurator is therefore an advantage for both the customer and the manufacturer in order to correctly order a vehicle. This configurator helps the customer to select the required equipment features and points out the permitted and / or prohibited feature combinations.
As a result of the configuration, the customer receives an individual offer, which is usually made available with additional information such as pictures, graphics, etc. The operators of these configurators can evaluate the demand behavior and control and adapt their product range accordingly. If the customer orders, the configuration data (in the best case) can be further processed in the order fulfillment process. In many cases, the configurators on the Internet are linked to so-called shop systems , in which the products can also be ordered straight away.
For more information on product configurators for end customers, see C. Scheer: Kundenorientierter Produktkonfigurator (2006) .
In the field of capital goods
Typical products in the field of capital goods ( business-to-business , B2B) that are configured are:
- Components of consumer goods
- Drive systems (motors, gears, brakes, shafts, clutches, bearings, ...)
- Automation systems and handling systems (linear systems, rotary tables, grippers, swivel units, robots, portals, ...)
- Conveyor systems (elevators, cranes, palletizers, escalators, conveyor belts, ...)
- hydraulic and pneumatic systems (cylinders, control blocks, ...)
- Equipment (systems, machines, devices, tools, ...)
- Large kitchen equipment (stoves, pans, worktops, dishwashers, fume cupboards, ...)
- energy systems (transformers, compressors, generators, ...)
- Control cabinets, plugs, couplings, connectors, distributors, ...
Provided that the systems are operated on the Internet, the operators of these configurators can evaluate the demand behavior and control and adapt their product range accordingly. If the customer orders, the configuration data can be partially or fully processed in the order fulfillment process.
CAS-centric configurators
Computer Aided Selling (CAS) configurators are mostly used when complex products with many options are to be configured. The aim is to derive and evaluate one or more buildable variants (alternatives) from the available spectrum of components and options and to determine a price for each. One example of this are the vehicle configurators from automobile manufacturers, which are available on the Internet (see below). The focus here is on the fast and accurate response to customer inquiries in technical sales in the form of offers and other data and information necessary in the run-up to order processing.
These systems often also offer the following CRM functions:
- Customer and contact management
- Contact management
- Document management
- Project / property management
- Offer management
- Sale on the Internet (shop)
- quoting
- Price lists
- confirmation of the order
- Data exchange (replication) between office and field service
- Order generation
- Statistics and evaluations
The following product data is generated:
- deals
- Variant parts lists
- Work plans
Users of this technology are:
- Customers and prospects
- Sales staff (field service and internal service)
The added value of these systems lies in an improvement in competitiveness through:
- the drastic reduction in the time required to create customer-specific offers,
- faster reaction to individual customer requests,
- complete and uniform offers and
- the reuse of parts and components.
ERP-centric configurators
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) configurators are mostly used when complex products with many properties need to be configured, as is the case in the automotive industry , where every vehicle manufacturer has its own vehicle configurator. The configurator itself only describes the customer-relevant product features and no components of the product; these are shown in a separate configurable parts list . Only through the "evaluation" of the properties of the configured product can the respective valid components be determined from the maximum or complex parts list. However, the prerequisite for this is that the product configuration, i. H. The selected properties of the product may be combined with one another, as there are various restrictions between the properties. In a product definition, there are properties that are implicitly or explicitly mutually exclusive: for a car, only one (combustion) engine and one gearbox can be selected, the motors or gearboxes are each implicitly mutually exclusive. In addition, not every engine may be combined with every transmission; the combinations of engine and gearbox that are technically not sensible or have not (yet) been developed, on the other hand, must be explicitly prohibited in order to obtain a valid and buildable product variant and to be able to derive the correct components.
Manufacturers of ERP systems must also offer a suitable parts list system for such an ERP product configurator, in which the product components can be related to the product configuration. This so-called "relational knowledge " creates the connection between the parts list and the product configuration and can - depending on the type of product definition - be formulated in different ways. In a so-called “ideal product definition”, the relational knowledge can be formulated in the form of Boolean expressions, which represent a particularly compact form of expression. Complex parts lists and maximum work plans are particularly suitable for this. Alternatively, there are ERP systems that work on the basis of minimum bills of material or minimum work plans with formula generators to map expert knowledge, such as Oxaion or UPOS . In particular, SAP , Axapta , unipps and proALPHA are locating their corresponding products in the area of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Supply Chain Management (SCM). The result of a specific product configuration is then a product-specific parts list or work plan, which essentially serves for production, material and resource planning as well as precise production control (see just-in-sequence production ).
Users and users are u. a .:
- Production planning
- Production preparation and control
- Logistics / disposition
- procurement
- Spare parts service
ERP-centric configurators with CAD automation
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) configurators are mostly used when complex products with many options and in different sizes (which were not previously defined) are to be configured. The aim is to derive a buildable variant from the available spectrum of components and options and to automatically generate the CAD data for it.
In the case of technically complex and varied products - as is the case in the automotive industry - the correct definition of a product can sometimes be very difficult for the customer. There are often numerous interdependencies between the many different features of a vehicle, which can be expressed as “commands” or “prohibitions”. For example, certain engine-gearbox combinations are "prohibited" in a vehicle or very specific equipment combinations must be selected, e.g. B. a more powerful battery when choosing an air conditioner. In order to obtain a clear and correct definition of a vehicle, the use of a vehicle configurator makes sense not only for the customer, but also for the dealer, importer and the vehicle manufacturer himself. The product configurator helps the customer to select the permissible features and points out or prevents the inadmissible combinations of features. When creating a configurator, a logical product definition is helpful as the ideal Boolean algebra , as this ensures a consistent product definition and facilitates the description and entry of restrictions . The algebra can be built up “multi-level”, i. H. contain several subsets several times, whereby different powerful rules can be formulated and restrictions can also be inherited inheritance (programming) .
The generation of the parts list for a single product takes place after the configuration of the end product from a maximum or complex parts list . Based on the respective product definition, a product-specific parts list is generated that only contains the respective assemblies and parts of the configured product. In order not to select too many or too few parts, the correct product configuration or definition is an essential requirement. The link to the respective CAD data can then be established via the product-specific parts list generated in this way. The generation of the respective work and assembly plans also takes place on the basis of the product-specific parts list, since the specific assembly and part variants must be known for this.
The following documents are generated with the help of and on the basis of the product configurator:
- Customer order with the individual product definition for trade and sales
- Production order (for production, assembly)
- individual variant parts list (for purchasing, logistics, manufacturing, spare parts service)
- specific work and assembly plans (for production and quality assurance),
- In addition, all data that CAD-centric configurators also generate (for production, quality assurance and construction).
Users of this configurator technology are:
- internal users in the supplier's process chain (designer, production planner, logistician, buyer)
- Sales force of the provider (dealers, importers, sellers),
- Customers of the provider (buyers, dealers, importers, entrepreneurs).
CAD-centric configurators
Constructive activities with 3D CAD systems occur in different areas. In product development, new products are designed on a non-order basis. The CAD data generated here are often used for visualization in order-neutral marketing media (e.g. Internet, catalogs, product sheets). In order acquisition, in many cases (especially in the case of special customer requests), a sales-accompanying construction with a sales-oriented level of detail is required even before the order is placed in order to visualize the customer's individual product, illustrate offers, bring about technical clarification or CAD models for the customer - for example for his own CAD installation studies - to be made available. After the order has been placed, further constructive activities may be necessary in order to create detailed product documents suitable for production (drawings, NC programs, etc.). The modern 3D CAD systems offer extensive possibilities to automate construction activities. Due to the principle, however, a rule-based construction ( CAD automation ) that is remotely controlled by a configurator is demonstrably faster by factors.
Computer Aided Design (CAD) configurators are mostly used when complex products are to be configured from many components and with many options as well as different arrangements. The aim is to derive a buildable variant from the available spectrum of components and options and, if necessary, to automatically add new components and / or arrangements.
In the case of CAD configurators, the focus is on the use of the parametric 3D data model resulting from the product configuration, of associated drawings and other technological data along the entire process chain from marketing to assembly of the product. This is achieved through methods of CAD automation.
The general idea is to use the parametric 3D CAD systems available in industrial companies as well as the existing calculation and design programs for product configuration. In addition, ERP , PDM and CRM systems can usually also be integrated via interfaces. The configurator is used to remotely control the systems and programs mentioned.
These product data are available at the end of a product configuration based on 3D CAD data:
- native and neutral 3D CAD assemblies ( Autodesk Inventor, CATIA , SolidWorks , Solid Edge , Unigraphics , STEP , IGES , STL , VRML , eDrawing, ...)
- native and neutral 3D CAD individual parts (Autodesk Inventor, CATIA, Pro / ENGINEER , SolidWorks, Solid Edge, Unigraphics, STEP, IGES, STL, VRML, eDrawing, ...)
- native and neutral CAD drawings (CAD, IGES, DXF , DWG , TIFF , EPS , eDrawing, ...)
- Offers, contracts and product descriptions ( word processing and PDF )
- Parts lists ( ASCII , spreadsheet and PDF)
- Design data (ASCII, spreadsheet and PDF)
- Images and graphics (PDF with U3D , JPEG , GIF , BMP , TIFF, EPS, ...)
Users of this technology are:
- Customers and prospects,
- Sales staff (field service and internal service),
- Constructors and project planners.
The added value of these systems lies in an improvement in competitiveness through:
- the drastic reduction in the time required to create customer-specific offers,
- faster response to individual customer requests,
- complete, uniform offers, regardless of the respective user,
- the drastic reduction in the time required for customer-specific construction and project planning,
- the much faster provision of all product documents ( 3D models , drawings, parts lists, NC data , offers, etc.),
- the reduction of failure costs ,
- the 3D visualization of the individual product and
- the reuse of parts and components.
Configurators with 3D viewers
These configurators also use slim 3D product data for visualization. During the configuration (feature evaluation), the user immediately sees in a 3D viewer how the product has changed based on his inputs. He can interactively rotate, enlarge, move his product in the viewer, etc. In order to be able to use a 3D viewer in the WEB browser, a browser plug-in had to be installed for the display of 3D content. With the broad support of WebGL, now also supported by iOS 8, 3D content can now be rendered in the browser without a plug-in.
These product data are available at the end of a product configuration:
- Offers, contracts and product descriptions ( word processing and PDF )
- Parts lists ( ASCII , spreadsheet and PDF)
- Design data (ASCII, spreadsheet and PDF)
- Images and graphics ( JPEG , GIF , BMP , TIFF , EPS , ...)
Users of this technology are:
- Customers and prospects as well
- Sales staff (field service and office service).
The added value of these systems lies in an improvement in competitiveness through:
- the immediate 3D visualization of the individual product,
- the drastic reduction in the time required to create customer-specific offers,
- faster response to individual customer requests,
- complete, uniform offers, regardless of the respective user,
- the much faster provision of all product documents (offers, etc.) and
- the reduction of failure costs.
In addition, native and neutral 3D CAD data and 2D drawings can be generated fully automatically on the basis of the viewing model. The product structure of the viewing model is synchronized with a so-called 3D CAD master. As a result, all data are available as with the CAD- centric product configuration (see above). The disadvantage here is that two different data models are required: the 3D viewing model and the 3D CAD model. However, all of the fixed, i.e. unchangeable components (which usually make up the largest part of a product) can be imported from the 3D CAD system into the 3D viewing system and used without post-processing. The construction of the variable 3D viewing components takes place in the 3D modeller of the viewing system or with the tools of the plug-in supplier.
Differences between product configurators
Product configurators differ in the following features:
- the need to work with minimum or maximum structures, or to allow mixed forms
- different depth of integration in other systems (ERP, PLM, CRM, PDM, Office, CAD ...)
- the operating modes available in communication with other systems (e.g. direct coupling and / or batch coupling)
- different or standardized databases for different user groups (sales, technology, customers and interested parties on the Internet)
- the availability of standard interfaces (COM, DDE, ODBC, BAPI, WEB services, ...)
- Structure of the set of rules (e.g. procedural logic, decision tables, constraint solver, mixed forms)
- Definition of rules (e.g. permanently programmed, script-based, graphically interactive, with an authoring system)
- individually developed or a standard configurator that is implemented on a company-specific basis
- the possible installation locations (e.g. locally on computers, in the network or on WEB servers)
- the effort involved in creating and publishing HTML pages
- the need to use browser plug-ins or applets
- the need to use additional software
- an application programming interface (API) to expand the range of functions
- the connection to shop systems ( CORBA , SOAP , XML-RPC )
- the automated processing of product structures from third-party systems ( XML , ...)
- the possibilities to configure a product top-down, bottom-up or in mixed forms
- the possibility of using the relational knowledge / logic from other IT systems and / or configurators
- the possibility of using rules in Excel.
Patents
The CAD-centric product configuration process has been protected since October 12, 2005 by the European patent EP 1 251 444 B1 from Festo AG & Co ( Esslingen ).
There are providers of configurators who are responsible for the above. Patent have a right of joint use. It remains to be clarified whether the companies that do not have this right of joint use are even allowed to offer and / or operate configurators in the context of the patent.
hazards
The above Patent may restrict the distribution, provision and use of CAD-centric product configurators on the Internet. Here it must be checked in individual cases whether providers have the aforementioned right of joint use.
See also
literature
- Uwe Blumöhr, Manfred Münch, Marin Ukalovic: Variant configuration with SAP . Galileo Press, Bonn 2009, ISBN 3-8362-1202-1 .
- Dr. Walter Heiob: Preparation of offers in the capital goods industry . VDI-Verlag GmbH, Düsseldorf 1983, ISBN 3-18-400552-6 .
- Ralf Reichwald, Frank Thomas Piller: Interactive added value: Open innovation, individualization and new forms of division of labor . Gabler, Wiesbaden 2006, ISBN 3-8349-0106-7 .
- Christian Scheer: Customer-oriented product configurator: Extension of the product configurator concept to avoid customer-initiated process interruptions in the event of non-preference and special requests in the product specification . Logos, Berlin 2006, ISBN 3-8325-1392-2 (dissertation).
- Axel Brinkop: Variant construction by evaluating the dependencies between the construction components . Infix, St. August 1999 (dissertation).
- Rolf-Dieter Kempis, Jürgen Ringbeck: do IT smart: Information technology as a top priority - In search of effectiveness . Business publishing house Carl Ueberreuter, Vienna / Frankfurt 1998, ISBN 3-7064-0434-6 .
- Herlyn, Wilmjakob: On the problem of mapping products with many variants in the automotive industry . VDI Verlag, Düsseldorf 1990, ISBN 3-18-145216-5 (dissertation, Technical University of Braunschweig).
- Görel Hedin, Lennart Ohlsson, John McKenna: System Configuration Management . In: Boris Magnusson (Ed.): ECOOP'98 SCM-8 Symposium, Brussels, Belgium, July 20-21, 1998, Proceedings . Volume 1439. Springer, Berlin / Heidelberg 1998, ISBN 3-540-64733-3 .
- Günther Schuh, Urs Schwenk: Managing product complexity: strategies, methods, tools . Carl Hanser, Munich / Vienna 2001, ISBN 3-446-18779-0 .
- Karsten Grimmel: Competitive advantage management through customized mass production . Market management tape 6 . Peter Lang, European Science Publishing House, Frankfurt am Main 2007, ISBN 3-631-56258-6 .
- Christian Bieniek: Process-oriented product configuration for integrated order processing when manufacturing variants . Shaker, Aachen 2001, ISBN 3-8265-8937-8 (dissertation).
- Marc Quantity: A contribution to the mastery of the variety in the order-related single and small series production of complex products . Vulkan, Essen 2001, ISBN 3-8027-8662-9 (dissertation).
- Udo Lindemann, Ralf Reichenwald: Individualized products - mastering complexity in development and construction . Ed .: Michael F. Zäh. Springer, Berlin / Heidelberg 2006, ISBN 3-540-25506-0 .
- Schönsleben, Paul: Integrated logistics management . 6th edition. Springer Verlag, Berlin 2011, ISBN 978-3-642-20380-0 .
- Frank Thomas Piller: Mass Customization: A Competitive Strategic Concept in the Information Age . Gabler, Wiesbaden 2000, ISBN 3-8350-0355-0 .
- Ralf Reichwald, Frank Thomas Piller: Interactive added value: Open innovation, individualization and new forms of division of labor . Gabler, Wiesbaden 2006, ISBN 3-8349-0106-7 .
- Herlyn, Wilmjakob: PPS in automotive engineering - production program planning and control of vehicles and assemblies . Hanser Verlag, Munich 2012, ISBN 978-3-446-41370-2 .
- Alexander Felfernig, Lothar Hotz, Claire Bagley, Juha Tiihonen: Knowledge-based Configuration - From Research to Business Cases . Elsevier / Morgan Kaufmann, Waltham, MA 2014, ISBN 978-0-12-415817-7 .
Web links
- Lack of coupling between ERP and CAD systems: Integrative large construction site in two worlds , IT-Mittelstand.de of July 30, 2012, accessed on October 17, 2012
Individual evidence
- ↑ Herlyn: PPS im Automobilbau , Hanser Verlag, Munich, 2012, p. 113 ff.
- ↑ Herlyn: On the problem of the figure ... p. 80 ff.
- ^ Herlyn: PPS im Automobilbau , Hanser Verlag, Munich, 2012, p. 88.
- ↑ lumographics.de , accessed on September 24, 2014
- ↑ Patent EP1251444 : Method for configuring a product or a combination of products on a PC.
- ↑ autocad-magazin.de , accessed on August 17, 2017