SYSPRO's Product Configurator module enables you to define the configuration of items that are generally manufactured-to-order, assembled-to-order or sold in different configurations, using a rules-based Configurator.
Once the item configuration is defined, a non-technical person can create a viable customized item for a sales order, estimate or quotation. Product experts do not need to be involved in routine sales transactions or in providing estimates and quotations for these items, because each item can only be created within its pre-defined configuration (structure). In addition, the pre-defined configuration minimizes configuration errors.
The item configuration and the parameters within which the item can be created are defined using the Configuration Maintenance program; typically by the product expert. The parameters include the selection criteria, operations, components and the dependencies (inter-relationships) between the components used to create each item. Product configurations can be defined for both stocked and non-stocked items.
After defining the item configuration, you use the Product Configuration Wizard to create a valid item using the parameters defined within the configuration. The Product Configuration Wizard can be accessed from within Sales Orders, Quotations, Estimates, Work in Progress and Bill of Materials. In addition, the Product Configuration Wizard can be accessed directly from SYSPRO's main menu to establish whether the configuration is viable and whether the required items can be created from it.
Product configurations defined using the Configuration Maintenance program as well as valid items created using the Configurator Wizard can be stored in a library and retrieved when required.
This section describes the sequence of steps you should follow to create a valid configuration.
Some of these steps are optional and depend on how you want to define the configuration.
Configuration Maintenance (compulsory)
Navigate to the Configuration Maintenance program and select the Add option.
Enter the static details of the configuration.
These details include defining the dates within which the configuration is available to use, run time options which determine the options available when running the configuration, the modules from which the configuration can be accessed, whether the configuration can be used to create a parent item and defaults such as the product class and warehouse to use.
Save the configuration details you entered.
Options (compulsory)
From the Configuration Maintenance program, select the Add option from the Add column of the Options and Components pane to use the Product Configurator Header Maintenance program to add Options to the configuration
Enter the details for each Option (see Options).
An Option is a group of similar components or similar operations. You must define at least one Option for a configuration.
An Option can be for a Component or an Operation. If you want to add Components to the configuration, then you must define at least one Option for Components. Similarly, if you want to add Operations to the configuration, then you must define at least one Option for Operations.
By grouping similar Components or Operations into an Option, you can make that Option dependent on a Component or Selection Criteria. By doing this, you do not have to define the dependency of each individual Component or Operation.
Components (compulsory if an Option is for a Component)
If you added an Option for a Component, then you must indicate the components required for that Option.
From the Configuration Maintenance program, select the Add option from the Add column of the Options and Components pane against the Components line to open the Product Configurator Header Maintenance program.
Enter the component details (see Components).
A Component can be a stocked or non-stocked item. If the Component is a stocked item it can be selected from any part category except a Planning bill or Notional part. You can include the same Component multiple times within the same configuration.
Components can be defined as Optional, Mandatory or Range. If a Component is Optional, then the person running a configuration can select the Component, but cannot change the quantity required. A Mandatory Component is included automatically in a configuration (provided it has not been rendered invalid). If a Component is defined as Range, then the person running the configuration can enter a quantity which falls between the minimum and maximum quantities defined.
You can define a calculation against a component which can be used to determine the unit quantity required.
Operations (compulsory if an Option is for an Operation)
If you added an Option for an Operation, then you must indicate the Operations required for that Option.
From the Configuration Maintenance program, select the Add option from the Add column of the Options and Components pane against the Operations line to open the Product Configurator Header Maintenance program.
Enter the component details (see Operations).
An Operation is work that has to be carried out in a particular work center.
Operations can be defined as Internal Operations or Subcontract Operations. An Internal Operation is work carried out within your company. A Subcontract Operation is work carried out for you by an external supplier.
Operations can be defined as Optional, Mandatory or Range. When an Operation is Optional, the person running a configuration can select the Operation, but cannot change the quantity. A Mandatory Operation is included automatically in the configuration (provided it has not been rendered invalid). If an Operation is defined as Range, the person running a configuration can enter a run-time which falls between the minimum and maximum defined.
A Subcontract Operation cannot be defined as Range.
Selection Criteria (optional)
From the Configuration Maintenance program, select the Add option from the Add column of the Selections and Criteria pane to open the Product Configurator Header Maintenance program.
Define the selection criteria for the configuration (see Selections)
A selection refers to a group of similar criteria, for example, color. Criteria refer to the choices within a selection, for example: red, blue and green.
Selection criteria are used to adapt a particular configuration to a customer's requirements. For example: you may have products which are identical, except that a color difference requires the issue of a slightly different material.
You can also use the selection criteria to decrease the number of options, components or operations that you can choose when running a configuration. This is done by linking options, components or operations to selection criteria. By selecting color, for example, you could choose from the criteria red, blue or green. The components and operations available for selection would then be specific to the criterion you have chosen.
A selection can be defined as optional or mandatory. A selection is Mandatory if a criterion attached to this selection must be chosen when configuring the product. Mandatory selections that do not have valid criteria to choose from are ignored during configuration. If a mandatory selection has a single criterion attached to it, that criterion is automatically chosen. A selection is Optional if you can skip that selection when configuring the product.
You can define a quantity against a criterion which can be used (either as a factor or as part of a calculation) to determine a selected component's quantity. You can also define criteria strings which are used to create a parent code and description.
Invalid Selection Criteria (optional)
If you created selection criteria, then you can link them to ensure that only logical combinations of selection criteria can be chosen together.
From the Configuration Maintenance program, select the Edit option in the Selection Criteria Validation column of the Selections and Criteria pane to open the Product Configurator Header Maintenance program
Link the selection criteria in such a way that, when a criterion is selected when the configuration is run, the relevant subsequent criteria linked to that choice are available for selection (see Selection Criteria Validation).
For example:
For example: If you are making bicycles and you want to specify that White wheels can be selected with a Red frame, you would edit the selection criterion 'Red' and set the selection criterion 'White wheels' as a valid criterion.
Dependencies (optional)
Dependencies are used to link various parts of the configuration to ensure that the Options, Components and Operations selected will produce a valid product when the configuration is run.
From the Options and Components pane of the Configuration Maintenance program click on an Operation or Component line and select the Dependencies option to indicate the Selection Criteria or Components dependencies for that line.
Define the selection criteria and/or component dependency links (see Dependencies).
Once a link has been created, you can only select certain Options, Components or Operations if you have chosen the Selection Criteria or Component on which they are dependent. By creating these links you can ensure that the configuration is valid and decrease the number of Options, Components or Operations that can be chosen.
When creating a Component Dependency link, you can create either a Global link or a Specific link. If you create a Global link, then whenever the Component is selected the link becomes valid and the Option, Component or Operation dependent on that Component can be selected. If you create a Specific link, then the link becomes valid only when a specific instance of the Component is selected. A specific link should be created if the same Component is used in several different Options, Operations or with other components.
Test Configuration (optional)
From the listview of the Configuration Maintenance program, highlight the configuration you want to test.
Select the Test Configuration option from the Edit menu to use the Configurator Wizard to test the configuration. This enables you to ascertain if the configuration you created functions correctly.
Configuration library (optional)
If the configuration test using the Configurator Wizard is successful and you selected to retain configuration libraries (Configuration Maintenance) then you are prompted to save the configuration you created in the Configuration Library.
When you want to sell (or make) this same item again, you can recall it's configuration from the library without having to re-configure it manually.
A configuration used in the creation of a Sales order or Quotation line can be re-used to modify the sales order/quotation line.
This is useful when a change is required to a configured item which was added to a sales order, because not only is the sales order updated, but the change is also applied to the job created when the configured line was added to the sales order.
A configuration can be re-used when maintaining a Sales order if:
the Allow in process configurations option is enabled for the configuration (Configuration Maintenance) from which the sales order line was created.
the order Type is: Order, Billing, Scheduled order or Forward order.
the order line is not for a Kit type item or an ECC controlled item.
the order line is for a stocked item
no quantity has been shipped for the sales order line
A configuration can be re-used in a Quotation if:
the Allow in process configurations option is enabled for the configuration (Configuration Maintenance) from which the quotation line was created.
the quotation line was created from the Stocked tab of the Quotations program.
the Quotation status is 0 - Preparation.