Product Configurator Wizard

Product Configuration Wizard

If the configuration you are testing has been set up to create a bill of materials, job, estimate, stocked or non-stocked parent, then this will not occur when the configuration is run in test mode (i.e. when the Configurator Wizard program is accessed directly from the Product Configurator menu).

In addition, if the configuration you are testing has the status of under development, it can still be accessed and tested (i.e. when this program is accessed directly from the Product Configurator menu).

The configuration wizard displays a number of screens from which you can make certain choices.

These screens are as follows:

Product detail screen
Selection criteria screen
Component and operation selection screen
Completion screen

The following options can be used to navigate through the wizard:

Field	Description
<Back	Throughout the wizard, this function displays the previous screen.
Next>	Throughout the wizard, this function displays the next screen.
Cancel	Throughout the wizard, this function exits from the Wizard, without saving any selections you have made.

Product detail

This screen enables you to enter the static details of a product you want to configure.

You can also select a standard configuration from a library, if one has been defined.

Field	Description
Configuration date	This defaults to the current system date, but can be changed. This date must be within the range of dates within which the configuration is available to use (Configuration Maintenance). When re-using a configuration from a sales order/quotation, the date is enabled when the source of the configuration is quotations or the sales order is scheduled. If the date is changed, and a job is linked to the quotation/sales order and the job date calculation method is S – Start date to be calculated, then the job is updated using date entered here as the delivery date when the configuration is completed.
Configuration code	Enter the code of the configuration you want to test or create.
Quantity required	Enter the quantity of the product required. This quantity is used to calculate the component quantities and the time or value required for operations. You can only access this field if you have selected the: Ask quantity required option when defining the configuration (Configuration Maintenance). If this option was not selected at the time of creating the configuration, then the quantity defaults to 1. If you are defining a configuration from within the Quotations program, then you can only access this field if you are entering a stocked line. If you are entering a non-stocked line, the quantity required defaults to 1 and cannot be changed. If you are defining a configuration from within the Structures and Routings program, then the quantity required defaults to 1 and cannot be changed. The quantity cannot be changed when re-using the configuration from a sales order or a quotation, as this is retrieved from the sales order line/quotation line.
Component warehouse to use
Override component warehouse to use	Select this to be able to use a warehouse other than the default warehouse assigned to the component. You can only access this option if you have selected the: Ask warehouse option when defining the configuration (Configuration Maintenance). This option is disabled when defining a configuration from: within the Structures and Routings program within the Estimates program a non-stocked line in the Quotations program as the warehouse defaults to non-stocked
Warehouse	Indicate the warehouse from which you want to draw the components for a product. You can only access this field if you selected the: Ask warehouse option when defining the configuration (Configuration Maintenance) and you selected the Override components' warehouse to use option. If a default component warehouse is defined against the configuration (Configuration Maintenance) then that warehouse is displayed by default. This field defaults to the branch defined against the order header if: a default component warehouse is not defined against the configuration (Configuration Maintenance) and you are defining a configuration from within Sales Order Entry and the option: Branch to be warehouse (Sales Orders Setup) is enabled. The default warehouse defined against your operator code (Operators) is used if: the option: Branch to be warehouse (Sales Orders Setup) is not selected or you are defining a configuration from within Job Entry program or you are defining a configuration from a stocked line in the Quotations program If no default warehouse is defined against your operator code then the company warehouse (Company Maintenance) is used. If no default company warehouse is defined, then you have to enter a warehouse. The parent warehouse is picked up from the sales order/quotation line when re-using a configuration from a sales order or quotation.
Configuration library	Configuration libraries enable you to store product configurations which are used repeatedly. This saves you from having to re-configure a product each time it is sold. You are given the option to save a configuration in a library once you have either created it from within a module (e.g. Sales Orders) or at the end of testing the configuration using the Configuration Wizard. When re-using a configuration from a sales order/quotation, you are prompted to use the library code against the sales order/quotation.
Use a standard library configuration	Select this to use a variation of the configuration is saved in the configuration library. You can only access this option if you have selected the: Retain configuration libraries option when defining the configuration (Configuration Maintenance).
Library code	Indicate the library code of the configuration to use. You can only access this field if you selected the: Use a standard library configuration option.

Criteria Selected

Once the product details have been entered, the system displays any selection criteria defined for the configuration.

The criteria selected may determine which options, components and operations can be used in the creation of the parent item.

If no selection criteria are defined, then the Parent part details screen is displayed (if you selected to create a parent part), else the Component and Operation selection screen is displayed.

Field	Description
Play	Select this to view any multimedia items or bitmaps attached to an option, a component or an operation.
Review	Select this to view the selection criteria, options, components or operations selected on previous screens.
Skip	Select this to move to the next screen without making a selection on the current screen. You can only skip to the next screen for selections defined as Optional.

Parent Part Details

This screen is displayed only if the option to create a parent part was selected when defining the configuration (Configuration Maintenance).

On this screen you can view or change the parent part details, such as the stock code, description and warehouse (according to the options set for allowing changes). The changes which can be made depend on the Configuration Maintenance options you selected.

If the option to create both stocked and non-stocked parents was selected when defining the configuration, then you can choose the type of parent to create (Configuration Maintenance).

If the option to create only non-stocked parents was selected when defining the configuration, then the Configurator cannot be run for a supply chain transfer. A supply chain transfer is very limited in that any line created by the Configurator must be for a stocked item (parent or details) and it can only be available from the source warehouse (i.e. if warehouse N is supplying warehouse E, then the items must be stocked in warehouse N). If the configuration is defined so that no parent part is created then the components can only be selected from the source warehouse.

You cannot create a non-stocked parent item and order line if the Configurator is run from a supply chain transfer. If you are creating a stocked parent item from a supply chain transfer, then the warehouse record created is in the source warehouse for the transfer. If the configuration is defined so that no parent part is created, then the components can only be selected from the source warehouse.

If you are defining a configuration from within the Quotations program and you are entering a quotation non-stocked line, then you can only create a non-stocked parent.

When re-using a configuration from Sales orders/Quotations, the information is loaded from the sales order line/quotation line and stocked/non-stocked master file, and only the stock code/non-stocked code description can be maintained.

Field	Description
Stocked parent	Select this to generate a stocked parent part.
Non-stocked parent	Select this to create a non-stocked parent part.
Override the generated parent code and description	Select this to change the code and description for the parent part you are generating.
Code	This indicates the code for the parent part.
Description	This indicates the description for the parent part.
Warehouse	The parent warehouse cannot be blank and must be held on file.
Product class	The parent product class cannot be blank and must be held on file (sales orders and quotes only).
Use component w/h defined against warehouse control	Select this to use the component warehouse defined against the parent warehouse control record. You can only access this option if you selected the: Ask warehouse option when defining the configuration (Configuration Maintenance). This option is disabled when defining a configuration from: within the Structures and Routings program within the Estimates program a non-stocked line in the Quotations program as the warehouse defaults to non-stocked
Component w/h to use	This indicates the component warehouse to use. This is either the component warehouse defined on the Product Detail screen (at the start of the configuration) or the component warehouse defined against the parent warehouse.
Review	Select this to view the selection criteria, options, components or operations selected on previous screens.

Creating a Parent

Depending on how you have set up a configuration, the Configuration Wizard will determine the types of parent parts which are created and how they are created.

Field

Description

Product detail screen

If a configuration is defined to generate a parent, then additional validation is performed with regard to the type of parent that is required when run from various modules and programs.

Where it is mandatory for a parent to be created (e.g. Job creation), then the following requirements must be met:

BOM detail line maintenance

The configuration must be able to create a stocked parent or no parent when run from here.
BOM parent selection

The configuration must be able to create a stocked parent when run from here.
Estimate parent selection

The configuration must be able to create a non-stocked parent when run from here.
Work in Progress browse

The configuration must be able to create a parent when run from here.
Sales Orders

You cannot create a parent when processing a credit note from within sales orders.

If a parent must be created, then regardless of whether stock is allowed to go negative, back orders must be allowed. This is because the quantity required for that parent is automatically placed on back order.

If you select the option to create either a stocked or non-stocked parent and an error made is specific to a type of parent, the option to create the invalid parent is removed. For example: If the part is a planning bill and is being run from Sales Orders, you will only be able to create a non-stocked parent.

Creating a specific parent type

The following requirements must be met if a specific parent type must be created (i.e. the option Both stocked and non-stocked parent has not been selected).

Sales Orders

You cannot create a non-stocked parent for sales orders if a configuration is not linked to Work in Progress or Quotations.
Quotations, Estimates, Sales Orders

You cannot create a stocked planning bill or phantom part unless the configuration is run from Bill of Materials.
Work in Progress

You cannot create a job for a stocked kit part (kit type or sub type) if a configuration is run from here.
Quotations

You cannot create a quotation for a stocked kit part (finished type, kit type or sub type) if a configuration is run from here.
BOM detail line maintenance/Estimate detail maintenance

You cannot create a traceable parent if the parent you want to attach it to is not traceable.

You cannot create a phantom parent if the parent you want to attach it to is a kit part (kit type or sub type).
BOM detail line maintenance

You can only create an MPS parent if the parent you want to attach it to is a planning bill or kit part (kit type or sub type).

You can only create a parent that is attached to another parent if the Include in operation validation option (Stock Codes) is the same for both (e.g. Both are selected, or neither is selected).

Selection criteria screen

There is no validation of criteria and parent creation, but if the parent code generation is based on selection criteria strings, you can view the generated code and description on the selection criteria review screen.

Parent details screen

Once the selection criteria have been chosen, the Parent details screen is displayed.

The following rules apply depending on the Options defined against the configuration (Product Configurator Header Maintenance):

Indicate whether the parent being created is stocked or non-stocked.

If you are creating a stocked parent item, then any non-stocked items used to configure the stocked parent part are ignored when creating a Bill of materials for a Quotation or Estimate. This is irrespective of whether or not the component is mandatory. The reason is that the system needs to create a Bill of materials in order to calculate the cost of the parent item and non-stocked items cannot be included in a Bill of materials.

However, if you create a sales order, you can create a job for a stocked parent item that includes non-stocked components, as the Work in Progress module caters for both stocked and non-stocked components.

You must enter the Code for the parent when the Generate parent code and description option is not enabled.
You must enter the Code for the parent when the parent code is generated by selection criteria (i.e. Parent code generation basis is set to Selection criteria) and the result is blank. The parent code you enter must be numeric and must not already exist as a stocked non-stocked item.
If the option No spaces in generated stock code is enabled (Inventory Setup) then the code is generated without any spaces.

When both the Allow override of generated fields (Product Configurator Header Maintenance) and No spaces in generated stock code options are enabled and you select to override the stock code, then the stock code is not validated again.
An error is displayed if the Inventory stock code key is numeric, but for some reason the selection criteria allowed the generation of a non-numeric key.
You must enter a Warehouse when the parent code is stocked. The Warehouse cannot be blank and must already be defined.
You must enter a Product class when the Use product class inventory defaults option is not enabled. The parent product class cannot be blank and must be held on file when the configuration is used in Sales orders and Quotations.

Component and operation selection screen

Depending on how the configuration was set up, certain component types and operations may be invalid and therefore cannot be selected. When selecting components and operations, the following should be noted:

Operations are not available for selection if the parent is a Planning bill part or is a kit part (kit type or sub type).
Non-stocked components are not available for selection if the configuration is called from the Bill of Materials module or a Bill of materials must be created (e.g. for quotations). In addition, if you are creating a stocked item for a quotation, then all non-stocked components (including mandatory ones) are ignored and excluded from the configured item.
Non-stocked components cannot be selected if the configuration is called from Sales Orders and neither a Job nor an Estimate can be created for the configuration.
If the configuration is called from the Structures and Routings program, then the component being selected must not be the same as the parent whose structure you are maintaining.
You cannot select a component which is traceable if the parent you want to attach it to is not traceable.
If a component is an MPS item, the parent being created must either be a planning bill or a kit part (kit type or sub type).
If you are creating a bill of materials, the Include in operation validation option (Stock Codes) must be the same as the parent (i.e. both must have this option selected, or neither must have this option selected).
If you are creating a parent, the Allow issues from multiple lots option is selected (Stock Codes).
If you selected the Configurator Wizard program from the Sales Order module, and you chose a configuration where either no parent is created or the parent created is a kit type item (i.e. the components are included as lines on the sales order), then you cannot select components that are on hold. Components can be placed on hold using Engineering Change Control or the Stock Codes program.
If you selected the Configurator Wizard program from the Quotations program, and you chose a configuration where no parent part is created, then a warning is displayed if you select a component that is on hold. In addition, if you are creating a stocked item, then any non-stocked components are excluded from the configured stocked item, even if they are defined as mandatory.

Completion screen

After you have selected components and operations, the wizard displays the completion screens.

There are two completion screens when generating a parent; one is displayed when the Configurator is run from Sales Orders or Quotations, and the other is displayed when the Configurator is run from Estimates or Bill of Materials.

Sales Orders and Quotations completion screen

The parent details, such as the stock code default from the Parent details Screen.

Price

This is defined as a manual price on the sales order line, but can be overridden.

Price code

This only applies for an existing parent stock item with no bill of materials but for which a contract price exists. In this case, the contract price (!) symbol is displayed. You can override the contract price with a manual price using the override option.

U/m

The price unit of measure defaults to the stocking unit of measure found on the global product class defaults, but can be overridden

Discount

You can enter a discount amount or value which is attached to the line.

Parent List price

If you are creating a stocked parent, you can view/maintain the list price that is attached when the parent is created.

As each component/operation is selected, a value based on these item's list prices is calculated (all the component list prices are calculated in local currency).

On completion, this value is divided by the configuration quantity entered and becomes the parent's list price. The list price code, basis and commission code used are the inventory defaults, but can be changed.

Please choose what is to be created along with the parent

This option allows you to select what you want to create with this parent.

If you are running a configuration from the Quotations program, no choices are available (i.e. If you are creating a non-stocked parent an estimate is created and if you are creating a stocked parent, a bill of materials is created).

If you are running a configuration from Sales Orders you can choose what you want to create.

The options are as follows:

Option	Description
BOM structure and routing and job	This option is available if the parent is stocked, no non-stocked components were selected, and this configuration can be used in Bill of Materials and Work in Progress.
Job only	This option is available for either stocked or non-stocked parents if the configuration can be run from Work in Progress.
BOM structure and routing only	This option is available for either stocked or non-stocked parents, but this configuration cannot be run from Work in Progress.
Estimate structure and routing	This option is available if the parent is non-stocked and the configuration can be run from Quotations and Estimates.

EC VAT information

EC VAT information is only displayed if the EC VAT is required (Company Tax Options Setup).

Tariff code

The tariff code is the most important data field on the Supplementary Declarations. This number identifies the goods which are the subject of a dispatch and is the basis for most of the statistical information used by government departments, the European Commission, United Nations agencies and businesses.

This field is printed on the Supplementary Declaration for dispatches. When you select the Finish function, a warning is displayed if the tariff code is blank and the order is for a customer in an EC Member State (excluding local transactions).

Supplementary units

Select this if the tariff code entered above requires declaration of a supplementary unit, such as the number of pieces, litres or cubic metres.

Generally a supplementary unit is required when it is a more appropriate measure of particular goods than net mass. It also allows a greater degree of comparison and analysis. This field is printed on the Supplementary Declaration for dispatches.

Estimate and Bill of Materials completion screen

If you are running a configuration from the parent selection screen in Bill of Materials; alternate routings are allowed; and you can override the routing, then you can change the default routing on this screen.

Estimates are always created with route 0 and when running a configuration from the Estimating program, the routing defaults to the parent's routing.

If you are creating a stocked parent, you can view/maintain the parent list price.

Parent List price

If you are creating a stocked parent, you can view/maintain the list price that is attached when the parent is created. As each component/operation is selected, a value based on the item's list prices is calculated (all the component list prices are calculated in local currency).

On completion, this value is divided by the configuration quantity entered and becomes the parent's list price. The list price code, basis and commission code used are the inventory defaults, but can be changed.

Component and Operation Selection

On this screen you select the available components and operations.

Depending on the product definition, you must select the components/operations to be included in a configured product or the components and component quantities.

The options, components and operations that are available could depend on the selection criteria and components you have chosen previously.

If you are defining a configuration from within the Quotations program and no parent is being created, then the operations you select are returned to the quotation as miscellaneous lines.

If you are defining a configuration from within the Sales Order Entry program and no parent is being created, then the operations you select are returned to the sales order as miscellaneous lines. The cost of the operation will be rounded to two decimal places, because when no parent exists and a miscellaneous sales order line is created for an operation, the total cost is stored in the miscellaneous cost field (NMscChargeCost) which only uses two decimal places.

When a parent with a quantity greater than one is created from Product Configurator and an operation is selected, then the operation cost is divided by the quantity required to give a unit cost to be rolled up to the parent. This unit cost is stored as 5 decimal places as the parent cost fields are 5 decimal places.

The following amendment journals are created when job amendment journals are required (Work in Progress Setup):

Four journals for each labor allocation added to record the Work centre, Run time, Start date and End date.
One journal for each material allocation added.

Field

Description

Include mandatory items in list

Select this to view the mandatory items which have automatically been selected into the configuration.

Show configuration totals

Select this to view a running total of the configuration's value.

Cost and profit values can be viewed providing that you are not denied access to the field: Show costs in Inventory/WIP queries (Operators).


	If the Costing method is set to FIFO (Inventory Setup or Warehouses) then the unit cost displayed is the last cost of the item when it was receipted.

Quick Select

You use this function to select components by stock code without having to scroll through a list of components to find the required item.

If multiple occurrences of the stock code exist against the option, the program will try to select the first unselected occurrence.

Zoom

Select this to view details of components and operations for the configuration.

Play

Select this to view any multimedia items or bitmaps attached to an option/component/operation.

Review

Select this to view the selection criteria/options/components/operations selected on previous screens.

Select

Select this to choose the components and/or operations required for a product.

Deselect

Select this to cancel the selections you have made.

Completion screen

The fields, functions, options and information displayed on this final screen differ depending on the module from which the Configurator Wizard program was accessed.

In all cases, if you are using the configuration library, you can save this specific configuration in the library.

If you used the Configurator SQL to ISAM Copy program to copy your Product Configurator tables to C-ISAM files, then the Configurator Wizard program automatically updates the C-ISAM files and not the SQL tables.

Test Mode

The Completion Screen is displayed once the components/operations have been selected.

You can print the selection criteria/options/components/operations you have selected or you can use the Review function to view them on-line.

Sales orders

Once you have made all your choices on the previous screens, you can view the values for the configured product or you can view/change the parent details, such as the Parent list price and discount.

If you configured a stocked parent then you can choose to create a bill of materials structure and routing and job, a job only, or a bill of materials structure and routing only. If you have chosen to create a job only, you can specify the date calculation method to be used for the job.

If you configured a non-stocked parent, then you can choose to create a job only or an Estimate structure and routing.

You use the Finish function to return all the details you selected to the sales order and to create the bill of materials structure and routing/Job/Estimate structure and routing (depending on the options selected). If you are not creating a parent, then the components and operations you selected are returned as order lines. If you are creating a parent, then that parent is returned to the sales order as a single line, which is automatically placed on back order.

When creating a sales order detail line for a new stocked parent item, the price code defined against the stock item is used as the price code for the detail line. If the order is for a foreign currency customer, or the list price is not the same as the price against the sales order or the pricing method is defined as manual, then the price code is "." which indicates a manually entered price.

You can print the selection criteria/options/components/operations you have selected or you can use the Review function to view them on-line.

The following options are available on the final screen when you re-used a configuration to maintain a sales order line for a stocked item line linked to a configuration for which the Allow in process configurations option is enabled (Product Configurator Header Maintenance):

Field

Description

Components and operations

Indicate whether any differences between the original configuration used for the sales order line and the amended configuration should be automatically updated, or loaded into a review for comparison.

Automatic

Select this to automatically update the entries in the existing Bill of Materials, Estimate or Job.


	If a job exists, then irrespective of the option to replace all or not, labor and material allocations already issued cannot be removed.

The automatic update does not do comparisons. Checks are merely done to ascertain what should not be removed before the new components and operations selected through the configuration are added. You may need to scrutinize the material and labor through material and labor allocation maintenance for duplicates if material or labor has already been issued.

Option

Description

Replace all

Select this to replace all entries in the existing Bill of Materials, Estimate or Job. Components and operations created manually in Structures and Routings, Estimates and Jobs are removed.

Use BOM to update job material allocations

Use the BOM components to replace the job material allocations. Only those components generated through the Configurator and saved to the new library are copied to the job. BOM components created manually are not copied to the job.

If a BOM structure and routing exists then components and operations added manually are not removed. New operations are added after the existing manually added operations.

If an Estimate structure and routing exists, then components and operations added manually are not removed. The new operations are added after the existing manually added operations.

If a Job exists, then material and labor allocations added manually are not removed. New operations are added after the existing manually added operations.

Review changes

Use the Review of Components and Operations program to review and update the components and operations according to the changes made in the configuration.

Parent and Sales order/Quote options

Option	Description
Update price against sales order/quotation line	Apply the new rolled up price to the sales order/quotation. If margin checking is required for sales orders (Sales Orders Setup) then this is applied when updating the price against the sales order.
Update list price for parent stock code	Update the list price. Margin checking is not applied.
Update cost for parent stock code	Update the warehouse cost for the parent item. If the parent item is a non-stocked item, then the cost against the sales order/quotation is updated. If a job is linked to the sales order/quotation, then the expected cost of the job is also updated.

User Def. Comments

Use the Admin Notepad Editor (Monospaced Text) program to add free format comments to attach to the order/quotation line. The comment lines currently attached to the sales order are replaced with the comments entered here. If no comments are added here, then the current comments against the sales order are retained.

Finish

Select this to update the sales/quotation line together with the relevant Job, BOM and Estimate, and return to the entry program.

Quotations

Once you have made all your choices on the previous screens, you can view the values for the configured product. You use the Finish function to return all the details you have selected to the quote or estimate. If no parent is being created, the operations and components which you select are returned to the quotation as stocked, non-stocked and miscellaneous lines.

If you are creating a stocked parent from Quotations, a bill of materials structure and routing and a new stock code are created. If you are creating a non-stocked parent from Quotations or Estimates, an Estimate structure and routing and a new non-stocked code is created.

When creating a quotation line for a new stocked parent item, the price code defined against the stock item is used as the price code for the quotation line. If the quotation is for a foreign currency customer, or the list price is not the same as the price against the quotation or the pricing method is defined as manual, then the price code is "." which indicates a manually entered price.

When adding an in process configuration from quotations for a non-stocked code, the cost can only be changed if the price method is fixed.

You can print the selection criteria/options/components/operations you have selected or you can use the Review function to view them on-line.

Work in Progress

Once you have made all your choices on the previous screens, you can view the details of the parent which will be created. You can also change the parent list price details. If you are creating a stocked parent, then you can create a bill of material structure and routing.

You can print the selection criteria/options/components/operations you have selected or you can use the Review function to view them on-line.

You use the Finish function to return all the details you have selected to the job.

If you are creating a stocked parent, a bill of material structure and routing is created. Once you have selected the Finish function, you can select the date calculation method, run a trial loading (see WIP Trial Loading) and select the factory documentation required.

When creating a new parent part, if the configuration default WIP ledger code is defined, then this is used for the stock default WIP ledger code. If the stock default WIP ledger code is not defined, then the WIP ledger code defined in General Ledger Integration is used as the stock default WIP ledger code.

Field	Description
Job classification	This indicates the job classification for the job (see WIP Browse on Job Classification).
Create sub jobs for components	Select this to automatically create a sub job for this component. If a Bill of Materials exists for the component, then the sub job is created with labor and material allocations. If no Bill of Materials exists for the component, then a sub job is created without any material or labor allocations. This option is only available for stocked components.
Date calculation method
Delivery date to be calculated	If you select this option, then operations are loaded according to the elapsed, move and fixed queue times from a specified start date to calculate a delivery date.
Start date to be calculated	If you select this option, then operations are loaded according to the elapsed, move and fixed queue times from a specified delivery date to calculate a start date.
Manually entered dates	Select this to manually enter the start and delivery dates.
Finite scheduled delivery date	If you select this option, then operations are loaded according to the available free capacity, thereby calculating elapsed and queue times from a specified start date to calculate the delivery date.
Include overtime % in date calculation	Select this option to include the value calculated from the overtime percentage when determining the available capacity for the work center for the job being loaded. You can only access this option if you selected a date calculation method of Finite scheduled delivery date. The overtime percentage is held against the work center and is used optionally within the calculations of both the capacity available on a given day for the work center and the calculation of the capacity that can be used by an operation on a given day. It is treated as a percentage over and above the normal capacity.
Start date	This indicates the date on which the job must be started.
Delivery date	This indicates the date on which the job must be finished.

Bill of Materials

Once you have made all your choices on the previous screens, you can view the values for the configured product. You can also change the parent list price details.

You use the Finish function to create the BOM structure and routing. You can change the default route to be used for the bill If the Alternate routings option is enabled (Bill of Materials Setup).


If the Costing method is set to FIFO (Inventory Setup or Warehouses) then the unit cost used is the last cost of the item when it was receipted.

Configuration Library Maintenance

Configuration libraries enable you to store product configurations which are used repeatedly. This saves you from having to re-configure a product each time it is sold. In order to use the configuration library, you must select the: Retain configuration librariesoption when defining the configuration (Configuration Maintenance).

You are given the option to save a configuration in a library once you have either created it from within a module (e.g. Sales Orders) or at the end of testing the configuration using the Configuration Wizard.

If you make changes to a configuration, you must consider the effect on the library entries which are based on that configuration. You may have to re-create the libraries if the configuration is substantially changed.

Only the quantity, stock code, work center and sequence numbers that you selected during configuration are stored in the library. The system uses the configuration to determine what each of the choices are and whether the amounts entered are valid. Prices are not stored so that the library can be used in various modules.

If, while running the Configurator from a library, an error is encountered relating specifically to the library, an error message is displayed and you must indicate whether you wish to continue. If you continue, you will either have to enter a manual choice to correct the error, or the Configurator will attempt to assign the correct entry. If you do not continue, the Configurator reverts to manual entry of the configuration.

If, while running the Configurator from a library, an error is encountered which does not relate directly to the library (i.e. the error would have appeared even if the Configurator had been run manually), then the Configurator continues. However, any entries with errors are ignored and you will have to correct them by restarting at those options when the configuration is complete.

Field	Description
Library code	Enter a unique five character library code for the configuration.
Description	Enter a description for the configuration you are storing in the library.
Availability	Enter a range of dates within which the configuration can be used.
Start	This indicates the first date in a range of dates within which the configuration can be used.
Expiry	This indicates the last date in a range of dates within which the configuration can be used. The default expiry date of 00/00/00 indicates that the configuration is available indefinitely.
Save	Select this to save the configuration to the library.
Cancel	Select this to return to the previous screen without saving the configuration to the library.

Final Sequence

Once all the details have been entered using the Configuration Wizard, the Configurator follows the sequence of events listed below.

Parent creation

When creating a stocked or a non-stocked parent, the configuration details are used to create the parent.
- Stocked parent
  
  If comments were generated based on selection criteria, these are written away to the inventory narrations as technical specifications, sales order additional text and job narrations.
  
  The mass and volume values for the parent item will be the sums of the masses and volumes of the components used to make the parent item.
- Non-stocked parent
  
  The non-stocked master file is created, using the inventory defaults held on file.

Bill of material creation

If creating or appending to a bill of materials, the components and operations are inserted into a viable bill of materials as follows:

Operations are copied according to option/component within summary code sequence (defined against the operation/component). Multimedia and any specific narrations attached to the operation definition are copied. The capacity and elapsed time is calculated for these operations.

A check is made to ensure that the Negative movement time is not greater than the positive elapsed time.


	The Configurator only caters for Unit run time method.

Materials are copied according to option/component within summary code sequence (defined against the operation/component). If structure sequencing is used within Bill of Materials, the default sequence is used (Bill of Materials Setup). Multimedia and any specific narrations attached to the operation definition are copied.

If the component/sequence number already exists on file (and structure sequencing is required) then you are given the option to increment sequence numbers automatically. If you choose not to increment sequence numbers automatically, then the following options are available:

Option	Description
Change sequence	Enter a new sequence for this component. The component/sequence must not already exist on the structure file. This is available if structure sequencing is required.
Accumulate quantity per	Add the quantity per for this component selection to that already on file.
Replace existing with new	The new component selection will overwrite that already on file. This includes any multimedia and narrations, if they exist.
Leave existing:	The new component selection is ignored.

If you are using Standard costing (Inventory Setup) then the bill of material costs are updated for the single level of a new stocked parent. These costs are only updated for Route 0 of the new parent. If the new parent is a component of an existing parent, then the costs for the existing parent are not affected. You will need to run the Cost Implosion program to update the costs for the existing parent.
The costs to use for bought out items at the time of creating the bill of materials depends on your selection at the setup option: Costs to use for bought out items new BOM (Inventory Setup).

Estimate creation

If creating or appending to an estimate, the details entered in the Configurator are used to create an estimate. If any non-stocked components selected do not already exist on the non-stocked file, these are created using data from the Configurator component details.

When creating a quotation detail line using the Configurator, the estimate is automatically set to be available to use.

Job creation

The components/operations selected with the parent are used to create a job for the configuration.


If a bill of materials has been created for the configuration, then these details are used to create the job. If a custom form with a mandatory field is defined for jobs, then you cannot create the job before the custom form is updated.

If a bill of materials has been created for the configuration, then these details are used to create the job.

If a custom form with a mandatory field is defined for jobs, then you cannot create the job before the custom form is updated.

A job amendment journal is created for the newly created job when the option: Capture job amendment journals is enabled (Work in Progress Setup).

Hints and tips

If you are running a SQL Server based company (Company Maintenance) then you can use the Configurator SQL to ISAM Copy program to convert the Product Configurator tables into a C-ISAM format to improve performance when using this program.

Notes and warnings

Program access

The Product Configuration Wizard can be accessed from the following programs/modules:
- Sales Order Entry
- Quotations
- Structures and Routings
- Job Entry
- Estimates
- Configuration Maintenance - Test mode

Restrictions and limits

The System-wide Personalization option to prevent operators entering invalid or special characters (including spaces) into a key field doesn't apply to old-style dialog windows (e.g. the stock code entry field in the wizard (an old-style dialog window) ignores this option).
When the Configurator Wizard program is accessed directly from the Product Configurator menu or from the Configuration Maintenance program, it is automatically run in Test Mode. You can therefore only test the configuration and not add a new configuration.

Routing

The route created on the item via Product Configurator will depend from where the Configurator is run.

When running a configuration from Structures and Routings, the default route set against the product code is always applied.

In all other instances a BOM is created as follows:
- The standard costing route (Route 0) is used when Costing per warehouse is not enabled (Inventory Setup).
- The route against the warehouse is used when Costing per warehouse and Apply warehouse BOM costs are enabled (Inventory Setup) because you are creating a BOM in conjunction with a sales order or a job or both.

In Process configurations

Only the Estimate can be updated from the Product Configurator for an in process configuration when the parent is non-stocked.

A job linked to a non-stocked sales order line after the sales order is created for an in process configuration must be updated manually using the Copy or Maintenance functions in the WIP Material Allocation and Labor Allocation Maintenance programs.

eSignature considerations

Electronic Signatures provide security access, transaction logging and event triggering. This enables you to increase control over your system changes.

Access to the following eSignature transactions within this program can be restricted at Operator, Group, Role or Company level. You configure this using the eSignature Setup program.

eSignature Transaction	Description
Inv Stock code added	Controls access to the Add or New function in the following programs: Browse on Stock Codes Configurator Wizard Stock Code Copy Stock Codes Quotations Estimates Quotation Copy to Estimates Quotation Stock Part Creation
QOT Add non-stocked code	Controls access to the New item and Add functions in the Configurator Wizard and Non-stocked Codes programs.