| Product Configuration Parameters (tipcf0100m000) |  |
| Use this session to set the parameters that control the functioning of the Product Configuration (PCF) module. You can change the descriptions of predefined variables. In the Product Configuration module, you can define constraints by generic item. A number of variables that are predefined in the Product Configuration Parameters (tipcf0100m000) session are used in these constraints. Once you saved the parameters, you can no longer change them. Related topics Parameter sessions How to test the product model PCF procedures
Fields | Description
General
Introduction Date | The date and time that the parameters were changed. The parameters are valid up to the effective date of a more recent parameter setting. The current set has no effective date.
Description | The description of the parameter set. For example, you can indicate why you changed the parameters.
Multilevel PCF Choice Structure | If this check box is selected, product configuration is applied at multiple levels of the generic product structure. You can use a multi-level question structure for the configuration of product variants. The advantage of using this structure is that product features are linked to the proper generic items, which results in a more modular configuration structure. The structure also enables ERP LN to include or exclude certain sets of questions during the product configuration process.
PCF in Customer's Language | If this check box is selected, the product configurator displays the descriptions of features, options, and constraints in the customer's language. This feature is an important aid for a proper communication with the customer, particularly in the case of telephone sales. If this check box is cleared, the product configurator displays the descriptions of product features, options and constraint validation messages in your own language. Note The Product Configuration module is language-independent, which means that you can record, for example, the descriptions of product features and options in any language. This is especially of value for the communication with customers and other external relations.
Display Implicit Options | If this check box is selected, implicit option values are visualized by the product configurator. This means you use constraints to determine whether or not certain product features or questions must be filled, and whether a default option value is applicable. With the input of an implicit option value you can also use constraints to indicate whether or not the relevant product feature must be visible during the product configuration process. Note You can always deviate from the setting by explicitly specifying this in the constraint of the relevant product feature. If this check box is cleared, implicit options are not visualized by the product configurator.
Generate Sales Quotation Texts | If this check box is selected, ERP LN generates sales quotation texts for sales quotations after the product configuration process.
Identifying Item Code | This parameter affects the way in which ERP LN generates the item code for the product variant when you run the Generate (Project) Structure for Sales Orders (tdsls4244m000) session in the Project Control module. If this check box is selected, the customized item code that ERP LN generates in the Project Control module is identical to the generic item code, or to the code generated using the Generic Item - Settings for Data Generation (tipcf3101m000) session. Different product variants that are linked to the same project then refer to the same customized item. If this check box is cleared, ERP LN adds a sequence number to the generic item code to generate new item codes for each product variant in the Project Control module. You can specify the exact position of this sequence number in the Sequence Number of Item Code from Position field and the Sequence Number of Item Code to Position field of the current session. Note that if you configure a standard item, that is, if you configure a generic item with order policy Anonymous, the newly configured item has no PCS project code as a distinctive feature. If this check box is selected, the item code is a distinctive feature either. However, if you clear this check box, a new item code is generated by adding a sequence number to the generic item, which results into a distinctive item code. If you use the Generic Item - Settings for Data Generation (tipcf3101m000) session to generate new item codes for configured standard items, you may consider to clear this check box. If two items are generated with the same configuration, the item codes for these items are the same. If you clear this check box, a sequence number distinguishes the items.
Use Standard to Order Item BOM | In Product Configuration (PCF), you sell variants of a certain product. You put together a product according to the customer's wishes by selecting components or subassemblies from a list of predefined features and options. More technically, if you configure a generic item in PCF, the generic BOM is converted to a customized product structure. If customers often select a specific configuration, either on end item or subassembly level, you can create standard items for these fast runners in the Item Base Data (IBD) module. The standard item's order policy can be To Order or Anonymous. The Use Standard to Order Item BOM parameter determines whether the components of standard-to-order items are used in the customized product structure. You can use the Generate (Project) Structure for Sales Orders (tdsls4244m000) session to create a customized product structure. If this check box is selected, and you choose during product configuration a subassembly for which a standard-to-order item is defined in IBD, this standard-to-order item is used in the customized BOM. Also the BOM components of the standard item are selected in the customized BOM during generation of the PCS project: If this check box is cleared, and you select during product configuration a subassembly for which a standard-to-order item is present in inventory, the standard-to-order item is used in the BOM, but its components are derived from the generic (derived-from) item: Note The cases described above concern standard items with order policy To Order. If you select during product configuration a standard item with order policy Anonymous, this standard item is never customized, so the problem of copying components does not occur. To use a standard-to-order item multiple times on a PCS project The use of this Use Standard to Order Item BOM parameter is twofold. The parameter not only concerns the selection of components for standard-to-order items during project generation as described above, it also determines whether a customized standard-to-order subassembly can be used multiple times in a PCS project for different parent items. If this check box is cleared, two parent items in a specific PCS project cannot have the similar customized standard-to-order subassembly as a component. After a specific subassembly is used in the first parent item, you cannot use a similar subassembly in a second parent item anymore. The reason is that if a subassembly is used in a specific parent item, it receives a product variant number that conflicts with the product variant number of another parent item that requires the subassembly. If this check box is selected, a similar customized standard-to-order subassembly can be used in several parent items for the same project. The first parent item in which the subassembly is used assigns its product variant number to the subassembly. Despite of this product variant number, the subassembly can be used in other customized product structures, with other product variant numbers. Note If this check box is selected, and you change a customized standard-to-order subassembly in one of the parent items, the subassembly is also changed in the other parent items in which the subassembly was used.
Sequence Number of Item Code from Position | This field indicates from which position in the item code the sequence number is generated. If the item code generated by ERP LN does not uniquely identify a product variant, the product configurator automatically generates a unique code by adding a sequence number to the generated item code. If it becomes apparent during the product configuration or product generation process that the number of positions for the sequence number is insufficient to uniquely identify the item code, the product configurator automatically expands the sequence number either to the left or to the right.
Sequence Number of Item Code to Position | This field indicates to which position in the item code the sequence number is generated. If the item code generated by ERP LN does not uniquely identify a product variant, the product configurator automatically generates a unique code by adding a sequence number to the generated item code. If it becomes apparent during the product configuration or product generation process that the number of positions for the sequence number is insufficient to uniquely identify the item code, the product configurator automatically expands the sequence number either to the left or to the right.
Product Configurator Version | The product configurator version. The use of the product configurator can be divided in two parts: Product model definition. Use of the product model in an operational siuation. In the development stage, the constraints must be tested to ensure that no errors are present, so that the model can be used in the operational situation. Note you can always switch from one version to another. Interpreter Version Constraints must be tested to ensure that no errors are present. As a result, during runtime, constraints are continually read in, and interpreted or compiled. The advantage of the Interpreter Version mode is that you can immediately test a generic product model after changes are made to certain constraints, without first having to recompile all constraints. A disadvantage is that the performance of the product configurator is reduced. Object Version This version is available for the operational situation. During runtime, constraints are directly executed by the product configurator as objects, without the necessity to repeatedly read in and interpret or compile constraints. Compared to the interpreter version, the object version may result in a considerable performance improvement, especially in the case of more complex constraints. Prior to using the object version, all constraints must be compiled in the Compile Constraints by Generic Item (tipcf2201m000) session. For this purpose, you need the compiler 'bic6.2' of Enterprise Server. Performance aspects The setting of this field could affect system performance and database growth. For more information, refer to Product configurator version. Related topics How to define a product model
Number Group for Product Variants | The number group for product variants. Related topics To use number groups and series
Constraint Expression
Input Option Value | The Product Configuration module enables you to record constraints per generic item. A number of variables predefined in the Product Configuration Parameters (tipcf0100m000) session are used in these constraints. These variables can be filled only once. This means that once product constraints are defined, the descriptions of the variables can no longer be changed. The Input Option Value variable enables you to indicate for each product feature whether or not the product configurator must prompt you to enter an option value. This variable has the following features:
Constraint section | Before Input
Application | Enter option value y/n
Domain | True/false
Initialization | True
Display Option Value | Indicates for each product feature whether the product configurator must display that feature during the product configuration process in case of an implicit option value. This variable has the following features:
Constraint section | Before Input
Application | Display Option Value y/n
Domain | True/false
Initialization | True if the Display Implicit Options parameter is selected
False if the Display Implicit Options parameter is cleared
Note Value is true if the Input Option Value field is true.
Validating | The Product Configuration module enables you to record constraints per generic item. A number of variables predefined in the Product Configuration Parameters (tipcf0100m000) session are used in these constraints. These variables can be filled only once. This means that once product constraints are defined, the descriptions of the variables can no longer be changed. This field indicates whether or not the product configurator validates a given product configuration. As a result, you can control the product configuration process and also prevent the configuration or generation of unallowed product variants. Note that product configuration covers all generic product information, such as product features and options, generic item data, generic bills of material, generic routing, and generic price lists. This variable has the following features:
Constraint section | Validation
Application | Validating product configuration
Domain | True/false
Initialization | True
Message | The Product Configuration module enables you to record constraints per generic item. A number of variables predefined in the Product Configuration Parameters (tipcf0100m000) session are used in these constraints. These variables can be filled only once. This means that once product constraints are defined, the descriptions of the variables can no longer be changed. The Message field enables you to generate messages during the product configuration process. These messages are displayed as warnings, notices, or explanations. Messages can be recorded in constraints in the form of texts or text blocks. When you have chosen product configuration in the customer's language, you can enter message in constraints in any language. Consequently, the product configurator generates and displays the message in the language linked to the customer's language code. This variable has the following features:
Constraint section | Validation
Application | Generating messages
Domain | Alphanumeric: a maximum of 80x25 lines of text
Initialization | Standard message
Note If a message is recorded in a foreign language, the (system) language code must be added to the variable Message. For example: message = "this is a message" message.3 = "dies ist eine Meldung"
Item Data | The Product Configuration (PCF) module enables you to record constraints per generic item. A number of variables predefined in the Product Configuration Parameters (tipcf0100m000) session are used in these constraints. These variables can be filled only once. This means that once product constraints are defined, the descriptions of the variables can no longer be changed. The Item Data field enables you to let the product configurator determine the data of a product variant item, such as item code, item description, material, size, norm, and item text. The variable Item Data can be used in the "parameter substitution" part of a generic item data constraint. This variable has the following features:
Constraint Section | Parameter substitution
Application | Determine product variant item data
Domain | Alphabetic characters
Initialization | Current value of item data
Note Text blocks for item text generation have first priority.
Length | The Product Configuration module enables you to record constraints per generic item. A number of variables predefined in the Product Configuration Parameters (tipcf0100m000) session are used in these constraints. These variables can be filled only once. This means that once product constraints are defined, the descriptions of the variables can no longer be changed. With the Length field you can let the product configurator calculate for example the length of a BOM component, based on a formula. This variable has the following features:
Constraint section | Parameter Substitution
Application | Calculating length of BOM component
Domain | Fractions
Initialization | Current value of BOM component's length
Note Unit of BOM component must have physical quantity Length or Area.
Width | The Product Configuration module enables you to record constraints per generic item. A number of variables predefined in the Product Configuration Parameters (tipcf0100m000) session are used in these constraints. These variables can be filled only once. This means that once product constraints are defined, the descriptions of the variables can no longer be changed. With the Width field you can for example let ERP LN calculate the width of a BOM component. This variable has the following features:
Constraint section | Parameter Substitution
Application | Calculating width of BOM component
Domain | Fractions
Initialization | Current value of BOM component's width
Note Physical quantity of BOM component's unit must be Area.
Number of Units | The Product Configuration module enables you to record constraints per generic item. A number of variables predefined in the Product Configuration Parameters (tipcf0100m000) session are used in these constraints. These variables can be filled only once. This means that once product constraints are defined, the descriptions of the variables can no longer be changed. With the Number of Units field you can let ERP LN calculate for example a BOM component's number of units, based on a formula. This variable has the following features:
Constraint section | Parameter Substitution
Application | Calculation of a BOM component's number of units
Domain | Integers
Initialization | Current value of a BOM component's number of units
Note Unit of BOM component must have physical quantity Length or Area.
Net Quantity | The Product Configuration module enables you to record constraints per generic item. A number of variables predefined in the Product Configuration Parameters (tipcf0100m000) session are used in these constraints. These variables can be filled only once. This means that once product constraints are defined, the descriptions of the variables can no longer be changed. With the Net Quantity field you can let ERP LN calculate the net quantity of a BOM component, based on, for example, a formula. This variable has the following features:
Constraint section | Parameter Substitution
Application | Calculating net quantity of BOM component
Domain | Fractions
Initialization | Current value of net quantity of BOM component
Note If the values of length, width (if any) and number of units are known, the net quantity is automatically derived from these values assuming the net quantity is not filled.
Setup Time | The Product Configuration (PCF) module enables you to record constraints per generic item. A number of variables predefined in the Product Configuration Parameters (tipcf0100m000) session are used in these constraints. These variables can be entered only once. This means that once you defined product constraints, you can no longer change the descriptions of the variables. With the Setup Time field you can let ERP LN calculate, for instance, the cycle time for an operation. This variable has the following features:
Constraint section | Parameter Substitution
Application | Calculating setup time for operation
Domain | Fractions
Initialization | Current value of operation setup time
Production Rate | The Product Configuration module enables you to record constraints per generic item. A number of variables predefined in the Product Configuration Parameters (tipcf0100m000) session are used in these constraints. These variables can be filled only once. This means that once product constraints are defined, the descriptions of the variables can no longer be changed. This field expresses the number of products manufactured per unit of time. Depending on the parameter setup, the time unit is hour or minute. The production rate provides an alternative to recording operation times. The operation with the lowest production rate is considered the "bottleneck" for RPT items.
Cycle Time | The Product Configuration (PCF) module enables you to record constraints per generic item. A number of variables predefined in the Product Configuration Parameters (tipcf0100m000) session are used in these constraints. These variables can be filled only once. This means that once you have defined product constraints, you can no longer change the descriptions of the variables. With the variable Cycle Time field you can let the product configurator calculate, for example, the cycle time for an operation, according to a formula. This variable has the following features:
Constraint section | Parameter Substitution
Application | Calculating setup time for operation
Domain | Fractions
Initialization | Current value of operation setup time
Price | The Product Configuration module enables you to record constraints per generic item. A number of variables predefined in the Product Configuration Parameters (tipcf0100m000) session are used in these constraints. These variables can be filled only once. This means that once product constraints are defined, the descriptions of the variables can no longer be changed. With this field you can let the product configurator calculate the purchase or sales price for a product variant, based on, for example, a formula. The final purchase or sales price for a product variant may be composed of multiple price and/or surcharge components. Some data can be recorded in the generic purchase or sales price list for each generic item. This variable has the following features:
Constraint section | Parameter Substitution
Application | Calculating purchase or sales price of product variant
Domain | Fractions
Initialization | Current value of purchase price or 0.0 for the sales price