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<ManualTopic ID="/baanerp/ti/onlinemanual/100000" xml:lang="en">
   <Header>
      <Title>Configurator (introduction)</Title>
   </Header>
   <AimSection>
      <Paragraph>This topic describes in short the working of <GUIRef href="/baanerp/ti/pcf" role="module" Update="No">Product Configuration (PCF)</GUIRef> in LN.</Paragraph>
   </AimSection>
   <GeneralSection>
      <SectionTitle>Why a product configurator is useful</SectionTitle>
      <Paragraph>The competitive power of a company is determined more and more
		by the speed of a company to meet customer requirements. Today’s business must
		be capable to deliver a customer specific product within the delivery time of a
		standard product.</Paragraph>
      <Paragraph>In a traditional production control system, the product
		structure generally consists of:</Paragraph>
      <List>
         <ListItem>Item data, such as delivery time and cost price.</ListItem>
         <ListItem>Data relating to the structure of items, such as bills of
		  material.</ListItem>
         <ListItem>Data about operations, such as routings.</ListItem>
      </List>
      <Paragraph>Product data defined like this may be adequate for companies
		producing only one or just a few products. However, if a large number of
		variants of the finished product is produced, assembling or manufacturing of a
		product is usually only started when the customer's order has been received. In
		such cases, the traditional information system may run into problems with
		respect to quantity, complexity, and manageability of the product data. Also
		the timely availability of the information can be problematic.</Paragraph>
      <Paragraph>Almost every company that assembles to-order deals with product
		variants. In that case, you cannot define the product structures for all
		versions of all finished products in advance. The answer to this problem is
		configuration management. Configuration management must be translated into a
		well thought-out, modular, product design with proper validation and decision
		support functions provided by the information system to enhance the level of
		logistic control. LN offers such an application, <GUIRef href="/baanerp/ti/pcf" role="module" Update="No">Product Configuration (PCF)</GUIRef>.</Paragraph>
      <Paragraph>The following sections provide an overview of how to set up <GUIRef href="/baanerp/ti/pcf" role="module" Update="No">Product Configuration (PCF)</GUIRef>, and subsequently, how to work with it.</Paragraph>
   </GeneralSection>
   <GeneralSection>
      <SectionTitle>To set up product configuration</SectionTitle>
      <Paragraph>Before setting up product
		configuration in LN, you
		must define items of the <GUIRef href="/baanerp/tc/domains/kitm#generic" role="option">Generic</GUIRef> type in the <Link href="/baanerp/tc/onlinemanual/tcibd" role="manual">
            <GUIRef href="/baanerp/tc/ibd" role="module">Item Base Data</GUIRef>
         </Link> module, the so-called <Link href="/baanerp/ti/glossary/glossary#GeneriItem_ti" role="glossary">generic items</Link>.</Paragraph>
      <Paragraph>A generic item can have various <Link href="/baanerp/ti/glossary/glossary#100000" role="glossary" Update="No">features</Link> linked
		to it. The product features are the basis for a procedure to define the product
		specifications. For every feature you can define various <Link href="/baanerp/ti/glossary/glossary#100001" role="glossary">options</Link>, which reflect the
		choices you can make with regard to a specific feature. For example, for a
		feature COLOR, you could define the options red, yellow, and blue. By using <Link href="/baanerp/ti/glossary/glossary#100003" role="glossary">constraints</Link>, certain
		selections can be excluded or made mandatory. A combination of options chosen
		for a generic item, reflects a <Link href="/baanerp/td/glossary/glossary#ProducVarian_td" role="glossary">product variant</Link>. You can
		view, define and maintain configuration data for a generic item in one single
		session: <Link href="/baanerp/ti/pcf/tipcf3100m100" role="session">Generic Item - Structure (tipcf3100m100)</Link>.</Paragraph>
      <Paragraph>Multi-language support
		enables you to define the characteristic features of a product in several
		languages. For each feature you can define one or more options in several
		languages. You can state whether options can be freely selected or are bound to
		a specific domain.</Paragraph>
      <Paragraph>You can define purchase
		and selling prices for each generic item. On the basis of the selling prices
		stated for the generic item, LN calculates the selling prices of the product
		variants. Purchase prices come in when generic items are purchased, for
		instance as part of a generic subassembly or finished product.</Paragraph>
      <Paragraph>Refer to <Link href="/baanerp/ti/onlinemanual/100004" role="manual">How to define a product model</Link>
      </Paragraph>
   </GeneralSection>
   <GeneralSection>
      <SectionTitle>To use the product configurator in LN</SectionTitle>
      <Paragraph>When product configuration is set up, you can configure a
		product for a customer by selecting an option for every feature of the product.
		The translation of customer requirements results into a <Link href="/baanerp/ti/glossary/glossary#100014" role="glossary">product variant</Link>. The process can be controlled by a set
		of decision rules, the <Link href="/baanerp/ti/glossary/glossary#100003" role="glossary" Update="No">constraints</Link>. The constraints indicate which
		components and operations can or cannot be used in a specific
		version.</Paragraph>
      <Paragraph>The product configurator can be triggered from several places in LN, as indicated in the
		table below. Dependent on where a product variant is configured, the product
		variant receives a reference type, which can be viewed in the <GUIRef href="/baanerp/ti/pcf/tipcf5501m000" role="session">Product Variants (tipcf5501m000)</GUIRef> session.</Paragraph>
      <TABLE border="1" borderstyle="default" space-and-orientation="indented-estimated">
         <TBODY noTR="7">
            <TR no="1" isLast="false">
               <TH width="207" valign="middle" align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Configurator triggered where?</TH>
               <TH width="279" valign="middle" align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Session where configurator is triggered</TH>
               <TH width="185" valign="middle" align="center" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Reference type</TH>
            </TR>
            <TR no="2" isLast="false">
               <TD width="207" rowspan="1" colspan="1">In <GUIRef href="/baanerp/ti/pcf" role="module" Update="No">Product Configuration (PCF)</GUIRef>, <GUIRef href="/baanerp/ti" role="package">Manufacturing</GUIRef>
               </TD>
               <TD width="279" rowspan="1" colspan="1"> 
                  <List>
                     <ListItem>
                        <GUIRef href="/baanerp/ti/pcf/tipcf5501m000" role="session">Product Variants (tipcf5501m000)</GUIRef>
                     </ListItem>
                  </List>
               </TD>
               <TD width="185" rowspan="1" colspan="1">
                  <GUIRef href="/baanerp/tc/domains/reft#standard" role="option">Standard Variant</GUIRef>
               </TD>
            </TR>
            <TR no="3" isLast="false">
               <TD width="207" rowspan="1" colspan="1">In <GUIRef href="/baanerp/ti/pcs" role="module" Update="No">Project Control (PCS)</GUIRef>, <GUIRef href="/baanerp/ti" role="package">Manufacturing</GUIRef>
               </TD>
               <TD width="279" rowspan="1" colspan="1"> 
                  <List>
                     <ListItem>
                        <GUIRef href="/baanerp/ti/pcs/tipcs2220m000" role="session">Generate (Project) Structure for Product Variant (tipcs2220m000)</GUIRef>
                     </ListItem>
                  </List>
               </TD>
               <TD width="185" rowspan="1" colspan="1">
                  <GUIRef href="/baanerp/tc/domains/reft#project" role="option">Project</GUIRef> or <GUIRef href="/baanerp/tc/domains/reft#budget" role="option">Budget</GUIRef>,
				dependent on whether the product variant applies to a project or
				budget.</TD>
            </TR>
            <TR no="4" isLast="false">
               <TD width="207" rowspan="1" colspan="1">On a sales quotation line, <GUIRef href="/baanerp/sales" role="package">Sales</GUIRef>
               </TD>
               <TD width="279" rowspan="1" colspan="1"> 
                  <List>
                     <ListItem>
                        <GUIRef href="/baanerp/td/sls/tdsls1500m000" role="session">Sales Quotations (tdsls1500m000)</GUIRef>
                     </ListItem>
                  </List>
               </TD>
               <TD width="185" rowspan="1" colspan="1">
                  <GUIRef href="/baanerp/tc/domains/reft#sls.quotation" role="option">Sales Quotation</GUIRef>
               </TD>
            </TR>
            <TR no="5" isLast="false">
               <TD width="207" rowspan="1" colspan="1">On a sales order line, <GUIRef href="/baanerp/sales" role="package">Sales</GUIRef>
               </TD>
               <TD width="279" rowspan="1" colspan="1"> 
                  <List>
                     <ListItem>
                        <GUIRef href="/baanerp/td/sls/tdsls4100m000" role="session">Sales Orders (tdsls4100m000)</GUIRef>
                     </ListItem>
                  </List>
               </TD>
               <TD width="185" rowspan="1" colspan="1">
                  <GUIRef href="/baanerp/tc/domains/reft#sls.order" role="option">Sales Order</GUIRef>
               </TD>
            </TR>
            <TR no="6" isLast="false">
               <TD width="207" rowspan="1" colspan="1">In <GUIRef href="/baanerp/tp/ptc" role="module" Update="No">Project Technical Calculation (PTC)</GUIRef>, <GUIRef href="/baanerp/tp" role="package">Project</GUIRef>
               </TD>
               <TD width="279" rowspan="1" colspan="1"> 
                  <List>
                     <ListItem>
                        <GUIRef href="/baanerp/tp/ptc/tpptc1510m000" role="session">Element Budget (Material Lines) (tpptc1510m000)</GUIRef>
                     </ListItem>
                     <ListItem>
                        <GUIRef href="/baanerp/tp/ptc/tpptc1510m000" role="session">Element Budget (Material Lines) (tpptc1510m000)</GUIRef>
                     </ListItem>
                  </List>
               </TD>
               <TD width="185" rowspan="1" colspan="1">
                  <GUIRef href="/baanerp/tc/domains/reft#tp" role="option">TP Project</GUIRef>
               </TD>
            </TR>
            <TR no="7" isLast="true">
               <TD width="207" rowspan="1" colspan="1">In <GUIRef href="/baanerp/tp/pss" role="module">Project Requirements</GUIRef>, <GUIRef href="/baanerp/tp" role="package">Project</GUIRef>
               </TD>
               <TD width="279" rowspan="1" colspan="1"> 
                  <List>
                     <ListItem>
                        <GUIRef href="/baanerp/tp/pss/tppss6115m000" role="session">Planned PRP Warehouse Order (tppss6115m000)</GUIRef>
                     </ListItem>
                  </List>
               </TD>
               <TD width="185" rowspan="1" colspan="1">
                  <GUIRef href="/baanerp/tc/domains/reft#tp" role="option">TP Project</GUIRef>
               </TD>
            </TR>
         </TBODY>
      </TABLE>
      <List>
         <ListIntro>For more information, refer to</ListIntro>
         <ListItem>
            <Link href="/baanerp/ti/onlinemanual/100008" role="manual">How to use a product model in a sales quotation</Link>
         </ListItem>
         <ListItem>
            <Link href="/baanerp/ti/onlinemanual/100009" role="manual">How to use a product model in a sales order</Link>
         </ListItem>
      </List>
   </GeneralSection>
   <GeneralSection>
      <SectionTitle>To generate a (project) structure</SectionTitle>
      <List>
         <ListIntro>After product variants are created, a product structure must
		  be created on the basis of the product variant. A generic product structure is
		  generated in the following sessions, dependent on where the product variant is
		  configured:</ListIntro>
         <ListItem>
            <GUIRef href="/baanerp/td/sls/tdsls1201m100" role="session">Generate (Budget) Structure for Sales Quotations (tdsls1201m100)</GUIRef>
         </ListItem>
         <ListItem>
            <GUIRef href="/baanerp/td/sls/tdsls4244m000" role="session">Generate (Project) Structure for Sales Orders (tdsls4244m000)</GUIRef>
         </ListItem>
         <ListItem>
            <GUIRef href="/baanerp/ti/pcs/tipcs2220m000" role="session">Generate (Project) Structure for Product Variant (tipcs2220m000)</GUIRef>
         </ListItem>
      </List>
      <List>
         <ListIntro>The structure generally consists of data about:</ListIntro>
         <ListItem>Product features.</ListItem>
         <ListItem>Product options.</ListItem>
         <ListItem>Product constraints.</ListItem>
         <ListItem>Generic item data.</ListItem>
         <ListItem>Generic bill of
		  material.</ListItem>
         <ListItem>Generic routing.</ListItem>
      </List>
      <Paragraph>If the order policy of the generic item on which the product
		variant is based is <GUIRef href="/baanerp/tc/domains/opol#on.order" role="option">To Order</GUIRef>,
		a PCS project must created to generate the project structure. If the if the
		order policy of the generic item is <GUIRef href="/baanerp/tc/domains/opol#anonymous" role="option">Anonymous</GUIRef>, a project is not required.</Paragraph>
   </GeneralSection>
   <RelatedTopics>
      <SectionTitle>Related topics</SectionTitle>
      <RelTopic>
         <Link href="/baanerp/ti/onlinemanual/100011" role="manual">PCF procedures</Link>
      </RelTopic>
   </RelatedTopics>
</ManualTopic>