Working With Configuration Codes

This chapter provides an overview of configuration codes and discusses how to:

Click to jump to parent topicUnderstanding Configuration Codes

Configuration codes are 50-character, alphanumeric identifiers for configured items. The system automatically generates configuration codes as you configure items, using information about the customer's selections that you define as elements of the code.

Configuration codes enable you to easily identify the options for a configured item. You can also use configuration codes to track and cost configured inventory. After you define the elements of the configuration code for an item, the system automatically assigns a configuration code to each product that it configures during distribution configuration.

When configured items pass to Inventory, they are put away and shipped in lots that carry that same configuration code. In addition, because lots are linked through the configuration code to the cost information, you have access to standard costing data for the configuration.

The configuration code can consist of options, abbreviations for options, and other configuration data. Most of the characters in the code should come from variables that are defined by choices in configuration.

Here is a sample configuration code:

50-CM BLUE 2

Configuration code example

This could be an edit mask for the size, color, and trim option values for a configured bicycle with the value of the option for size stored in the first seven characters, color stored in the next eight characters, and trim stored in the next and last character of the configuration code.

Configuration codes can include the following values:

See Also

Configuration Variable Types

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicProduct Alias and Configuration Code Associations

You can use the customer's part numbers as product aliases to represent specific configurations of configured products and kits (a product alias can map to a product ID that is combined with a configuration code). A single product can have multiple product aliases. The product alias can also represent a promotional configured product.

An organization might offer one configured product that could be referred to as multiple products or aliases depending on the customer's country and language. For example, if you offer a product with an alias of January Promotion, and a customer is from France, the name could appear as Especialle d'Janvier.

When the sales order prompts for product ID, the Product ID available options list box displays either the system product ID or the customer product ID (alias) and the corresponding description, based on the production source selection for the sold to customer. To use the customer alias, select Customer Product ID for production source.

See Also

Setting Up Product Aliases

Click to jump to parent topicSetting Up Automatic Configuration Code Generation

To create configuration code templates, use the Template component (TEMPLATE_MAINT_GBL). Before you can automatically generate configuration codes, set up the edit mask (template) that the codes will use.

This section provides an overview of automatic configuration code generation and discusses how to:

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicPages Used to Set Up Automatic Configuration Code Generation

Page Name

Definition Name

Navigation

Usage

Template

CP_TEMPLATE_PNL

Configuration Modeler, Print Codes and Templates, Template

Establish the formatting rules for generating configuration codes for an item.

Template - Template Copy

CP_TEMPLATECPY_SEC

Click the Template Copy button in Add mode on the Template page.

Copy the values of an existing template to a new template definition.

Template - Use Long Description

CP_TEMPLATE_SEC

Click the Value List Description button on the Template page.

(Optional) Enter a value list for an option variable on a template. The system then uses the long description for the option variable in the configuration code.

Configuration Code

CP_CONFIG_PNL

Product Configurations, Identify Configuration Code, Configuration Code

View and update the system-generated configuration codes that are associated with an item. The template that creates each Configuration Code also appears.

Configuration Code Template Breakdown

CP_INV1_TEMP_PNL

Select a template and click the Configuration Code Breakdown button on the Configuration Code page.

View the details that describe each position in the 50-character configuration code in relation to its template.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicCreating Configuration Code Templates

You can set up many templates. Each item can be associated with only one template, but you can apply a template to more than one item.

Access the Template page (Configuration Modeler, Print Codes and Templates, Template).

Seq (sequence)

Specifies the order of the configuration code elements.

Type

Value for the configuration code. Values are: Constant, Global, Internal, Literal, Matrix, Option, and Secondary. You can also define a Literal value.

Value

Value to display in the configuration code. You can only use values in the configuration code from the configuration model for the item to which you assign the template. Be sure to enter a value that configuration model has defined. If you specify literal as the variable type, enter a string literal value.

Click the Add/Update button to access the search page that is associated with the adjacent field, where you can add or modify values by using the field's source component. If the field is blank, the source component is accessed in Add mode. If the field is populated, the source component appears in Update mode.

Length

One to 18 characters. When a variable value is longer than the number of characters that are assigned to the code element, the template truncates it to fit. When the value does not entirely fill the element position, the system leaves the extra spaces blank.

Click the Value List Description button to associate a value list with an option variable type.

Using Option Variable Long Descriptions

If the template variable type is an option variable and it has an associated value list, you can direct the system to use the long description from its value list, rather than using the variable value that is on the configuration code.

To use a long description for an option variable in the configuration code:

  1. Click the Value List Description button on the Template page.

  2. Enter the value list from which to draw the description on the Template - Use Long Description page; the field accepts only the names of the tables that you have already defined.

    For example, suppose the value of O-COLOR is defined as RED, with CARDINAL RED as its long description on the value list in this configuration. By specifying the Value List COLORS on the configuration code template, the description of Cardinal Red appears in the configuration code instead of RED, as follows:

    54-CM CARDINAL RED 2

    If the description of the value list value is longer than the number of spaces that are allowed in the template (18 characters maximum), the template truncates the description.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicAssociating Configuration Code Templates With Items

All of the items that are associated with templates are assigned configuration codes as they are configured, so you don't need to perform manual maintenance on configuration codes. However, you might want to manually maintain a configuration code to add existing inventory items when you set up the system for the first time.

If the options for an item change, or if you want to change the way that the configuration codes appear, you can create a new template and assign it to the specified items. You can change existing templates, but only if they have not been used to generate a configuration code.

Access the Configuration Code page (Product Configurations, Identify Configuration Code, Configuration Code).

To add a new template-configuration code to an item:

  1. Add a new row by clicking the Insert Config Code Row (insert configuration code row) button.

  2. Select a template and click the Configuration Code Breakdown button to enter new values for the code.

See Also

Defining Configuration Attributes for an Item

Click to jump to parent topicCreating Configuration Codes Manually

After you define the elements of the configuration code for an item (the template), the system automatically assigns a configuration code to each product that it configures. There are very few times that you need to create configuration codes manually.

Creating Configured Item Lots

To track configured items in Inventory, you must assign those items to lots:

This section discusses how to define a configuration code manually.

See Also

Establishing Item Tracking and Lot-Control Attributes

Understanding Lot Management

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicPages Used to Set Up Configuration Codes Manually

Page Name

Definition Name

Navigation

Usage

Configuration Code

CP_CONFIG_PNL

Product Configurations, Identify Configuration Code, Configuration Code

View and update the system-generated configuration codes that are associated with an item. The template that created each configuration code also appears.

Lot Control Information

INV_LOT_CONTROL

Inventory, Manage Inventory, Lot Control Information

Establish or update the configuration code for a specific lot.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicDefining a Configuration Code Manually

To define a configuration code manually:

  1. Access the Configuration Code page.

    The system displays any existing configuration codes for the item-business unit combination.

    1. Click the Insert Config Code Row (insert configuration code row) button.

    2. Select a template.

    3. Enter a code manually, or click the Configuration Code Breakdown button to use the configuration code elements that are associated with the template.

      The values in the From and To fields on the Configuration Code Template Breakdown page indicate character-length requirements for each variable that is included in the code.

  2. Access the Lot Control Information page.

    The item's configuration code appears at the bottom of the page for a configured item. The Config Code (configuration code) field appears only on lot control pages for configurable items. If you don't see the Config Code field for a configured item, go back to the Business Unit Item Definition - Configuration page and make sure that the item is set to Distribution Configured.

See Also

Establishing or Updating Control Parameters for a Specific Lot

Click to jump to parent topicInquiring About Configured Inventory Items and Templates

This section discusses searching for configured items and templates.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicPages Used to Search for Configured Inventory Items

Page Name

Definition Name

Navigation

Usage

Configured Inventory - Search (inquiry)

CP_INV1_INQ_PNL

Product Configurations, Review Configuration Info, Configured Inventory, Configured Inventory - Search

View information and availability for the item that you select.

Configured Inventory - Result (inquiry)

CP_INV1_INQ_PNL2

Enter an item, business unit, and configuration code, and click the Search button on the Configured Inventory - Search page.

View information about configured items.

Configured Inventory - Configuration Code Template Breakdown (inquiry)

CP_INV1_TEMP_PNL

Click the Configuration Code Breakdown button on the Configured Inventory Search page.

View the template elements that comprise each position in the 50-character configuration code, and perform wildcard searches.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicSearching for Configured Inventory Template Items

To search for configured inventory template items:

  1. Access the Configured Inventory - Search inquiry page.

  2. Enter the business unit and item ID.

  3. Click the Configuration Code Breakdown button to access the Configuration Code Template Breakdown page, where you can search for particular elements of the code:

    From

    Starting position for the element in the configuration code. Each element in the configuration code can occupy 1 to 18 characters in the code.

    To

    Ending position for the element in the configuration code.

    You can use wildcards to search for a configuration code template element.

    For example, when you enter an asterisk in the field where you want a wildcard search, you can specify a search for a black color by leaving the COLOR field blank. This retrieves all colors (including black). If you enter B or B*, you get all values that begin with B. To further restrict the search, enter BL*, and you get everything that starts with BL.

  4. Click the OK button to return to the Configured Inventory - Search inquiry page, where you see that the configuration code is padded with special characters for the search.

    You can change the wildcard search value only on the Configuration Code Template Breakdown page.