# Conceptual Product Structure

## Key Features Neutral BOM

In case of a Neutral BOM, the Conceptual Product Structure is used like a template and the resulting BOM can be used afterwards without the Conceptual Product Structure.

The neutral BOM is complete in terms of having:

- Product Components (top-level item)
- Product Structure Elements (components; each product component is usually implemented by an item)
- Items

To derive a "real" BOM from a neutral BOM, assign items to the neutral BOM and verify the structure in the Item mask.

The following graphic describes the process to create a neutral BOM and how a "real" BOM can be derived. Filters and Solutions limit the choice of available items which are then used in the "real" BOM.

### Product Structure Element

The Conceptual Product Structure consists of product structure elements. Each product structure element has a position number and references a parent element - except for the product structure element at the top level. This object represents the top level (entry point) of a conceptual product structure.

A conceptual product structure is linked through such a top level product structure element to a class. A conceptual product structure is a single level structure only.

### Product Component

The product component is the building block for the neutral product structure and it is assigned to a top level product structure element. It can be re-used in other structures. A product component for the neutral BOM can have its own structure.

A product component has a status. A predefined lifecycle exists with the states "In Work" and "Released". A product component has to be released before it can be used in the Conceptual Product Structure. To modify a released product component, its status must be set to "In Change". Once the modification is complete, the status can be set to "Released" again.

### Product Component - Class Reference

Product components are typically related to classes which contain items. This relation can be interpreted in two ways:

- A product component can be implemented with the items contained in the corresponding classes. These items represent the solution space for the product component.
- Items contained in the class will have an item structure corresponding to the Conceptual Product Structure of the product component. So the product component is a template for all classified items.

It is possible to assign multiple classes to a product component. Only one of these relations will be effective where the conceptual product structure of that product component defines the item structure of all classified items.

### Functions

Functions are used to describe the functional aspects of a product component (e.g. seal, close, etc.), respectively a product structure element. Functions are optional. They have to be unique and should not conflict.

A product component has a rather generic nature and can therefore realize several functions, but a product structure element is assumed to implement only one of the functions assigned to the referred product component.

A function can be used to create a conceptual product structure which initially only defines the intended functional aspects of the product.

To define the functional structure of a product, in a first step a function is selected for each product structure element, but no product component yet. Only in a later phase are the suitable product components selected, based on the selected function. The system will only offer such product components which can realize the required function, thus supporting to translate a functional view on a system level design view. Also, if a product component is selected, only those functions will be selectable that have been defined for this product component.

The Structure tab of the Product Component - Neutral mask allows to assign functions to each position.

Functions can be assigned to a product component, but product components cannot be assigned to a function!

### Defining the Product Structure Element

The product structure element links the product component to a hierarchical structure.

The mask can be opened by clicking on the respective Position number in the Structure tab of the Product Component - Neutral mask.

Solutions, filters, etc. are assigned to the product structure element of the neutral BOM.

It is possible to assign product structure elements to the structure of a product component, even if the product component has been released already. This behaviour is customizable!

### Assign Filters to limit the Solution Space

Filters, which are assigned to a product structure element, are used to specify more precisely which items are available to implement the product component. These items are part of the classes that are assigned to the product component. The filter criteria depend on the attributes which are defined for these classes.

Filters limit the Solution Space (based on the classes) and restrain the choice of items available for a particular product structure element.

Classification

Several filters, which all have to be met, can be defined for one product structure element.

The following fields have to be filled when creating a filter:

- The Name field opens a select menu and shows a list of attribute names from the classes of the product component.
- After an attribute is chosen the Title field shows the title of the attribute.
- Logical operators and comparison values can be entered in the Value column (e.g. Name: Item Number; Value: >ITM-001). The entered values depend on the data related to the selected attribute name.
  Possible logical operators can be found in the Data View documentation.
  Data View (DTV User's Guide > Masks and Fields > Read Records from the Database (Search, Refresh))

Filters are optional. They don't have to be defined.

### Displaying the Solution Space

A list of all items, which are assigned to the classes that are assigned to the corresponding product component (taking into account the filters that my be defined for the product structure element), are displayed in the Solution Space.

The effort for classification and assigning item classes to product components pays off when it comes to derive a "real" BOM. For each product structure element, suitable items can be found in the solution space.

Additional fields for the solution space that have been defined in the entity EDB-CPS-CMP-SOL-SLIC have to be defined in the entity EDB-GRP-ART-CPS-SLI as well.

### Verify Structure Checkbox

The Verify Structure checkbox defines if a class or an item will be verified for the neutral BOM.

When assigning a class and its items to a product component, the checkbox is selected for this class, but not for its items. The checkbox does not have any influence on the items assigned to this class. Therefore, when verifying the neutral BOM, it will verify the relation between the class and its items but not the items.

Items that have been assigned to a class after the class was assigned to a product component (this items will also be added to the solution space), have the checkbox already selected in the Item mask when the relation between product component and class is released. The selection of the Verify Structure checkbox symbolizes that this item needs to be verified for the neutral BOM.

### Defining the Solution

A solution establishes a link between a product structure element and a specific item. Items can either be selected from items that are listed in the solution space list or from the complete items list.

### Display Structure of a neutral BOM

If product components are defined and the solutions have been assigned to the product structure element, an overview of the neutral BOM structure can be displayed by selecting Structure explosion from the context menu of a neutral product component.

### Verify neutral BOM

As mentioned above, the neutral BOM acts as a template for a "real" BOM created of items. The neutral BOM and similarly the item structures define a single-level only.

The system will verify that the structure matches the neutral BOM. This will happen if the item (assembly) is assigned to a class which itself is linked to a neutral BOM (top level product component), as displayed in the Solution Space tab. It will not be verified against the entries in the Solution tab.

The verification will ensure that:

- the structure of the assembly is complete and consistent according to a given neutral BOM. All positions which are not yet ineffective have to be considered.
- the individual BOM position is compliant with a position defined in the neutral BOM, taking into account the position number, the position type (item or text), the solution space of items, etc.