# Conceptual Product Structure

## Key Features Configurator

### Product Configurator

The product configurator derives an order specific BOM from a modular BOM and thus determines the items that should be used for this order.

After the modular BOM has been created, an order that refers to a specific product family, a specific product variant, etc., can be created to derive an order specific BOM. To derive an individual BOM, all specification rules will be checked and evaluated.

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### Create an Order

A modular BOM is the basis for an order. An order combines all information (product variant, model, specifications, etc.) to configure an order specific BOM and it needs to reference which product variant is used as the basis for configuration.

The top level element of the modular BOM, which is assigned to the next higher level of a product family, is automatically assigned to the order if no subordinate module has been selected during insert.

Optionally the order may refer to a specific model. Specifications, which have been assigned to a model, will be automatically assigned to the order once the respective model has been chosen. Further specifications can be inserted manually. Only those specifications will be available which have been assigned to the respective product variant.

### Check Consistency of Specification

All specifications which have been assigned to an order are examined against the specification constraints that have been released for the product variant of the order. (First step of the evaluation is to check if the rule of the specification constraint is true.)

- If the restriction is true, the constraint itself is evaluated.
- If a specification inclusion is violated, the missing specification(s) must be added to the order. This can happen either automatically (a warning message will be displayed, stating that the missing specification was added to the specification) or manually (a warning message will be displayed, stating that a specification is missing and needs to be added).
- If a specification constraint is violated, an error message will be created, stating which specification constraint is violated.

After examining the specifications, only those items are considered for the order whose specification rule matches most the specification rule of the order.

### Create Order-Specific BOM

This function determines which items will be used for the order-specific BOM. The specification rules for all position variants will be evaluated against the specifications selected for the order.
The software performs the following steps to create an order-specific BOM:

- Resolve multi-level structure of modular BOM
- Determine relevant solutions
- Evaluate specification rules
- Determine sub-alternatives and color depending parts (final items)
- Determine effective item revisions

The complete order specific BOM will be displayed (see next).

### Show Order BOM

The modular BOM is resolved and displayed. It will show a list with the lowest level of elements in the product structure, the positions with the corresponding items (as determined for this specific order)

Optionally a user can resolve the structure of assemblies to visualize the subordinate item structures.

Before deleting an order BOM, it is possible to specify unchangeable position variants. When creating the order-specific BOM again, the calculated position variant will not be added for that position. Instead, the unchangeable position variant is added again. A message is displayed saying that the position variant is replaced. The unchangeable position variant is also added when the configurator does not find a position variant for a certain position.

### The Effectivity Timeframe for Position Variants

The effectivity timeframe will be checked for the order BOM and is a combination of the effectivity of the top level item of the assembly and the individual BOM position effectivity. The effectivity timeframe is used to identify the relevant BOM. The Valid From date, Valid Until date, the Version View (Production / Development), Production Date and Phase will be taken into consideration for the effectivity timeframe.
If an item has several versions, it is necessary to determine the version which should be used for the order BOM.

- Version View: Production + Production Date
  If the version view Production is activated, and a Production Date has been defined, only those position variants will be considered, which are valid at that production date.
- Version View: Production + Production Date + Phase
  If the version view Production is activated, a Production Date has been defined, and a Phase has been chosen, only those position variants will be considered, which are valid at that production date and are set in that phase.
- Version View: Development
  If the version view Development is activated, only the latest position variants will be considered, which are valid.
- Version View: Development + Phase
  If the version view Development is activated, and a Phase has been chosen, only the latest position variants will be considered, which are valid and set in that phase.

The production date is not relevant if the version view Development is chosen.