2 Overview to Configuration Management Setup

This chapter contains these topics:

2.1 Objectives

  • To identify a configured item

  • To set up segments that identify the main features of a configured item

  • To set up the relationships among features

  • To establish which parts are included on the sales order

  • To specify increases or decreases in the price of the configured item based on which options are chosen

  • To specify how to manufacture the item by choosing the proper routing steps

  • To review configuration information

2.2 About Configuration Management Setup

You must set up the Configuration Management system before you can enter sales orders for configured items.

Setting up Configuration Management consists of the following tasks:

  • Setting up item information

  • Setting up distribution information

  • Setting up constants

  • Setting up segments

  • Setting up cross-segment editing rules

  • Understanding derived calculations

  • Setting up assembly inclusion rules

  • Understanding tables

  • Setting up tables

  • Printing reports

You must first set up the following information:

  • Configured item information

  • Constants

  • Segments

  • Cross-segment editing rules

  • Assembly inclusion rules

  • Tables

You set up configured item information for other systems, including:

  • Inventory Management

  • Pricing Management

  • Sales Order Management

  • Product Data Management

Use Configuration Management constants to control processing for your business. You can use constants to control:

  • Branch/plant-specific information about work order processing

  • Sales quote processing

  • Availability checking

  • Whether calculated segments appear

Segments are the features and options of the configured item. Segments represent product characteristics such as color, material, or size. You assign numbers to each segment of the configured item. The numeric sequence determines the order in which you specify the segment value during sales order entry.

You set up cross-segment editing rules with logic statements to establish the relationship between the segments. Use these rules to prevent invalid configurations during sales order entry. You can define custom error messages for a cross-segment editing rule.

Assembly inclusion rules process requested features from sales order entry into the specific components and routing operations necessary to build the configured item. Different types of assembly inclusion rules allow you to define:

  • Components

  • Price/cost adjustments

  • Routings

  • Calculated values

You can also set up tables for assembly inclusion rules to reference information that is based on segment values. Table processing might also be referred to as matrix processing. You might define tables for components, prices, and calculated values. Using tables reduces the amount of rules that are required, simplifies rule maintenance, and improves processing time.