Understanding Duplicate Components

You can add multiple instances of a configured component item to a configured parent item. Each new instance of the component can be configured uniquely or be an exact copy of an instance of the component that you previously configured. You can use a single part number to represent the various configurations of a component item, thus reducing the number of part numbers that you must manage.

To include multiple instances of a configured component item in a parent item, you add the appropriate P-type assembly inclusion rules to the parent item. You can include multiple instances of the configured component item within the configured parent item with unconditional or conditional rules.

Whether multiple instances of the configured component item are included as part of the default configuration (using unconditional rules) or as part of a subsequent configuration (using conditional rules), each instance can be configured differently, but have the same part number. Using a single part number enables you to set up all of the associated segments, assembly inclusion rules, and cross-segment editing rules for a single item, and then create various configurations for that item.

Currently, you can refer to an upper-level configured item in cross-segment editing rules, assembly inclusion rules, and derived calculations. The JD Edwards EnterpriseOne Configurator system correctly processes the rules, based on the upper-level configured item segment selection. With the introduction of duplicate components, referring to an upper-level duplicate configured item adds complexity.

The Configured Item Alias field on the cross-segment editing and assembly inclusion rule forms provides the ability to reference a specific occurrence of an included item. This is not a required field. The Configured Item Alias field is for use with duplicate components. If you do not use this field with duplicate components then the system processes duplicate components based on system logic.

Important: You should use the Configured Item Alias field to ensure that the correct duplicate item is used in a configuration.

A configured item alias may be assigned to an item using an assembly inclusion rule. The system verifies that the configured item alias has not been assigned to another item in the assembly inclusion rules. This prevents two components on any rule from being assigned the same configured item alias.

Once the configured item alias is assigned in an assembly inclusion rule, then the Configured Item Alias Left and Configured Item Alias Right fields in the cross-segment editing and assembly inclusion rules can be set to reference a configured item alias. The system verifies that the configured item alias is assigned to the item in the rule.