Product configurations are used by Design
Engineers can generate sample product configurations to validate
a product's structure and rules at any point in a product's
lifecycle.
Engineers can use a sample product
configuration to test and validate compatibility rules and
generate a precise bill of material. On successful test and
validation, the sample product configurations can be deleted.
Users can create custom product configurations when using the
Web interface. When a configuration is successfully specified and
validated, the system creates a custom product configuration and
it is promoted to the Generate Bill of Material state.
Structures and rules are defined for the product to validate these
product configurations and to generate a Precise Bill of Materials
(PBOM). The PBOM is a list of all parts needed to manufacture a
defined configuration. When you configure a product, you select
the features, options, and quantities for the product. You also
name and describe the configuration so you and others can easily
identify it in the future. Any configuration you create is custom
for your company. Anyone else who is able to log into the
application in your company can order and review these custom
configurations. Your company can use Variant Configuration Central
to quickly determine whether a product configuration violates the
rules defined for the product. If the product configuration violates
a rule, the application tells you which rule is violated. If the
product configuration conforms to all rules, the configuration is
valid and a PBOM can be created for it.