Create Configuration

Explanation

This activity is used to create a configuration for a configurable part. When creating the configuration, you define the characteristics and options the customer wants when you sell or build it.

A configuration is a unique combination of characteristics and options that is used in conjunction with a configurable part. The configuration of a part can be initiated in IFS/Manufacturing Standards, IFS/Customer Orders, IFS/CRM, IFS/Shop Order or IFS/Dynamic Order Processing. It can also be initiated by an external application.

The configuration for a configurable part is created using the Create Configuration assistant. The assistant can be accessed from several pages. To access the Create Configuration assistant from the:

• Business Opportunity page: On the Opportunity Lines tab, select the appropriate item, click Configuration and then Create.
• Customer Order page: On the Lines tab, select the appropriate item, click Configuration and then Create.
• Customer Order Lines page: Select the appropriate item, click Configuration and then Create.
• DOP Header page: Click Configuration and then Create.
• DOP Headers page: Select the appropriate item, click Configuration and then Create.
• Estimate Item page: Click Configuration and then Create.
• Interim Order Header page: Click Configuration and then Create.
• Sales Quotation page: On the Lines tab, select the appropriate item, click Configuration, then click Create.
• Sales Quotation Lines page: Select the appropriate item, click Configuration and then Create.
• Shop Order page: Click Configuration and then Create.
• Shop Orders page: Select the appropriate item, click Configuration and then Create.

In the Characteristics section in the Create Configuration assistant, the list of the mandatory characteristics and default values of the part (specified in the Part Configuration Revision page) is displayed. This is where you define the configuration. If a configuration template exists for the configuration part revision you can use it as a starting point to to load a set of characteristic values. To do that open the Load Template dialog by clicking Template and then Load Template. In the dialog specify which template that should be loaded in the Template field and click OK. If you are not using a configuration template, or if the template is incomplete, you have to define the values manually.

• To add or change a characteristic value, either change the value in the Option Value field, or use the list of value (LOV) picker to select a value.
• To add or change the quantity of the characteristic, enter the quantity in the Quantity field.
• To add a characteristic, click the new command and select the characteristic to add in the Characteristic field. If necessary, enter or change the characteristic value in the Option Value field and quantity in the Quantity field.
• To remove a characteristic, select the characteristic item to delete and click the delete command.

Note: Configuration can be done in two different modes, depending on the Configure By Category setting for the configuration family. In standard mode, when Configure By Category is disabled, all characteristics are displayed in the table to be configured. When Configure By Category is enabled you can configure one category at a time. It is only the characteristics connected to the current category that is displayed in the table.

At the start of a configuration, the status of the configuration is always set to Incomplete. When all mandatory and optional characteristics have a valid option value the status will automatically be set to Completed. When the status is Completed, connected orders can be released for further processing. You can manually change the status to Parked at any time during the configuration by clicking Park. That means that connected orders cannot be released until you have manually changed the configuration to Completed by clicking Complete. 

If you opened the Create Configuration assistant from the Business Opportunity, Customer Order or Sales Quotation page, click the Price Details in the Characteristics section to review the characteristics calculated price in the Price Details dialog. If necessary you can enter a new price in the Price field in the Price section. Enable the Price Freeze setting in the Price section if you do not want the price to be recalculated if the configuration is changed. Click OK to save the changes and exit the dialog. If you modified the price or changed the configuration in such a way that it affects the total price, the customer order line gets updated accordingly.

If sales rules are connected to the configure part and revision, the sales rule engine is executed automatically when you open the Create Configuration assistant. All sales rules are then executed upon any change of characteristic or option value in the configuration section. Use the sales rule logger functionality to analyze the sales rule evaluation (see Activity Sales Rule Logger). To analyze the characteristics added, removed and modified with regard to the latest change in the configuration open the Log - Changes section by clicking Log and the Show Log.

If you want to save the configuration as a template click Template and then Save as Template. As described above, a configuration template can be used as a starting point when creating a new configuration. It can also be used when editing an existing configuration, see activity Edit Configuration.

If you want to adjust all characteristic prices, price of characteristic group, or the Total Part Price then you can use commands under  Adjust Price, after completing the configuration. See activity Adjust Configuration Price.

Prerequisites

• IFS/Configuration Back Office and IFS/Configuration Characteristic must be installed. A configurable part and its rules must have been entered. An order or order line with a configurable part that does not yet have a configuration specification must be entered.
• A part configuration revision in status Released and effective for the required date must exist.
• If you want the capability check to start automatically, the inventory part must have the automatic capability check activated in the Supply and Demands Controls section on the Inventory Part page.

System Effects

As a result of this activity,

• A configuration is connected to the part on the order. If the combination of characteristics and options is new, a new configuration ID is created. If not, the configuration ID for the defined combination is used.
• For configurable inventory parts, a record for the configuration is created in IFS/Inventory.
• In IFS/Customer Order, manually entered price values override all previous values and are added to, or reduced from, the base price of the sales part (as entered in the price list). The grand total is displayed as the default sales price on the customer order.
• If you enabled the Price Freeze in IFS/Customer Order, the price will not be recalculated if you edit the configuration.
• If the inventory part is set up for an automatic capability check, this will start automatically. For further details, see About Capability Check.

Pages

Business Opportunity
Customer Order
Customer Order Lines
DOP Header
DOP Headers
Estimate Item
Interim Order Header
Sales Quotation
Sales Quotation Lines
Shop Order
Shop Orders

Activity Diagrams

Create DOP Header Manually
Create Manufacturing Shop Order
Evaluate Part Configuration Setup using Interim Order
Enter Customer Order, CTO
Enter Sales Quotation, CTO
Enter Estimate Request - Product
Handle Business Opportunity