Helping you configure to order

Engineering-based Configurator Model Design, Architecture and Programming
Client Starting Conditions Objectives Results Success Factors

Client

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This client is a world leader in the production of nickel-base and cobalt-base superalloys, titanium alloys, and specialty steels.

The client uses Oracle Process Manufacturing (OPM). OPM does not use the Bill of Material (BOM) module – creating a challenge for the Configurator.

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Starting conditions

Quotes were prepared with time-consuming manual process steps:

  • Engineering review to ensure valid attribute combinations.
  • Engineering had to supply manufacturing tolerances.
  • Manual calculation of piece weights and order weights.
  • Pricing approximated from price sheet guidelines.

Configurator project objectives

The client wanted to:

  • Create quotations without Engineering involvement.
  • Look up approved manufacturing tolerances in real time.
  • Compute order weight based on product attributes.
  • Calculate prices based on product attributes.

Configurator project results

Steve Allen developed a Configurator model accessible to Sales through a custom user interface.

The model has the following capabilities:

  • Enables Sales to create complete and valid quotations without Engineering involvement.
  • Validates product attributes with compatibility rules.
  • Retrieves manufacturing tolerances from a custom “Manufacturing Tolerances” database.
  • Computes order weight from user input and places it on the Sales Order form automatically.
  • Places attributes in the CZ_CONFIG_ATTRIBUTES table for use by other parts of the solution, such as Advanced Pricing.
    Figure 1:  An attribute-based Oracle Configurator model for specialty metals configuration

    Aeolus Solutions Success Factors

    This project achieved success using the following methods:

    1. Changed the pricing approach from overlapping product families with pre-defined attribute combinations to a single Advanced Pricing calculation based on individual product attributes.
    2. Partnered with Engineering to develop rules that controlled allowable combinations of attributes.
    3. Partnered with Engineering to develop a “Manufacturing Tolerances” database.
    4. Used a dedicated on-site Java programmer to write the Configurator Extensions that retrieve data from the external databases.

    Please contact Aeolus Solutions today to see how we can help you develop complex product configurators that interact with your custom databases!