Variant Configurator

Variant Configurator is the logical capability of expressing a configurable product family — characteristics, options, dependency rules, and exclusion constraints — and resolving a customer or sales order into a feasible, costed, manufacturable variant. SAP LO-VC, Tacton, and Configit are mature commercial examples.

What it covers

• Characteristics and options that parameterize a configurable item.
• Constraint rules (dependencies, exclusions, defaults) ensuring only valid combinations resolve.
• 150% / super-BOM expansion to a model-specific BOM at order entry.
• Pricing and lead-time roll-up per configured variant.
• Engineering↔commerce hand-off so a configurator option maps to a controlled engineering option.

Relationships (see sidebar)

• Supports the BOM Management, Configuration Management, and Product Portfolio Planning processes.
• Implemented by PLM and ERP platforms including Siemens Teamcenter, PTC Windchill, Aras Innovator, Dassault 3DEXPERIENCE, SAP PLM (LO-VC), and Oracle Agile.
• Realizes Platform Modularity in the data layer.