1. 12 Product Configurator

2. This documentation and training is provided to you by beas group AG
This documentation and training is provided to you by beas group AG. The documents are neither approved nor in any way acknowledged or endorsed by SAP. For SAP Business One, only the documentation and training officially released by SAP shall be binding upon SAP. SAP shall not be responsible for any content of this documentation and training and this documentation and training shall not be binding upon SAP in any way.
The official current SAP Business One documentation and training for SAP Business One is available at and
11/19/2018

3. Requirements for this Tutorial
What you should successfully master
The basics of SAP
The basics of be.as

4. Learning Targets
After working through the lesson, you will be able to:
explain the terms variant, variant generator and product configurator
understand and reproduce the integration of the product configurator in be.as / SAP Bussines One
configure BOMs and routings of items for the variant production
program and apply the product configurator for items

5. Agenda Product configurator 1: General
2: Work with the variant generator
3: Work with the product configurator

6. General (Definitions)
Variant
Is a specification of an item defined by parameters.
Variant generator
Uses formulas and tables, deposited in the items, for the creation of work orders or calculations
Variant: for a simplified variant production in be.as, at most 26 variants per product are available. These
are labeled A to Z. On each variant selected, the corresponding positions in the parts list and in
the routing are marked. This type of variant production is recommended, if no further calculations
are necessary. This is a static method, but very easy to use.
Variant generator: In the variant generator behind every definition in the bill of materials or in the routing (item, volume,
active, size, employment, etc.) an arbitrary formula or table can be deposited. The formulas and
tables get their values from different sources, which can be information from the product configurator,
from the item, from customer order or just a simple manual input. The variant generator is active when
you create a calculation or a work order. Manually entered data is not stored. For this purpose, the product
configurator needs to be used.
Disadvantage: there is no user interface outside the product configurator.
Product configurator: The product configurator provides a graphical user interface. An unlimited number of configurations can
be created, including item number generation and price calculation. As formulas can be defined freely,
there are theoretically no limitations. The product configurator is based on the variant generator. The
configuration is created simultaneously with the offer/work order and is transferred by the variant generator
to the pre-calculation or to the production document.
Product configurator
Graphical user interface for the configuration of variants, which accesses the variant generator in the background.

7. General (Overview) Product configurator Offer Bills of material
SAP-
Offer
(with variants)
Bills of material
Variant
generator
SAP-
Customer order
(with variants)
Routings
Product configurator: Serves as GUI (graphical user interface) for the configuration of products and as assistance
for generating variants. Cross references and data base queries can be integrated.
Variant generator: For the creation of item variants in BOM and routings with different specifications.
Formulas, tables, variables and be.as script can be used.
Bills of material: Can be manipulated by deposited formulas for e.g. positions, item code, quantity, dimensions, etc.
for the chosen variables.
Routings: Can be manipulated by deposited formulas for e.g. operation sequences, work stations, times, etc.
SAP-Customer order: for each line one definite variant number is assigned to the item.
SAP-Offer: for each line one definite variant number is assigned to the item.
Work order: Taking into account the product configuration (variant) a corresponding production order can be
created from a SAP-customer order.
Calculation: Taking into account the product configuration (variant) a calculation can be started from a SAP-customer order.
Production order
Calculation

8. Agenda Product configurator 1: General
2: Work with the variant generator
3: Work with the product configurator

9. Work with the variant generator
In parts lists and routings, as well as in the item master sheet, the parameters or properties can be changed by definable variables, formulas, tables and scripts. This possibility is marked with a small yellow icon in front of the box (the red arrow is pointing on this icon. The "s" on the icon indicates that for this field, a parameter of a variant has been deposited ). The use of scripts allows to perform very dynamic processes. During the creation of production orders or calculations, the formulas and tables which have been deposited behind various fields (parameters) are taken into account in the calculation. Thus, variants of items, of routing and BOM can be generated very easily.

10. Agenda Product configurator 1:General
2: Work with the variant generator
3: Work with the product configurator

11. Work with the product configurator (Definition)
The product configurator is accessing the defining structure behind each item. The dynamic programming provides almost any design options. For the product configurator various structural objects (block, set, object, etc.) with formulas, variables, and images can be created:
Heading (1): for basic definitions and presettings (e.g. use of prices, creation of descriptions and
description of the configured variable)
Info (2): for additional information on text or image
Block (3): grouping attribute: further sub-objects can be assigned to this object.
Parameter (4): for input and output (input of values, checkbox, choice list)
Choice (5): this object is assigned to a superordinate parameter.
Set-Object (6): a variable, to which values, other variables and queries (SQL-commands) can be assigned

12. Work with the product configurator (Definition)
After pressing the “Edit” button at the bottom, detailed definitions for the added objects can be are entered. To do so, select the relevant line. The created structure can be tested by pressing the “Test” button on the bottom of the window.

13. Work with the product configurator (Application)
By clicking the “Variant" button in the customer order or offer, for the selected row, the product configurator for the corresponding item is called up. You can chose from existing variants (item specification with defined parameters), copy a variant, or create a new variant by putting in parameter values for this item.
The generated variant is automatically included in the current line of the sales order. From such a sales order a work order can be generated. The BOM and the routing of the work order is adjusted accordingly.

14. Work with the product configurator (Application)
A = navigation area
B = detail area
The product configurator, which was opened by clicking on “Variant“ consists of two parts - the navigation area on the left side, and the detail area on the right side of the window. Select a line in the navigation area, the corresponding detail section opens. There are texts, images, and selectable product options displayed, which had been created earlier for this item. It is important to observe the hierarchy and work through the navigation area from top to bottom. The blue colored field "results/prices" summarizes the configuration of this variant in tabular form. B A

15. Work with the product configurator (Application)
In the Block "Definitions" (1) additional information on the current variant (short name, date of creation, selection of a price list and description) is deposited. Pressing “Save” (2) the newly created or modified variants can be saved. If the variant is saved, the stored version identifier is transferred to the variant field of the document line of the SAP form - an offer or a customer order for the created variant is created. “Load variant” opens stored variants. It is also possible to copy and modify existing variants.

16. Summary
You can now:
explain the terms variant, variant generator and product configurator
understand and reproduce the integration of the product configurator in be.as / SAP Bussines One
configure BOMs and routings of items for the variant production
program and apply the product configurator for items

17. Thank you for your cooperation!