Models
A configuration model is Model structure, configuration rules, and optionally a User Interface from which an Oracle Configurator end user makes selections to configure a valid, orderable item. You build configuration models in Configurator Developer based on products or services that can be configured according to validation rules that you define.
Model structure is the hierarchical view of the data that represents the product or service, and is the starting point from which a configuration model is developed. You typically use the Model structure to define configuration rules and generate a runtime User Interface.
Types of Models
There are two kinds of Models: Models that you create in Configurator Developer, and imported BOM Models.
- Models that you create in Configurator Developer are often created to provide guided buying or selling questions and may reference, or be referenced by, other Models.
- When viewing a Model in the Structure area of the Workbench, you may notice that a Model that you create in Configurator Developer has a node type of "Component". This is because a Model you create in Configurator Developer has the same characteristics as a Component node; the only difference is that a Model can be referenced by another Model, while Components cannot.
Guided buying or selling refers to customer needs-assessment questions that are built into your configuration model to guide and facilitate the configuration process in a runtime UI. It also refers to the Model structure that defines these questions, such as Components, Features, Totals, Resources, and so on, and configuration rules that automatically select some product options and exclude others based on the end user's responses.
For example, in a configuration model for an automobile, you create a Feature whose UI caption is "Select the stereo system you want." The Feature's Options represent the Premium System with 8 speakers and 5 CD changer, the Enhanced System with 6 speakers and single CD, and the Basic System with 4 speakers and no CD player. Using these Options, you define rules that select or exclude specific options from the configuration. At runtime, the end user's selections guide the process of configuring a product that best meets their needs.
Imported BOM Models
Typically, an integrated Oracle Configurator in Oracle Applications is based on an existing BOM Model that is defined in Oracle Bills of Material, and then imported into the CZ schema's Item Master. The integration with Oracle Applications supports the Configure to Order (CTO) process, which includes order entry, demand forecasting, master scheduling, production, shipping, and financial accounting.
When you import a BOM Model, Configurator creates a corresponding Model node in the top level of the Main area of the Repository (that is, in the root folder). You can then copy or move the Model into a specific folder, or open it for editing in the Workbench.
Each BOM Model imported from Oracle Bills of Material corresponds to one BOM Model in Oracle Configurator Developer. The name of the BOM Model corresponds to the name in Oracle Bills of Material, and the hierarchical structure in Configurator Developer mirrors the BOM Model's structure that is defined in Oracle Bills of Material. When a BOM Model contains other BOM Models, the child BOM Models appear as Reference nodes in Configurator Developer.
The types of BOM Models that are configurable include Assemble to Order (ATO) and Pick to Order (PTO) BOM Models. These BOM Models are defined in Oracle Bills of Material using item data defined in Oracle Inventory. The imported data is read-only in Configurator Developer because it must correspond to the BOM Model defined in Oracle Bills of Material throughout the business process. However, you can use Configurator Developer to add Components, Resources, Totals, and so on to meet your configuration requirements.
Imported BOM Model Names
In Configurator Developer, the BOM Model name consists of the Model name defined in Oracle Inventory, followed by its Inventory organization ID and Inventory Item ID.
For example:
Production V1 Test (203 52144)
In this example, Production V1 Test is the BOM Model name, 204 is the organization ID, and 52144 is the Oracle Inventory Item ID. (The organization ID and Item ID are internal values and are therefore not visible in Oracle Inventory.) In the Main area of the Repository you can modify the name or description of a BOM Model, and you can change the name of a Reference to a BOM Model in the Structure area of the Workbench, but you cannot modify any information that is imported from Oracle Bills of Material.
Imported BOM Data
When you populate the CZ schema, the following information about each BOM item appears in Configurator Developera
Name: The name of the item.
Description: A brief description of the item.
Definition: A basic definition of the item, including the BOM Item Type, Minimum and Maximum Quantity, Default Quantity, and whether:
- The item's optional children are mutually exclusive.
- The item is required in the configuration when its parent is selected.
- The item allows decimal quantities, The item is Trackable.
Property Values: Item Catalog Descriptive Element values defined in Oracle Inventory.
Effective date: The range of dates in which the item can be added to a configuration.
An imported BOM Model also contains several implicit rules and behaviors that you should understand.
Decimal Quantities and BOM Items
In Configurator Developer, the Decimal Quantity is Allowed setting appears in the details page for all imported BOM items. This setting indicates whether an Oracle Configurator end user can enter a decimal value when entering a quantity for the item at runtime. The Decimal Quantity is Allowed setting is set for each BOM item when you import a BOM Model, and it cannot be changed in Configurator Developer.
If the item's parent is an ATO BOM Model, the item was defined as accepting decimal quantities in Oracle Inventory, and the profile option CZ: Populate Decimal Quantity Flags is set to Yes, then the item accepts a decimal quantity in a runtime Oracle Configurator. (In this case, the Decimal Quantity is Allowed check box is selected in Configurator Developer.) If the item's parent is a PTO BOM Model, an end user cannot specify a decimal quantity for the item at runtime, regardless of the profile option's value, or how the item was defined in Oracle Inventory.
Item Types and Imported BOM Properties
Item Catalog Groups and Descriptive Elements are defined in Oracle Inventory. An Item Catalog Group is used to specify descriptive information about a group of related Items. Descriptive Elements are defined for an Item Catalog Group to provide additional information about all of the Items in the group. For example, an Item Catalog Group called Desktop PC has a Descriptive Element called RAM Memory. Values for the RAM Memory Descriptive Element include 256MB, 512MB, and so on.
When you populate the CZ schema by importing data from Oracle Bills of Material, Item Catalog Groups become Item Types in Configurator Developer. The Descriptive Elements and their values in an Item Catalog Group become each BOM item's User Properties and Property values, respectively, in Configurator Developer.
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