One of the major problems facing any manufacturer of physical product is the issue of variations. Typically a manufacturer is faced with a dichotomy: customers want infinite variations in what they can buy but a manufacturing process is most efficient when it is only making on specific product. This problem is seen across many industries, especially where the production model is based on make-to-order.
As an example, consider a pickup truck. It has been estimated that by time one takes into consideration all of the exterior colors (maybe 10), interior colors (maybe 5), powertrain possibilities (maybe 3), trim levels (maybe 5), sunroof or not, premium sound system or not, towing package etc. there are over 100,000 buildable combinations. Such large numbers are the inescapable consequence of mathematics; combinations are multiplicative and grow exponentially in a way similar to the factorial function used to calculate odds.
As with a lot of PLM terminology, some confusion exists with regard to definitions and so this article will use the following definitions:
In the above structure, a distinction is made between a spectacle with a fancy frame or a plain frame. However the lenses and frame arms are common across both variants.
This simple example illustrates the power of variant designs; the customer now has two choices but the manufacturer has a many common parts across the two products.
So, how to harness these advantages in PLM system? That will be covered in the next post.
As an example, consider a pickup truck. It has been estimated that by time one takes into consideration all of the exterior colors (maybe 10), interior colors (maybe 5), powertrain possibilities (maybe 3), trim levels (maybe 5), sunroof or not, premium sound system or not, towing package etc. there are over 100,000 buildable combinations. Such large numbers are the inescapable consequence of mathematics; combinations are multiplicative and grow exponentially in a way similar to the factorial function used to calculate odds.
As with a lot of PLM terminology, some confusion exists with regard to definitions and so this article will use the following definitions:
- A configuration is a specific grouping of parts or components that achieves a certain function within an overall product
- A variant is a single option within an overall product family
- A variant is a combination of specific configurations of parts or components
In the above structure, a distinction is made between a spectacle with a fancy frame or a plain frame. However the lenses and frame arms are common across both variants.
This simple example illustrates the power of variant designs; the customer now has two choices but the manufacturer has a many common parts across the two products.
So, how to harness these advantages in PLM system? That will be covered in the next post.
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