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Frontier Product Configuration Management (PCM) provides the tools
to translate the engineering specification and validation logic
for option oriented, customer specified product lines into a centralized
PCM knowledge base. The translation of this engineering logic minimizes
the reliance on key individuals within your organization by centralizing
the required product knowledge into the Frontier® ERP System.
The Frontier PCM knowledge base is designed to support multiple
platforms and configuration engines, including internal Customer
Service, Internet based entry, and remote Dealer Systems.
The PCM knowledge base is made up of multiple rule types, data
tables and algorithms that are maintained independently and associated
to a product line, allowing PCM logic to be shared across multiple
product lines as required. Entry and maintenance of the PCM knowledge
base is supported thru Frontier application screens, integrated
spreadsheet application programs, as well as the new Frontier PCM
Workbench application. The PCM Workbench is a client/server based
application specifically designed to provide centralized access
to all of the independent elements defined within the PCM knowledge
base. The design of the application leverages PC based functionality
to simplify the inquiry, entry and maintenance of these rules,
tables and algorithms, as well as the multiple associations of
these elements to new and existing product lines.
Frontier PCM supports quotation/order entry logic:
- Decision tree based product attribute lists designed
to walk the user thru the specification process, supporting
predefined, dimensional,
and one off custom attribute types
- Dynamic display of available product attributes based
on PCM logic to filter an attribute list based on previous selections
and
order level information
- Real-time editing and validation of individual and
dependent product attributes selected based on PCM conditional
rules and tables,
ensuring only valid configurations are processed
- Table and formula based, customer specific pricing
based on product attributes selected, including dimensional ranges
- PCM logic to retrieve and/or calculate any empirical
data required for product validation, pricing, or subsequent
production requirements,
including complex trigonometric calculation functionality
- Dynamic determination of production facility, replenishment
method, and associated lead times based on the customer, the
product
attributes selected, material availability and capacity
- Entry of single level product configurations, as well
as the entry of dependent, multi-unit product configurations
- Automatic generation and storage of an attribute based
configuration code that defines and identifies the product throughout
the order
fulfillment process and into history
Frontier PCM supports production logic:
- Generation of single or multi-level configuration-based
production orders, supporting configured subassemblies within
a configured
parent assembly
- Table and formula based logic to support the dynamic
generation of the required product structure component items
and associated
quantity per
- Table and formula based logic to support the dynamic
generation of the required production operations and the associated
run
and setup times
- Generation of configuration-based purchase orders for
the identification and procurement of custom purchased components
that have not
been predefined to the system
- Table based logic to schedule production based on manufacturing
facility, order information, defined product attributes and
calculated empirical data
- Table based logic to release and report production
based on multi-level production orders and user-defined production
reporting requirements
- Table based logic to setup machine integration and
material handling interface file formats based on product line,
defined product
attributes and calculated empirical data
Frontier PCM supports analytical logic:
- Product cost calculations processed and recorded against
system generated product configuration codes to track standard
and
actual cost details for custom configured products
- Table based logic to support the capture of key product
attributes to drive sales analysis, providing visibility of attribute
popularity, cost and margin information
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