Configuration knowledge modeling: How to extend configuration from assemble/make to order towards engineer to order for the bidding process

Abstract

The bidding process is one of the most important phases for system contractors. A successful bid implies defining and implementing attractive and realistic systems solutions that fulfill customer expectations. An additional challenge arises with the increase in systems diversity resulting from growing customization needs. As a result, for standard customizing offers, bidders find good quality support with configuration software for assemble/make-to-order situations. But when requirements exceed the standard offers, bidders need extended support to fulfill Engineering-to-Order requirements. In this context, this article shows how configuration knowledge models, which support configuration in assemble/make-to-order situations (AMTO), can be extended and used in engineer-to-order situations (ETO). Modeling is achieved assuming that the configuration problem is considered as a constraint satisfaction problem. Six key requirements that differentiate ETO from AMTO are identified and modeling extensions are proposed and discussed. An example illustrates all the contributions.

Towards a Metric Between Engineering to Order and Assemble/Make to Order Products in Configuration Situations

“…As noticed in [2], [7] neither non-standard components nor non-standard components integrations can be selected…”

“…In the literature, many studies have been reported in the field of ATO/MTO product generic modeling, see [4], [8], [6] or [9]. However, much fewer concern ETO products, see [7], [10]. While most of these papers addresses knowledge modeling, they concern mainly either CTO or ETO products and do not attempt to bridge the gap between them.…”

“…Moreover, many metrics have been proposed to characterize diversity and commonality, see the survey in [11]. However, only a recent paper [7] proposes first ideas that deal with the identification of various types of differences between ETO and CTO products. They concern the existence of (i) non-standard component in a group, (ii) non-standard group of components in a product, (iii) non-standard integration of components in a product.…”

Towards a Knowledge based Support for Risk Engineering When Elaborating Offer in Response to a Customer Demand

“…We assume that the offer elaboration is achieved thanks to a concurrent system/process engineering activity supported by: -a system configuration software in order to configure the CTO part of the system that has some kind of a "design gate" for ETO enabling the user to capture the rough ideas about the solution relevant to ETO options [4], [5].…”

“…Guillon 1,3 , F. Marmier1 , E. Vareilles1,4 , M. Aldanondo1,4 , T. Coudert 2 , L. Geneste 2 , Y. Beauregard4 …”