New features added, version 7.5.2
The model string configurator feature allows users to automatically configure models when entering the model item in sales order entry programs. This is accomplished by setting up model codes or named properties for model component items. When the model codes or named properties are entered along with the model item during sales order entry, the program configures the model according to the component items assigned to them. The configuration can be viewed with the Model Details button, and can be changed manually using MOCF, Modular Bill Configuration, accessed by the [Configure] button.
The standard model rules about validity still apply with the string configuration feature. If the model is not valid with the string configuration entered, you must complete the configuration using program MOCF, Modular Bill Configuration (accessed with the [Configure] button), before you can manufacture or ship the model item.
For models using model codes, components will be selected if any of the listed model codes match. When a model code selects a component, the parent of that component is also selected.
On the other hand, for models using named properties, components are selected only if:
* There is at least one property name/value pair tied to the component which matches the configuration string entered.
* There are no conflicts between the property name/value pairs entered and the name/value pairs associated with the component.
* The immediate parent also has no conflict. Thus a component which 'wants' to be selected at one level ( the right trim color) may be excluded by the parent level above ( the wrong size).
* If the parent is a model and is selected, the component is automatically selected.
* If the parent is a prompt, the component is excluded if not selected by property.
* If the parent is a model, is not selected, and the component has been selected by property, the component is still excluded.
In addition, the named property scheme allows pricing based on the property values rather than the addition of the components that were selected, as is the case with the model code scheme.
Model String Configuration by Model Code Setup and Use
Model String Configuration by Named Property Setup and Use
Setting up Modular Parameters (MOPM, Modular Parameter Maintenance)
String Configuration using Model Codes (MOTM, Modular Bill Maintenance)
Entering Model Codes (MOTM, Modular Bill Maintenance)
String Configuration using Named Properties
Adding Named Properties to a Model Item
Adding Named Properties to a Component Model or Item
The following steps must be completed before string configuration by model code can be used in sales order entry.
1. In program MOPM, Modular Parameter Maintenance, enter the Model Code Separator.
* This is a single character that is used during sales order entry to separate the model item from the model code and the model codes from each other.
* The character entered should not be a character used in inventory item numbers. For example, if you have model item numbers with - in them, you should not use the - as the model code separator.
2. In program MOTM, Modular Bill Maintenance, on the Maintain Models screen, set the String Method to Model Codes for the desired models.
3. In program MOTM, Modular Bill Maintenance, assign model codes to model component items.
* Model codes are assigned by model item. In other words, a component item assigned to one model item will have a different model code than the same component item assigned to a different model item.
* Model codes are set up for the parent model item directly above the component item to be selected. For example, consider the following setup
* Model
* Prompt
Component
Component 2
* Prompt2
Component3
Component4
* The model will be entered in sales order entry as the item number that is being configured. Since the components are selected during configuration, not prompts, the model codes to select a specific component will be set up by the prompt's item number and not the model's item number.
* Multiple components can be assigned to a model code, and multiple parent items can be entered for a model code.
* This allows multiple components to be selected from a single model when the code is entered, and also allows components from multiple prompts to be selected.
* For example, consider the following setup:
* Model
* Prompt
Component
Component 2
* Prompt2
Component3
Component4
* You could set up model code A to complete the following configuration:
* Model
* X Prompt
X Component
Component 2
* X Prompt2
Component3
X Component4
* You could set up model code B to complete the following configuration:
* Model
* X Prompt
Component
X Component 2
* X Prompt2
Component3
X Component4
* You could set up model code C to complete the following configuration:
* Model
* X Prompt
X Component
X Component 2
* Prompt2
Component3
Component4
* And so on.
4. In the sales order entry programs, you must know how to enter the string configuration. On the sales order line, in the item number field, you would enter the item number followed by the model code separator, followed by a model code, followed by a model code separator, followed by a model code, until all the desired model codes were entered for the item. Then, when you go to the next field, the program configures the model item with the model codes entered.
* For example, consider the following setup:
* Model
* Prompt
Component
Component 2
* Prompt2
Component3
Component4
* The model codes are setup as follows:
* Model code Model Item component item
* A Prompt Component
* B Prompt Component 2
* C Prompt2 Component3
* D Prompt2 Component4
* The user wants to configure the model item so that Component and Component4 are selected. The model code separator in program MOPM, Modular Parameter Maintenance, is -.
* In the item number field in program OEOE, Sales Order Entry Maintenance, the user would enter the following string configuration.
Model-A-D
* When the user moved to the next field. The item number field would change to display the model item number (Model), and the new configuration could be viewed with the [Model Details] button or changed with the [Configure] button.
5. If the configuration entered with the string configuration feature is invalid, the order entry program will display a warning that the configuration is invalid.
* You will not be able to manufacture or ship the model item until the configuration is valid.
* You can modify the configuration using the [Configure] button, which accesses program MOCF, Modular Bill Configuration.
Default model codes can be added to prompts for string configurations. When a string configuration is entered, if no item was selected for the prompt from the string configuration, the default model code will be used to make a selection for that prompt.
In order for the default model code to be activated, the following setup must be completed.
* Follow the instructions in the Model String Configuration Setup and Use section.
* Set up default model codes for prompts. To set up a default model code for a prompt, complete the following steps:
1. In program MOTM, Modular Bill Maintenance, query the model for which you wish to enter default model codes for the prompts.
2. Press the [Tree] button.
3. Select the prompt to which you wish to add a default model code.
4. Press the [Modify] 
button.
5. In the Default Model Codes field, enter the desired default model code for this prompt.
6. Press [Commit].
* In a sales order entry program, enter the model item and at least one model code in the string configuration.
* If you do not enter a model code, the default model codes assigned to the prompts will not be activated.
* The model code does not have to be a valid model code.
* The program uses the model codes entered in the string configuration and selects all components to which the model codes apply. The program will then look at each prompt for which a selection was not made to find default model codes. If the prompt has a default model code, the program selects the appropriate components for the model code and prompt.
When models are entered in sales order entry programs, and are configured using model codes, the quantity per for the model components can be assigned from the sales order line.
When the model is entered followed by model codes and quantities, the quantity is assigned to the components selected with the model code. Multiple model codes and quantities can be entered to configure the model item.
* For example,
* Item number: MO-1001
* Model code separator: /
* Model code: RED
* Model quantity separator: ,
* On the sales order line, MO-1001/RED,5/BLUE,10 would assign a quantity of 5 to components with model code RED and a quantity of 10 to components with model code BLUE.
It is not mandatory to enter a mode quantity for a model code. If no quantity is entered, the initial quantity is used from the model code. If the initial quantity is 0, the minimum quantity for the component item will be used.
* If the user entered MO-1001/RED/BLUE,10, the components for model code RED would be assigned the initial quantity entered for the model code. The components for model code BLUE would be assigned a quantity of 10.
If the quantity entered is outside the quantity range entered for the component item, the quantity will be adjusted to fit in the range. The user will not be notified that this has occurred.
* If the quantity is less than the minimum quantity, the quantity assigned to the component will be the minimum quantity. For example, if the minimum quantity for the component item on the model is 3, and the user entered a 1 on the sales order line, the component will be assigned a quantity per of 3.
* If the quantity is greater than the maximum quantity, the quantity assigned to the component will be the maximum quantity. For example, if the maximum quantity for the component item on the model is 10, and the user entered a 15 on the sales order line, the component will be assigned a quantity per of 10.
The following setup must be completed for this feature to take effect:
Enter the model quantity separator in the Model Qty Separator field. This character cannot be the same as the model code separator or any character used in a model item number.
Enter the model on the line item in the following order: Model item number, model code separator, model code, model quantity separator, model component quantity.
For example:
* Item number: MO-1001
* Model code separator: /
* Model code: RED
* Model quantity separator: ,
* On the sales order line, you would enter MO-1001/RED,10
* The model item would be configured for model code red and the selected components would be assigned a quantity per of 10.
* If you wanted to enter two model codes, it might look something like this: MO-1001/RED,10/BLUE,5
or: MO-1001/RED/BLUE,5
Sales Order Entry programs include:
* ARIE, One Step Invoice Entry
* OEOE, Sales Order Entry Maintenance
* OEXP, Fast Order Entry
* OQEM, Sales Order Quotation Entry/Maintenance
* EDIM, EDI 850 Transaction Handler
The following steps must be completed before string configuration by named property can be used in sales order entry.
1. In program MOPM, Modular Parameter Maintenance, enter the Model Code Separator.
* This is a single character that is used during sales order entry to separate the model item from the named property and the named properties from each other.
* The character entered should not be a character used in inventory item numbers. For example, if you have model item numbers with - in them, you should not use the - as the model code separator.
2. In program MOPM, Modular Parameter Maintenance, enter the model quantity separator in the Model Qty Separator field.
* This is a single character that is used during sales order entry to separate the named property from the value.
* The character entered cannot be the same as the model code separator or a character used in inventory item numbers. For example, if you have model item numbers with - in them, you should not use the - as the model quantity separator.
3. In program MOTM, Modular Bill Maintenance, define the named properties under the [Maint Properties] button.
4. In program MOTM, Modular Bill Maintenance, on the Maintain Models screen, set the String Method to Named Properties for the desired models.
5. In program MOTM, Modular Bill Maintenance, on the Model Selector screen, assign named properties to the model using the [Model Properties] button. Enter every property that can be assigned to this model in a configuration string during sales order entry.
6. In program MOTM, Modular Bill Maintenance, assign named properties and values to model component items. Enter only those properties that are associated with the selection of the component or the desired initial quantity for the component.
7. In the sales order entry programs, you must know how to enter the string configuration. On the sales order line, in the item number field, you would enter the item number followed by the model code separator, followed by a named property, followed by the quantity separator, followed by the value, followed by a model code separator, followed by a named property, until all the desired named properties were entered for the configuration. Then, when you go to the next field, the program configures the model item with the named properties and values entered.
* For example, consider the following setup:
* CAR - Car Model
* Transmission Prompt
Automatic
Manual
Slapstick
* Paint Prompt
Gold
Red
Blue
Silver
* Audio System Prompt
Standard
Deluxe
* The named properties are setup as follows:
* Named Properties
Property Values
TRANS AUTO, MAN, SLAP
COLOR GOLD, RED, BLUE, SLVR
AUDIO STD, DLX
* The named properties are assigned as follows:
* Model Item Component Item Named Property Value
Car Model TRANS
Car Model COLOR
Car Model AUDIO
Transmission Prompt TRANS
Transmission Prompt Automatic TRANS AUTO
Transmission Prompt Manual TRANS MAN
Transmission Prompt Slapstick TRANS SLAP
Paint Prompt COLOR
Paint Prompt Gold COLOR GOLD
Paint Prompt Red COLOR RED
Paint Prompt Blue COLOR BLUE
Paint Prompt Silver COLOR SLVR
Audio System Prompt AUDIO
Audio System Prompt Standard AUDIO STD
Audio System Prompt Deluxe AUDIO DLX
* The user wants to configure the model item so that the transmission is automatic, the paint is gold, and the audio system is standard. The model code separator in program MOPM, Modular Parameter Maintenance, is ',' and the quantity separator is '='.
* In the item number field in program OEOE, Sales Order Entry Maintenance, the user would enter the following string configuration.
CAR,TRANS=AUTO,COLOR=GOLD,AUDIO=STD
* When the user moved to the next field. The item number field would change to display the model item number (CAR), and the new configuration could be viewed with the [Model Details] button or changed with the [Configure] button.
8. If the configuration entered with the string configuration feature is invalid, the order entry program will display a warning that the configuration is invalid.
* You will not be able to manufacture or ship the model item until the configuration is valid.
* You can modify the configuration using the [Configure] button, which accesses program MOCF, Modular Bill Configuration.
Property-based model pricing uses a property price matrix that allows up to four named properties to be used in combination to determine pricing for the model. When the model is configured during sales order entry, if any model item in the configuration is set up as property priced, the price matrix for that model is consulted to determine the list price for that item.
The price matrix is set up in program MOTM, Modular Bill Maintenance, using the [Model Properties] button and the [Property Pricing] button for the model.
* Under the [Model Properties] button, assign the price column for each property.
* Under the [Property Pricing] button, assign the unit price for each combination of properties.
A wildcard value of '****' can be substituted for a specific value in the price matrix. During configuration, to determine the price, the program first attempts to match the specific property values. If a specific property value does not exist, then the program attempts the wildcard.
The search order is hierarchical. First, a match will be attempted for the specific property values. If the specific property value is not present in the matrix, then the wildcard is attempted. This action proceeds hierarchically from the fourth property column to the first, checking all combinations of value and wildcard that exist in the matrix. If all four columns are being used, a potential maximum of sixteen match attempts can be generated.
For property-priced models, no attempt will made to price any components underneath them. If the property-priced model is a component of another model, then the price override switch is set during price assignment. This is to prevent manual activity in program MOCF, Modular Bill Configuration, from altering the price which was determined during auto-configuration. Quantity discounts are not available for property-based models which are components of another model. However, quantity discounts can be applied at the top order-line level for all models.
To set up property pricing for a model, see Property Based Pricing Setup.