What are the benefits of product configuration and management?

For companies dealing with complex products and a platform, or variant-based go-to-market strategy, product configuration management drives better product development alignment, efficiency, and coordination across engineering, manufacturing, and service.

Implementing a connected digital thread with a robust product configuration management solution provides early visibility to change for all product stakeholders, better quality, more reliable compliance, and efficient concurrent manufacturing.

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Better Design Reuse

Engineers can reduce duplicative work, minimize product portfolio complexity, and accelerate product delivery by leveraging options and choices, as well as parts classification for design reuse.

Engineers can reduce duplicative work, minimize product portfolio complexity, and accelerate product delivery by leveraging options and choices, as well as parts classification for design reuse.

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Governance and Traceability

Reduce risk and efficiently manage like products all under one overloaded structure. Track quality, compliance, and make changes across a family of product configurations more easily.

Reduce risk and efficiently manage like products all under one overloaded structure. Track quality, compliance, and make changes across a family of product configurations more easily.

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Swift Pricing

The cost of manufacturing a given configuration is derived more quickly based on new inputs and existing data so critical pricing information is available to the customer sooner, and orders can close faster.

The cost of manufacturing a given configuration is derived more quickly based on new inputs and existing data so critical pricing information is available to the customer sooner, and orders can close faster.

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Accurate Orders

With effective and well-integrated product configuration systems in place, order accuracy is reinforced, eliminating costly errors.

With effective and well-integrated product configuration systems in place, order accuracy is reinforced, eliminating costly errors.

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Engineering Efficiency

Thoroughly leveraging current product engineering data, while fluidly incorporating new or changed product configuration requirements, makes the best use of engineering resources. Variability is optimized, and costly rework is eliminated.

Thoroughly leveraging current product engineering data, while fluidly incorporating new or changed product configuration requirements, makes the best use of engineering resources. Variability is optimized, and costly rework is eliminated.

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Customer Satisfaction

Based on reduced error rates, superior quality, more reliable pricing information, and faster time to market, satisfaction increases and the relationship between customer and manufacturing is strengthened.

Based on reduced error rates, superior quality, more reliable pricing information, and faster time to market, satisfaction increases and the relationship between customer and manufacturing is strengthened.

pcmcb-icons-better-design-reuse

Better Design Reuse

Engineers can reduce duplicative work, minimize product portfolio complexity, and accelerate product delivery by leveraging options and choices, as well as parts classification for design reuse.

Engineers can reduce duplicative work, minimize product portfolio complexity, and accelerate product delivery by leveraging options and choices, as well as parts classification for design reuse.

pcmcb-icons-governance-traceability

Governance and Traceability

Reduce risk and efficiently manage like products all under one overloaded structure. Track quality, compliance, and make changes across a family of product configurations more easily.

Reduce risk and efficiently manage like products all under one overloaded structure. Track quality, compliance, and make changes across a family of product configurations more easily.

swift-pricing-icon-96x96

Swift Pricing

The cost of manufacturing a given configuration is derived more quickly based on new inputs and existing data so critical pricing information is available to the customer sooner, and orders can close faster.

The cost of manufacturing a given configuration is derived more quickly based on new inputs and existing data so critical pricing information is available to the customer sooner, and orders can close faster.

accurate-eOrders-96x96

Accurate Orders

With effective and well-integrated product configuration systems in place, order accuracy is reinforced, eliminating costly errors.

With effective and well-integrated product configuration systems in place, order accuracy is reinforced, eliminating costly errors.

engineering-efficiency-96x96

Engineering Efficiency

Thoroughly leveraging current product engineering data, while fluidly incorporating new or changed product configuration requirements, makes the best use of engineering resources. Variability is optimized, and costly rework is eliminated.

Thoroughly leveraging current product engineering data, while fluidly incorporating new or changed product configuration requirements, makes the best use of engineering resources. Variability is optimized, and costly rework is eliminated.

customer-satisfaction-96x96

Customer Satisfaction

Based on reduced error rates, superior quality, more reliable pricing information, and faster time to market, satisfaction increases and the relationship between customer and manufacturing is strengthened.

Based on reduced error rates, superior quality, more reliable pricing information, and faster time to market, satisfaction increases and the relationship between customer and manufacturing is strengthened.

Knowledge-based configuration case studies

Learn how industry leaders are using PLM for product configuration management.

Vestas: Offering configurable wind turbines

Hear how Vestas, a wind energy solutions leader, leverages PLM to effectively design, manufacture, and service highly customized and configured wind turbines.

Watch the Vestas Video

Groupe Beneteau: Streamlining product development

Learn how Groupe Beneteau leverages Windchill to manage their product customizations and configurations to help streamline product development.

Explore Groupe Beneteau

Polaris: Driving a connected enterprise with the digital thread

Learn how the powersports leader addresses the complexity of all its product options and variants with Windchill.

Explore Polaris

Volvo CE: Engineering for choice

Discover how Volvo Construction Equipment manages product configurations and complexity with concurrent design and manufacturing by first establishing a common product architecture.

Volvo CE: Engineering for choice
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Windchill: PTC’s PLM configuration management solution

Realize value quickly with standardized, out-of-the-box functionality. Leverage BOM management and configuration management capabilities using a single source of data with real-time information sharing.

Explore Windchill

Product configuration management FAQs

  • What are the challenges of managing configurations?

    There are multiple challenges to managing configurations:
    Lack of Alignment—Requiring manual, paper sign-offs on changes means inefficient execution of changes and no holistic product design.
    Outdated Product Designs—The lack of ability to make coordinated changes can leave stakeholders unable to access current data.
    Lack of Reuse—Duplicate work and slows down time to market.
    Lack of Governance—Changes to a product’s configurations throughout its lifecycle aren't traceable.

  • What is product variant management?

    Product variant management is a critical process that enables teams to manage complex variants and configurations at scale. Product diversity brings challenges to operational efficiency, complicating processes, introducing the potential for errors and adding development and quality-related costs. Rather than reconfiguring a new product every time an order is placed, variant management allows engineering to reuse predefined configurations (or variants) and to apply change management, quality workflows, and other processes to all like variants simultaneously.

  • What is the knowledge-based configuration process?

    So-called knowledge-based configuration seeks to manage customization requirements more quickly and accurately for a particular customer. This is achieved by integrating learnings, experience, and knowledge from the product's previous use phases into the continuing configuration process, improving the accuracy and timeliness of BOM generation. Knowledge-based configuration is also a rich and well-proven application area for artificial intelligence, whereby a body of information can be searched for valid existing configurations that meet a given set of needs, using AI techniques.

  • How does effective product configuration management impact business?

    When high-quality products are delivered faster, at lower cost, the customer's own business results are enhanced. CTO capabilities amplify these strengths. Effective product configuration management eliminates friction throughout the product lifecycle, ultimately strengthening the enterprise's reputation, its bottom line, and its brand.

Related resources

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E-book

Understanding Configuration Management in Windchill

Dive into Windchill’s role in streamlining configuration processes, validating design choices, and ensuring consistent information sharing.
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Analyst E-book

The Seven Building Blocks of the Digital Thread

Industry analyst Tech-Clarity shares how configuration management is critical to the creation of a successful digital thread.
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Tips and tricks video

Taking Your Modular Platforms to the Next Level With Dynamic Positioning

Explore how modular platforms, the next step beyond basic configuration management, speed up valuable time in engineering and manufacturing.

Ready to connect?

Windchill, PTC’s product lifecycle management solution, gives stakeholders throughout your organization easy access to product data, helping to break down organizational silos.

Offering the performance and scale needed to manage large data sets along with easy integration to the ThingWorx IoT platform, Windchill taps into your smart, connected products in the field. Plus, with subscription pricing, you only pay for what you need.

Ready to find out what Windchill can do for you? Reach out today and a Windchill expert will be in touch.



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