Variant construction

What is meant by Variant construction?

"Variant construction" refers to the development and management of product variants within a company. This method is particularly common in the manufacturing and mechanical engineering industries and allows for the creation of different product versions based on a common basic structure. Variant construction enables companies to offer customized solutions for various customer requirements without the need for a complete redevelopment.

Typical functions of software in the area of "variant construction" are:

1. Product Configuration:

   • Creation and management of product configurations based on modular building blocks.
   • Definition of rules and constraints for combining modules and components.

2. Bill of Materials (BOM) Management:

   • Automatic generation and adjustment of bills of materials for different product variants.
   • Management of variant BOMs that contain specific components and materials for each variant.

3. CAD Integration:

   • Integration with CAD systems to create and modify 3D models for different product variants.
   • Support for parametric and generative design approaches to automatically adjust models.

4. Document Management:

   • Management and versioning of technical documentation specific to each product variant.
   • Provision of drawings, specifications, and other relevant documents.

5. Configuration Management:

   • Tracking and management of changes to product variants throughout their lifecycle.
   • Ensuring consistency and traceability of variant changes.

6. Cost Calculation and Quotation:

   • Calculation of costs for different product variants based on the components and materials used.
   • Support for creating customized quotations and calculations for customers.