Autor: Erik Oestreich

The processes for the procurement of individual components are coined by a high grade of complexity. The reason is that an individual component often cannot be identified by a unique item number. In point of fact an additional detailed description for each individual part is necessary. As a rule the needed descriptions cannot be created in an ERP system directly which causes an additional effort concerning the distribution of the individualization information to all suppliers that are involved in the manufacturing process. The following article shows how the distribution can be configured in an effective and transparent way within a supplier network.

More than ever individualized products which come up to the exact customer wishes are in great demand. This statement also applies to the automobile market especially to vehicles of the upper class. Because the manufacturer offer a great supply of individual packages nearly every customer wish can be realized. If you look at this development from a company’s disposition point of view you notice that the biggest problem is the management of the variety of variants which partly go almost ad infinitum. In the following an approach should be shown for the reduction or rather the complete avoidance of the complexity through the use of a special product configuration system which is decoupled from the actual product model.