PDMLink Variant&Configuration and SAP VC

I'm primarily a SAP Variant Configuration (VC) guy.. Been so for the past 16 years. In the past 1.5 years, I've also lived in the PDMLink\MPMLink space...

I'm making an assumption you are referring to the Options and Variants module within PDMLink. If I'm wrong, stop reading here!!!

To directly answer your question, I'm not personally aware of any company utilizing Options and Variants and then transferring the logic to SAP. If I'm wrong, I'd certainly like to speak to companies that are...

From a pureSAP VC standpoint, my investigation shows that Options and Variants is weak... In fact, for our particular business, unusable in the manner we would like (which is as you describe).

In SAP, we are a multi level configurable company. This means that we manage rules such as constraints, procedures (some of which contain variant functions or straight functions), preconditions, and selection conditions to drive our

Yes, there would need to be a translation during the movement of the data to correctly build the object dependency syntax within SAP, but we've been there and done that from other systems, so I know that part can be done...To an extent... The real key is whether or not the source system has the data that is required to drive the transformation of the logic... Which is where Options and Variants falls short..

Having said all of that, I do believe the Nirvana of mastering all the rules within PDMLink is possible... But a ton of work would need to be done by PTC before it would work for our business.

Good luck,

Steve Schneider

http://www.linkedin.com/in/variantconfiguration/

In Reply to NacNac MOTT:

Hello

I am not sure this is the best place to post this but I could not find a better one

Both PDMLink and SAP can manage Variant and Configurations. There are advantages in having them in both systems but how avoiding duplication of work.

I assume the business process is to start in PDMLink to define the configuration (what is allowed to be configured or not, what are the questions to be asked to configured the product etc...) I am not sure PDMLink or Windchill in general can also handle super-routing and cost roll up.

Nonetheless, once I have developed the logic of the configuration in Windchill, can this be transfered to SAP so we do not "reprogram" it again. Once this part in SAP, the user can then continue to add bits only related to ERP

We have used both (PDMLink and SAP) and the way you built the logic in both systems are very very different. I am therefore wondering if someone has managed to transfered the configurable products and its configuration into SAP (or any ERP actually)

I am not talking about creating variants in PDMLink and then sending variants.

Thank you

Hi All

thanks for your email. SOrry not had a chance to understand everything which have been said. Just wanted to say that I'll comment later but already wanted to thank you for your feedback