Oracle Configurator – Implementing the Functional Flow

Introduction

Using Oracle Configurator product you can precisely collect the customer's requirements using the
models and rules defined in Configurator Developer. This ensures that the end user always creates a
valid configuration.

Oracle Configurator is usually launched from a host application, such as Oracle Order Management or
iStore, and displays the selected configuration model to the end user. During an Oracle Configurator
session, an end user makes selections and specifies requirements for the product or service being
configured. At the end of a configuration session, the Oracle Application dialog page is displayed before
the host application returns to the foreground.
OVERVIEW OF CONFIGURATOR FLOW

The steps involved in the flow of an Oracle Configurator implementation are as follows

1. Define Model Inventory items, Option Classes, option items and Finished Goods Items
2. Create ATO model using Oracle Bills of Material to represent the product model.
3. Import model Bill into Oracle Configurator module to create product structure in CZ schema.
4. Modify the model structure in Oracle Configurator Developer(OCD)
5. Define Rules in OCD.
6. Generate UI definition in OCD.
7. Test model in OCD
8. Publish Model from OCD
9. Invoke Configurator from the Hosting Application(Order Management responsibility)

The following flow diagram represents the steps followed to demonstrate the Configurator flow
cycle implementation.
BOM MODEL STRUCTURE

The BOM model used in this example has the following structure. Die Cast Vehicle Models is the parent
ATO BOM model with two ATO option classes ‘Vehicle Type Option Class’ and ‘Material Option Class’.
The option items under these two option classes can be finished goods and ATO items. In order to
capture the model dimensional details like length, width and height, non BOM items are created in
Oracle Configurator developer.
STEP 1: DEFINE MODEL INVENTORY ITEMS , OPTION CLASSES AND FINISHED GOODS ITEMS .

Inventory, Vision Operations (USA) RESPONSIBILITY

(N) ITEMS > MASTER ITEMS

1.1 Define item ‘Die Cast Vehicle Models’ with item type as ATO model in V1 Master Item
Organization and assign this item to M1 inventory organization.

Note: The items are created in V1 Master Item organization and eventually V1 is also set as OM
validation organization in vision setup. This set up will ensure that OM can see the BOMs created
in the Item Validation organization. The items are assigned to M1 inventory organization here,
because the Order created for testing the configuration model is with M1 (shipping organization).

1.2 Similarly define ‘Vehicle Type OC’, ATO option class item and assign this item to the M1 Inventory
Organization.
1.3 Define Item ‘Car’ as finished good Item and assign it to the Inventory organization M1.

1.4 Similarly define Items like ’Truck’, ‘Motor Cycle’ and ‘Jeep’ as finished good Items and assign them to
the Inventory organization M1.

1.5 Define Material Option Class and the ATO items to be used under this Option class and assign this
Items to the inventory organization M1.
1.6 Similarly define ‘Plastic Material’ as ATO item and assign this item to inventory organization M1.

STEP 2: CREATE ATO MODEL USING ORACLE BILLS OF MATERIAL TO REPRESENT THE PRODUCT MODEL.

2.1 Order Management Super User, Vision Operations (USA) Responsibility

(N) Bills Of Material> Bills>Bills
Create the ATO model BOM for the items created in step 1 in the inventory organization M1.
Once the BOM model creation is complete, create the common bills in V1 inventory Organization (OM
validation organization) in order to share the bill created in the shipping organization M1.

(N)Bills> Bills Go to tools menu and choose ‘Create Common Bill’

Step3: Import model Bill into Oracle Configurator module to create product structure in CZ schema

Oracle Configurator Administrator responsibility

(N) Concurrent Programs> Schedule
Search for the Program Name ‘Populate Configuration Models’.

Note: The BOM model data in Oracle configurator is a read only data and is the exact replica of the BOM
model created in Oracle Bills of Material. Please note that during the run time configuration session
(when called from the hosting applications like ONT), oracle configurator access the data in the CZ
schema. However order fulfillment looks at source data defined in oracle bills of material.

Now select the Organization Code as ‘M1’ and Model Inventory item From and Model Inventory
Item To as ‘Die Cast Vehicle Models’ and keep accepting the defaults by clicking next till the
step 7.
Now review the parameters selected and click on Submit button.

Note down the request ID and click on OK button.

Verify that the request completes normal.

Step4: Modify the model structure in Oracle Configurator Developer(OCD)

Now you will be able to see the ‘Die Cast Vehicle Models’ under Repository Main tab section as follows.

Select the model ‘Die Cast Vehicle Model for Configurator’ from the list and ensure the model is locked.
Note: You must lock a model to edit, refresh or publish it
The general tab shows the general information about the model created in CZ schema.

Go to the Structure tab and click on the Create icon.

Select the radio button Basic nodes and choose the Integer Feature.
Click on Continue. Now enter the Name, description and the minimum and maximum and initial values
as required.

Similar to the above numeric feature, define two more numeric feature non bom items to capture the
width and height details of the die cast vehicle models.
Step 5: Define Rules in OCD

In order to create the rule for the model, click on the Rules tab and click on the create Icon.
Now choose the entity type as Rules and choose the value Logic Rule. Click on Continue.

Enter the Name and description for the rule you are creating.

The logic rule you are creating here ensures that when the model node Motor cycle is selected, it should
exclude the Plastic material. I.e. with this rule set, the configuration for Motor cycle model cannot be
created from plastic material.

Note: Please note that this is just one type of rule we have created here to demonstrate the rules
feature. For the complete information about different configurator rules, please refer to the
Configurator developer user guide.
Step 6: Generate UI definition in OCD.
In order to generate the user interface for the model you have created just now, click on the User
Interface tab and click on Create Icon.

Enter the name for the User Interface and choose any one of the seeded master templates from the
Master template List of Values. Ensure ‘Generate UI for Model’ option is selected and click on Apply.

Click on the Generate Logic button to see that the UI is generated successfully without any warnings and
errors.
Step 7: Test model in OCD

Click on the Test Model button and perform the steps to test the model in the OCD.

Note: The generate Model logic is required to be completed before actually unit testing the model in
OCD or before publishing the model. This step will ensure that the model created in CZ is updated to the
recent changes.

Step 8: Publish Model from OCD

Once the model is tested in Oracle Configurator developer, you need to publish the model so that the
model is available for use in the hosting application.

Note: If the publication source and target are on separate instances, the target must be defined as a
remote server.

Click on the ‘Create Model publication’ button.

Choose the model from the list for which you want to create the publication and click on Continue
button.
Select the UI from the User Interface LOV and choose the Target Database Instance as LOCAL and the
mode as ‘Production’.

Note: The value selected in the mode must match the profile option CZ: Publication Lookup
Mode for the user(s) testing. Default for this profile option is PRODUCTION (Note 763079.1).
.

Click on the ‘Select Applications’ Button. On the 'Select Applications' page, move each application to
which you want to Publish from 'Available Applications' to 'Selected Applications' (do this for Order
Management) and Click 'Continue'.
On the 'Publication' page, click the 'Select Languages' button.
On the 'Select Languages' page, move ‘AMERICAN’ from 'Available Languages' to 'Selected Languages'
and click on Continue.

After doing the above, the Publication repository should show your publication in 'Pending' status.
Note down the model publication ID (57087).
You can then run any one of the 'Process a Single Publication' or 'Process Pending Publications'
concurrent request.

Enter the publication ID that was created during the Create Model publication run.

Once the request is submitted, verify the request.

Ensure that the request completes Normal and the status of the publication in the publication page will
change from pending to Complete.

Note: A model republication is required when one of the following changes

1. If the BOM model on which the CZ model is based is changed.
2. Any one of the Model Structure, Rules or UI definition is changed.
Step 9: Invoke Configurator from the Hosting Application(Order Management responsibility)
Once the model publication is complete, the model is now available for use from the hosting application.

Note: The oracle configurator window being called from the Order management responsibility is decided
by the profile option ‘OM: Use Configurator’ set. By default this value is set to ‘Yes’. If this value is set to
‘No’ then it will open only the option window and not the configurator window.

Go to Order Management responsibility

Create an order header

Enter the line item as the Die Cast Vehicle Models.

Click on the Configurator button. This action will open a configurator window as below.
Click on Next button to choose from the two option classes we created in the model bill.

Just to verify whether the logic rule is working as expected, choose the Motor Cycle Model radio button
and click on Next button.

As per the logic rule defined, the Plastic material is excluded from the selection.
On clicking Finish button, we see the configured lines appear in the sales order form.
This completes the configuration flow.

Conclusion

The flow discussed for ATO models here is applicable to PTO models as well. You can create PTO BOM
Model configurations that can contain other PTO BOM Models, ATO BOM Models, Standard Items, and
PTO Option Classes. However PTO BOM Models cannot contain ATO Option Classes.

Additional References

 Oracle Configurator Implementation Guide.

 Oracle Configurator Developer guide.