Product/Item configurator

Hello everyone,

first of all, I want to thank the frappe/erpNext-Team. We are still inexperienced with expNext and at the moment our IT-guy and I testing the system in our spare time and we are really impressed.
I would like to change our existing system for the order management, quotation and invoicing with this system.

- Short background story, why we need an item-Configurator
(you don´t have to read this, the main question is below)

Nearly all functions we need are already integrated, but the most important “option” that we need is a “item-Configurator”.
We are selling electronic parts which have to be customized for each application with some hardware and software options. Behind the most options there are different prices, so the configurator has to calculate the correct price for it.

The “variant” option is nearly that, what we would need. But it´s not able, to create the needed item in a quotation or sales-order and calculate automatically the price for this. The idea to create every possible item is not useful, because the different models (we are selling approximately 70 different models that can be configured with 5-37 “attributes” where you can choose up to 30 different options. That would be some billion items/variants…)

While I was searching for a solution I found the “radplusplus” configurator from @Rene_Mailloux what is really close to that, what I´m searching.
Unfortunately we were not able to install this app correct into our test-System. We have the option in the Stock-Part to activate the configurator, but it´s not able to see this option in the editing-row at sales-order. Also the possibility to tag a price for each option is not given, so it´s not what we are looking for…

The interesting part:

Unfortunately, I´m not so good with the system and don´t know if I understand it correctly, so I would be very grateful if someone with more experience could read my idea and give me a feedback, if I could put it this way, or if it is a total nonsense.

- How the configurator should work: (nearly like “variant” in the standard system)
o Add new items (Product-Model) in the stock an mark them as “configurable”
 If this is marked, you have a table where you can add the attributes with all options and the individual prices for this option
 The item-price will be calculated by the base price of the model and the selected options
o You can choose the Config-Item for quotations, salesorder… and edit the config by open the “editing raw tab” (like it should work in “radplusplus”)
It will calculate the actual price and save the configuration for this costumer
 The “costumer-config-save” must be able to read back, because it often happens that in an offer only minor things have to be changed, or in a follow-up order only one value has to be changed. so it is extremely useful if you do not have to recreate the complete code, instead you can choose a config that has already been ordered by the customer

- My idea to create an item-Configurator (don´t know if it´s a good idea)
o Create DocType called something like: “item config”, “item config save”, “item config attribute”
o Add the option “Configurable” in the “item”, “Sales Order Item”… form. If it´s not selected, the configurator will be hidden, like the variants

  • if “Configurator” is “1”, you will not able to set a price for this item. This must be calculated by the “Configurator”

Could this be possible do create the Configurator only with standard “customization” (doctype, form…) or must be created an app for this?

Best thanks in advance for your time and best regards from Vienna (Austria),
Matthias

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I think that it is an essential part of the robust ERP solution. The closest we can get by ERPnext is using variant I believe.

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There is no such an available intrinsic function, yet. As I remember from my SAP experience, there were external products to do this and even internal implementation required big efforts.

There can be a custom solution extending the current application but I do not think that it will be a small effort to be done pro bono. The controller of the Purchase Order/Invoice DocTypes may be modified to check on a reference DocType based on Item’s is Variant of field. Providing an interface for the order will also be an issue I would assume.

Will be a good fucntion though.

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Here is my developed solution( early stage).

FWIW perhaps related to the foregoing?

rmeyer noted this below on Telegram ERPNext Help Public -

“Since Sapcon had 1 million variants, the e-commerce platform had to be modified to suit these requirements. They desired to have a system where their clients could configure the product on the portal and add it to the shopping cart, process payments as needed and this information to be tracked and sent to production team. The Product Configurator required a major change in ERPNext core and this feature was sponsored by them, their way of giving back to the ERPNext community.”

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Didn’t find the URL. Please share. Sounds useful.

the most updated version of the app is here
GitHub - szufisher/config_to_order: Config To Order, ERPNext's SAP variant configuration.

I think a lot of testing and further enhancement needed before it can be used in production.

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Will try it out in a pest control environment where amount of rats and cockroaches determine the bom of pesticides.