Configurable Products

Let us see why VMS can support highly configurable (CUOBJ) and discrete products (VHCLE).

1. In VLCVEHICLE table, there are two key data fields that make VMS behave like VMS.
    The Internal     Number (VHCLE) and Configuration ID (CUOBJ). 

2. These two fields are the reason why VMS can support highly configurable (CUOBJ),
    discrete products (VHCLE).

3. The first step in any VMS business process is the creation of the vehicle record.Executing
    this action adds a new record to the VLCVEHICLE table. Every record has a unique internal
    number assigned to it, making this a key field for the data table.

A) The Internal Number (VHCLE)

1. The internal number is a counter, increasing by one every time a vehicle record is created. 
    So if the number range starts at 100, the internal number for the first few vehicle records
    created will be 100, 101, 102, and so forth.  Even if a vehicle record is later deleted or
    archived, the counter is never reused.

2. The internal number assigned to the vehicle record will never change.  Most of the other fields
    in the record might be get updated as the vehicle moves along the business process, but the
    internal number is a key field this value is locked in place. 

B) Configuration ID (CUOBJ)

1. CUOBJ is also a counter, and created at the same time as the vehicle record.But the value is
    not the same as the internal number.

2. The CUOBJ points to the exact configuration of the vehicle record.  If a vehicle has a red
    exterior, tan leather interior, V6 engine, automatic transmission, driver’s convenience package,
    California emissions and floor mats, all this information is captured in the CUOBJ linked
    to the vehicle record.  The VLCVEHICLE table itself doesn’t contain the configuration values,
    but through the magic of relational databases, the data can be easily extracted, searched & displayed.

3. So, like the VHCLE, the value in the VHCLE & CUOBJ dat field never gets updated even if
    the vehicle configuration itself changes.

4. CUOBJ data field is also found in purchase order and sales orders tied to the vehicle record.
    When these documents are created, ERP will create a new CUOBJ (it is a counter, after all)
    to store the configuration values in the document.Even if the values are identical,each CUOBJ
    will be unique.  But because the CUOBJs are unique, it is possible to store different
    configuration values in the vehicle record, the purchase order, and/or the sales order. 
    This is important, as a customer might want to order a vehicle with options that aren’t
    installed in the factory.