Modeling session – solve the challenges!

Steve Schneider, Steelcase Inc.Peter Einstein, SAP AmericaMichael Zarges, SAP AG

There’s always more than 1 way to solve a problem….

13 * 7 = 91 right?

Or does it really equal 28???

Watch this classic clip and see how different approaches equal different solutions

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwyYxOw8vSk

What might your solutions be to the following real life business problems??

Case 1 – Narrowing down selections aka Guided Selling

Business Scenario:

In your configuration process, your customer can choose from a range of supplier products, for example, the battery of a fork lift or in this example, a mobile phone coming with a contract.

The customer can choose one mobile phone from a range of about 100 different devices. There are 4 different manufacturers and each device can be classified by a set of features (e.g. 3G support, touch screen). In this case, the features are boolean (i.e. only values are yes/no).

The user is narrowing down the selection of models by determining one or several features. The result is 0..n models that fit.

Challenge:

As long as features and manufacturer are single value, this is straightforward, using variant tables to represent the selection of models, since each model type is unique in terms of features.

The challenge is to allow the user at the beginning, to stipulate more than one manufacturer, and then filter based on the features

Example: manufacturer = “Samkia” OR manufacturer = “Nosung”) AND 3 G= “yes” AND slider = “no”.

=> Models X125 and Q1 fit.

Bonus challenge: Features can also be numeric, e.g. standby time. The user only wants models with exceeding a certain standby-time.

The Real challenge: Does Modeling make sense for this?

Model Manufacturer 3 G Touch screen

Slider Stand-By

X125 Samkia Yes No No 160

Y004 Samkia No No No 220

Rocket GL No Yes Yes 170

8990 Eric Nyson No No Yes 230

9225i Eric Nyson Yes Yes Yes 320

Q1 Nosung Yes Yes No 240

P4 Nosung No No Yes 270

Case 2 – Counting Task – Select k out of n options

Business Scenario:

Your product has a list of features. Your want to offer a package deal which allows your customer to pick a certain amount of them.

Example: Phone contract. If the “International Top 5” option is chosen, the customer can pick 5 (variation: up to 5) favorite destination countries from a list of 30 countries, for which a special price for international calls applies

Challenge:

Present a list of options and let the user choose from them. If the maximum number of options have been chosen, no further selection shall be possible.

Bonus Challenge:

Which of the countries listed right have a common border?

Case 3 – Maximizing task– The maximum rules

Business scenario: Your product has a BOM with components of varying lengths. The length of the package for the shipping the parts is determined by the longest component.

Challenge:

The main item has 4 static components whose length can vary. Each components has a dynamic cstic “length” (entered by the user or calculated by the engine). The main item has a cstic “max length” which reflects the current maximum length of the components.

How is the maximum component length detected and recorded to the main item’s “Max Length” characteristic?

How does this determine packaging?

Bonus challenge: Components are specified dynamically, i.e. there is a large BOM and only specified components shall be considered.

Comp 1

Comp 2

Comp 3

Comp 4

Root

Comp 5

Comp 6

Case 4 - Post hoc Validation

Business Scenario:

• Components are configured and sold as part of a larger configurable solution (e.g., Program).

• The customer later reorders one or more of these configurable components, sending electronically (EDI) only the component products and their Cs and Vs.

Challenge:

• How do we validate the customer’s requested configuration without the context from which it was originally created?

LIC_PROGRAM

LIC_PROD1

(300)LIC_PROGRAM

License Program Validation

LIC_PROD2

LIC_PROD3

VALID Cs & VsNO_USERS = 10CONTRACT_TERM = 2YRLIC_TYPE = PERPETUAL

EDI Re-order Document

LIC_PROD1

REQUESTED Cs & VsNO_USERS = 15CONTRACT_TERM = 2YRLIC_TYPE = PERPETUAL

?How to validate

= Ordered KMAT

= License KMAT

Leg

end

= Configuration Class

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In Marco Island for a workshop to discuss the multiple different ways to solve these problems.

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