Variantbeheer is een begrip binnen de industriële digitalisering en productstructuur & documentatie.
Definitie
Variantbeheer is het systematische management van productvariaties, configuraties en opties binnen een productfamilie. Het omvat de planning, structurering en beheersing van verschillende productversies, modellen en specificaties om mass customization mogelijk te maken terwijl complexiteit en kosten beheersbaar blijven.
Kenmerken
- Product family structure: Hierarchical organization van base products en variants
- Configuration rules: Business rules governing valid product combinations
- Option management: Systematic control van features, accessories, specifications
- BOM variant control: Managing multiple bill of materials versions
- Cost transparency: Variant costing en profitability analysis
- Lead time management: Production planning per variant configuration
- Documentation control: Variant-specific drawings, specifications, instructions
- Change impact analysis: Effect van ECO across variants
Toepassing
Metaalproduct variants:
- Machine tool variations: Different spindle options, chuck sizes, control systems
- Structural steel: Beam lengths, connection types, coating options
- Pressure vessels: Wall thickness, nozzle configurations, material grades
- Custom enclosures: Size variations, mounting options, finish specifications
Manufacturing variant management:
- BOM variants: Multiple production structures per product family
- Routing variants: Different manufacturing processes per configuration
- Quality variants: Control plan variations per specification level
- Tooling variants: Fixture en tooling requirements per product variant
Configuration management:
- Product configurator: Customer-facing configuration tools
- Valid combinations: Rules preventing incompatible option selections
- Pricing matrix: Variant-specific cost calculations
- Availability management: Lead times en stock status per variant
Engineering challenges:
- Commonality analysis: Maximizing shared components across variants
- Design modularity: Modular design enabling efficient variant creation
- Testing requirements: Validation needs per unique configuration
- Documentation explosion: Managing multiple documents per variant
Digital variant management:
- PLM systems: Variant structure management
- ERP integration: Business process variant handling
- CPQ tools: Sales configuration en quoting systems
- Manufacturing execution: MES variant production control
Complexity management strategies:
- Modular design: Reducing variants through modular architecture
- Postponement: Delaying final configuration until customer order
- Platform strategy: Shared platforms with variant differentiation
- Value stream mapping: Identifying variant complexity costs
Gerelateerde begrippen
Verwante termen:
- Product configurator - Tool for managing customer variant selection
- Manufacturing BOM - Production structure varying by product variant
- Mass customization - Production strategy enabled by variant management
- Configuration management - Broader configuration control discipline
Verwante concepten:
- PLM - Product data management including variant control
- ERP - Business system managing variant transactions
- Lean - Efficiency principles applied to variant management
- Modular design - Design methodology supporting variant management
Bronnen
- McKinsey & Company - Product variant management best practices
- BCG - Mass customization strategy consulting
- SAP Variant Configuration - ERP variant management functionality
- Siemens Teamcenter - PLM variant management capabilities
- APICS - Supply chain variant management guidelines
- MIT Sloan - Product variety management research
- Accenture - Manufacturing complexity management studies
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