Faster way to input Configurator rule expressions

Epicor ERP 10
1

I’m using the super BOM method for a configurator, and need to setup rules (Keep When, Rule Condition and Rule Action) for every part of a 50 component Super BOM.

Using the UI to create the Keep When, the Rule, Rule Actions is painfully slow. Especially when many of my Rules and Rule Actions are similar.

For example, I’ve got 10 materials with the following Keep When (expression is true):

return (Inputs.cmbCurrent.Value == "A"  || Inputs.cmbCurrent.Value == "B");

All using the same inputs, but with varying input values("C", "D", "E", etc…)

Those 10 materials all have the same Rule Action:

JobMtl.QtyPer = Inputs.decActLen.Value;
QuoteMtl.QtyPer = Inputs.decActLen.Value;

Any way to upload or Copy and Paste the Keep When or Actions objects?
(Other than using the UI to enter each expression editor and pasting there).

The current method requires:

  1. Select the Material from the tree
  2. File -> New -> New Rule Set
  3. Select Keep When option (even though there’s only 1)
  4. Click Specified to bring up the Expression editor
  5. Create the expression
  6. File -> New -> New Rule
  7. File -> New -> New Rule Action
  8. Select the Action type (Execute Specified Expression)
  9. Click Specified
  10. Create the expression

That’s a lot of UI clicking around just to paste in an expression and tweak it .

2

Hey Calvin,

Have you looked at PC Lookup Tables? Check out around page 72 of the Configurator Tech Ref Guide.

Mark W.

3

I’ve used those before. But they seem to be best suited for the Template style of configurator BOM. Where you keep most lines, and just alter the specifics of the lines.

But the higher ups say that maintaining that method of configurator is too complicated :neutral_face:.
And want to use Super BOMs, as the Keep When is more straightforward than having to dynamically set the PartNum, UOM, QtyPer, Description, etc… for each material line in the Template BOM.

[ Rock ] me [ Hard place ]

4

Not a fan of super bom’s so I feel your pain.

One possibility for adding things without the UI is to export the XML, manually edit it, then reimport it the XML.

5

For what it’s worth, you can skip a few clicks by selecting the material in the tree, clicking into the Action pane on the Rule Sets tab and then clicking the New button. This will create the new Rule Set, Rule, and Action in one step.

There’s still a lot of clicking to be done but every little bit helps when you’re entering a bunch of these.

6

I have not found a faster way.

On a side note, where do your engineers go to check specific parts and their methods? I imagine that your configurator outputs a smart string or part number after it runs all its rules, does that part number also exist in the part table with its own method?

7

“your engineers” LOL … I’m chief cook and bottle washer…

I’m the only one that maintains BOMs, and I’m not even a full time employee.

As to your questions… We create a Part entry, but no BOM. We make the Part entry because we will end up needing to do a Transfer Order to another site. And the item needs to be in inventory to be TO’d. The Configurator does set the fields for QuoteMtl and JobMtl.

While a Part Num will exist for a certain config, we’d never enter that P/N directly, but rather just start with the configurator.

FWIW - The part number created by the configurator has three fields for length parameters of the part. One of these can vary from 10 to 2000 each. and the others from 10 to 999. And vary rarely are they ever repeated exactly. The bold numbers in the example PN below

SPLF-AH1234-BH077-156