Configuration characteristics (or attributes), which are used to describe configurable base parts, are managed via a revision handling and a date. This allows you to define "versions" of a part configuration revision in order to phase in new or changed product characteristics and option values over time. A part configuration revision can have the Tentative, Test, Released and Obsolete statuses.
Before working with configurable parts on a sales order, sales quotation, or other order, you must first associate the part with a configuration family. The first configuration specification revision is created by the system when you update the configuration family for the part. You can either copy all family characteristics and option values to the part or set them up manually. You can also create new revisions.
When configurations are created, the system always references to the configuration specification revision, which is in the Released status on the date required, to determine the valid characteristics for the configuration.
A part configuration revision header is where the part, family, status, revision, and effective date are defined.
The first part configuration revision structure header is automatically created when the family is connected to the configurable part in the Part/Config Part Catalog tab. The created part configuration revision automatically receives the Tentative state.
| State | Description |
| Tentative | A part configuration revision is created in the Tentative
state and this is the default value. This state indicates that the base
part characteristic revision is not yet available for use, and the base
part characteristic is not available for use in IFS/Manufacturing or
IFS/Planning. All editable attributes can be changed and the characteristic record may be changed at any time without restrictions. |
| Test | A part configuration revision can be promoted to the Test state. This state indicates that the part configuration revision is not yet available for use, but is ready for test with sales rules if the revision has any sales rules connected.
All editable attributes can be changed and the characteristic record may be changed at any time without restrictions. |
| Released | All part configuration revisions promoted to the Released
state are completely visible in the system and can be used to generate
the characteristic record out of which a specific configuration can be
created for selling, planning and manufacturing. All editable attributes can be changed, the characteristic record can be modified and the characteristic and characteristic options can be added as well as deleted. |
| Obsolete | The part configuration revisions have been made obsolete and will not be available for use in IFS/Manufacturing or IFS/Planning. You can change to this state at any time; however, once done, it cannot be reverted. No updates of characteristics and/or attributes are allowed. |
Part configuration revision line items represent the characteristics of which a part configuration revision is constituted. Each line item identifies a characteristic and its potentially selectable options. All characteristics connected to the part configuration revision can be used when creating a configuration. A part configuration revision line item can be identified as a mandatory or a non mandatory characteristic. All mandatory characteristics must be defined to be able to create the configuration, while non mandatory is optional. It is also possible to define default values for both mandatory and non mandatory characteristics and characteristic quantities.