Hi all,

Almost all our products are customized items and we use PCS/PCF.
We are looking to update our PCF-model because the way we have currently implemented PCF is limiting our future wishes. We heared about 'multi-level' PCF but never got a clear explenation about it.

I have some general questions for anyone with experience in this area.

What is multi-level PCF?
Is there any documentation on multi-level PCF?
Can anyone provide us with a working example of a multi-level PCF model?

Thanks in advance,
Danny

Hi Danny,

A multi-level PCF means that you have product features attached to several generic items in your generic bill of material.
As result, during variant creation process, the PCF will ask you to choose options for each generic item with product features.
The interest is using the same customizable sub-assembly into several PCF models.

For example, with a multi-level PCF, you can use item "Z" (generic sub-assembly) into PCF model "A" and PCF model "B".

A (whith product features)
|
-----
| | |
X Y Z (with product features)


B (whith product features)
|
---
| |
W Z (with product features)

Nethertheless, the PCF will always ask you to choose options for the "Z" item, even if the "Z" item isn't selected during structure variant generation process!

I hope i've been clear enough...

Regards,

Sylvain.

Multilevel PCF is PCF: no specific documentation. Sylvain's explanation is correct.
The one thing that you need to know is that characteristics and options are inherited only top-down (from A to Z in Sylvain's example) and not bottom-up and not sideways!! (not from Z to A or from Z to Y or Y to Z).
I have done several multilevel PCF's (long time ago) and it works like a charm.