In manufacturing, the right product is not always chosen from a shelf. Materials, dimensions, use, capacity and other interdependent technical conditions may determine the correct configuration.
This project had 180 product–material combinations. Experienced employees knew the right matches, and other teams asked them for help. The work got done, but the method was difficult to expand.
Knowledge existed, but not in the system
The business had developed valuable selection knowledge over years: which material worked with which product, and which option should be ruled out under particular conditions. Much of it lived in people’s experience.
That created risks of incorrect combinations during busy periods, repeated requests for expert advice when preparing quotes, lengthy support for new staff, and different answers to the same question.
A decision tree came before software
We began by mapping how experts actually selected a product. We recorded the questions they asked, the order in which options were eliminated, and the combinations that could not work. We then turned this into a four-step decision flow.
At each step, users saw only the choices they needed. An answer that made another option impossible removed that option from later steps. The result was a working tool for making the right selection, rather than a catalogue with more filters.
Why filters alone were insufficient
A filter narrows results according to selected attributes. A configurator also knows whether options are compatible. If a material cannot be used at a particular dimension, the system prevents that invalid choice instead of merely shortening a results list.
In an industrial setting, a wrong selection can mean an incorrect quote, production mistake or lost time, as well as a poor user experience.
Operational result
Instead of manually searching 180 combinations, the team had a shared four-question method. Specialist knowledge was retained as system rules. The configurator was used actively for seven years, as part of actual work rather than a one-off presentation.
The client’s product details and rule combinations are withheld. The case is grounded in the 180-combination scope, four-step selection process and use period.
Signs this may be useful
- “Only the technical team can choose this correctly.”
- “We need three facts from the customer before we can select a product.”
- “Those two options cannot be used together.”
- “A wrong selection means preparing the quote again.”
- “New sales staff take months to learn the products.”
Engin Sistem first makes a company’s decision logic explicit. The software then becomes a reliable, reusable way to apply it.
Common questions
Who is a configurator for? Businesses selecting products by technical dimensions, material, capacity, use or customer conditions, especially when correct choices depend on a few specialists.
Can it calculate prices? Yes, if selected attributes affect price. Approved rules can calculate a price or quote line, but the price source and permissions need their own design.
Must the software be rebuilt when rules change? Not if changeable rules are designed as a manageable layer rather than embedded throughout the code.