Chapter 4: Product Configuration Access

CHAPTER 4: PRODUCT CONFIGURATION ACCESS

Objectives
The objectives are:

• Configure a product by using the Microsoft Dynamics® AX 2012

client.
• Configure a product by using the Enterprise Portal.

Introduction
Product Configuration Access uses the information from the previous chapters in
the Product Configuration in Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 course to build upon
and explain how to configure a product. Two options are available for you to
access for the product configuration feature to configure order lines:

• Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 client: The client application

provides a rich user interface that consists of forms, menus, and
controls. The Configure line form in Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012
is built by using Windows Presentation Framework (WPF). The
WPF form is hosted in an X++ form.
• Enterprise Portal: The Enterprise Portal for Microsoft Dynamics
AX 2012 provides a web-based application framework for users to
interact with data in Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 through a web
browser.

The Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 client supports the configuration of lines for
four types. You can use the Enterprise Portal for Microsoft Dynamics 2012 to
configure lines only for the first two types:

• Sales orders
• Sales quotations
• Purchase orders
• Production orders

The user interface and the forms that you can use to configure lines display
differently in the Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 client and the Enterprise Portal
for Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012. However, the result is the same. You can
successfully configure orders lines for the product configuration feature by using
both methods.

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Product Configuration on the Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012

Client
The Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 client is typically used by employees in an
organization in areas such as product design, order management, accounting,
manufacturing, and human resources. Employees that work in these types of
areas generally require the rich user interface functionality that the Microsoft
Dynamics AX 2012 client provides.

The previous chapters in the Product Configuration in Microsoft Dynamics AX

2012 course focus on the areas that you must complete before you can configure
an order line. These areas include the following:

• Product configuration setup

• Building a product configuration model
• Preparing a product configuration model for release

When you use the Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 client, you can use this
knowledge to continue the product configuration process and investigate the
configuration of different types of lines.

Configure Line Form

You can use the Configure line form to configure a product from a sales order,
sales quotation, purchase order, and production order. The Configure line form
has a tree structure display that shows the product configuration model
component structure. The form that you can use to configure an order line looks
the same as the form that you can use to test a product configuration model. You
can use the tree structure display for navigation by clicking a component or
subcomponent.

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An attribute section also displays on the body of the form. It shows the attributes
for the selected component and you can select and specify an attribute value.
When you select an attribute, the description of the attribute displays in the
Attribute details group on the Configure line form as shown in the Configure
Line Form figure. The description is taken from the description of the attribute on
the Constraint-based product configuration model details form.

FIGURE 4.1 CONFIGURE LINE FORM

IMPORTANT: The Configure line form is available only when the item that you
select to configure has constraint-based configuration selected for Configuration
technology in the Released product details form. The previous Product builder
module that uses rule-based configuration also uses the "Configure line" action
to open the Configure line form.

There must also be an active product configuration model attached to the

product master in the Versions form for the Configure line form to be available
to the item.

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Access the Configure Line Form

You can access the Configure line form from the following locations:

• Open Sales and marketing > Common > Sales orders > All sales
orders. Click Sales order in the New group of the Action Pane to
open the Create sales order form. Select a customer account and
then click OK to open the Sales order form. In the Item number
field, select the item that represents the product configuration model.
Click Product and supply > Configure line to open the Configure
line form as shown in the Sales Order Form figure.

FIGURE 4.2 SALES ORDER FORM

• Open Sales and marketing > Common > Sales quotations > All
quotations. Click Sales quotation in the New group of the Action
Pane to open the Create quotation form. Select a prospect account
and then click OK to open the Sales quotation form. In the Item
number field, select the item that represents the product
configuration model. Click Product and supply > Configure line to
open the Configure line form.
• Open Procurement and sourcing > Common > Purchase orders >
All purchase orders. Click Purchase order in the New group of the
Action Pane to open the Create purchase order form. Select a
vendor account and then click Yes to transfer vendor information.
Click OK to open the Purchase order form. In the Item number
field, select the item that represents the product configuration model.
Click Product and supply > Configure line to open the Configure
line form.

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• Open Production control > Common > Production orders > All
production orders. Click Production order in the New group of
the Action Pane to open the Create production order form. In the
Item number field, select the item number that represents the
product configuration model. Click Configure production on the
Create production order form to open the Configure line form.

Configure Line Form Options

The options that display on the Configure line form depend on the options that
you create and select when you create the product configuration model in the
Constraint-based product configuration model details form. You can select
attributes at the root component and subcomponent levels on the Configure line
form.

Several buttons are available for you to use on the Configure line form:

• Load template: Click Load template to open the Configuration

templates form. Only existing templates for the product
configuration model that are active will display.
• Next: Click Next to select the next component or subcomponent in
the left pane tree structure. After the system advances to the
component or subcomponent, you can select the attributes.
• Cancel: Click Cancel to cancel changes that you make on the
Configure line form.
• OK: Click OK to accept the configuration changes and close the
Configure line form.

TIP: You can click Next on the Configure line form to advance to the next
component. Or, you can click any node in the left tree pane tree structure at any
time and select the attributes for the component.

• Price: Click Price in the Price and ship date group to calculate the
price for the product that is based on the selected product
configuration.
• Ship date: Click Ship date in the Price and ship date group to
calculate the required ship date based on the selected product
configuration.

IMPORTANT: All mandatory attributes are highlighted in the color red on the
Configure line form. You must specify a value for all mandatory attributes
before you click OK on the Configure line form.

If you do not specify a value for all mandatory attributes, the system will display
an Infolog form with the following text: "The configuration is not finished. Not
all fields have a value."

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Configuration Templates Form

When you configure an order line, you can use the Configuration templates
form to select a configuration template with the attribute values selected as
shown on the Configuration Templates Form figure.

FIGURE 4.3 CONFIGURATION TEMPLATES FORM

To open the Configuration templates form, click the Load template button on
the Configure line form.

You can only modify configuration templates while you are creating or
modifying a product configuration model. You cannot modify configuration
templates while configuring an order line.

NOTE: Templates that are not active will not display on the Configuration
templates form.

When you select a configuration template and then click OK on the

Configuration templates form, the system closes the Configuration templates
form and loads the corresponding attribute values from the selected configuration
template to the Configure line form. All the attribute values that are specified for
the configuration template are now selected to configure the order line.

You can click Cancel on the Configuration templates form to cancel the
selection of a configuration template and close the form.

Configuring an Order Line

When you create a sales order line in the grid on the Sales order lines FastTab,
you can populate the Item number field with the item that you want to
configure. The Configuration field will display the default value that you
specify in the Default configuration ID field on the Constraint-Based product
configuration models FastTab on the Product information management
parameters form.

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Next, select a value in the Site field.

Now, you can click Configure line in the Product and supply drop-down list
box on the Sales order lines FastTab to open the Configure line form.

On the Configure line form, specify attributes for the first node in the left pane
tree structure. Click Next to advance to the next node in the tree structure. You
can also click the node in the tree structure to advance to the selected node.

After you select attribute values for all the mandatory attributes in the product
configuration model, you can click Price in the Price and ship date group on the
Configure line form to calculate and display the price based on the selected
product configuration. You can also click Ship date in the Price and ship date
group to calculate and display the ship date.

NOTE: The ship date is more a promise than a requirement. It is based on the
Capable To Promise (CTP) calculation.

Click OK to accept the configuration and close the Configure line form. The
Bill of Materials (BOM) and route structure that fits this specific configuration is
now created for the configured item number. You also use the Configure line
form and follow the same process when you configure lines for sales quotations,
purchase orders, and production orders.

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You can review the BOM and route structure values by clicking the Line details
FastTab on the Sales order form. Select the Product FastTab, and review the
values in the Sub-BOM and Subroute fields in the BOM/route group. You can
also review the Configuration field in the Sales order lines FastTab in the grid.
The Configuration field no longer displays the default value from the Product
information management parameters form. The Configuration field now
displays a unique configuration ID number that is generated from the
Constraint-based product configuration name number sequence code as
shown in the Sales Order Form figure.

FIGURE 4.4 SALES ORDER FORM

This configuration ID number can be tracked to identify your item in the

inventory system.

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Configuration Dimensions Per Company Form

To review all configuration IDs that exist for the configured item, right-click and
select View details in the Configuration field in the Sales order lines FastTab to
open the Configuration dimensions per company form. The configuration IDs
will show for the item as shown in the Configuration Dimensions Per Company
Form figure.

FIGURE 4.5 CONFIGURATION DIMENSIONS PER COMPANY FORM

Bills of Materials Form

You can use the Bills of materials form to create or change a BOM, to define a
configuration group route, or to associate an existing BOM with specific item
numbers.

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To validate the generated BOM version that corresponds to the configured item,
click the Line details FastTab on the Sales order form. Right-click and select
View details in the Sub-BOM field of the BOM/route group to open the Bills of
materials form. Review the record as shown in the Bills of Materials Form
figure.

FIGURE 4.6 BILLS OF MATERIALS FORM

Route Details Form

You can use the Route details form to create, update, and approve routes. Routes
contain the information that is required to guide and item through production.
Each route includes information about the following:

• Operations to be performed and their sequence.

• Resources that are needed to complete the operations.
• Standard times that are required to set up and run the production.

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To validate the generated route version that corresponds to the configured item,
click the Line details FastTab on the Sales order form. Right-click and select
View details in the Subroute field of the BOM/route group to open the Route
details form. Review the record as shown in the Route Details Form figure.

FIGURE 4.7 ROUTE DETAILS FORM

Click Close to close the Route details form and then click Close on the Sales
order form to save the sales order and to complete the configuration process.

Scenario: Configure a Sales Order Line

A customer is calling Susan, the Order Processor, at Contoso Entertainment
Systems to order a new home entertainment system.

The home entertainment system consists of several components and

subcomponents. Each component and subcomponent has several features that
must be specified to configure a sales order. Susan creates a sales order for the
item number that represents the home entertainment system. She asks the
customer for the features he or she wants the home entertainment system to
include. Susan then configures the sales order line according to the customer's
requirements.

Procedure: Configure a Sales Order Line

To configure a sales order line for the home entertainment system, follow these
steps.

1. Open Sales and marketing > Common > Sales orders > All sales
orders.
2. Click Sales order in the New group of the Action Pane to open the
Create sales order form.
3. In the Customer account field, select the customer account from the
drop-down list box to create the sales order for.

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4. Click OK to open the Sales order form.

5. Click the Sales order lines FastTab.
6. In the Item number field, select the item number from the drop-
down list box that represents the product configuration model.
7. In the Site field, select the site from the drop-down list box.
8. In the Warehouse field, select the warehouse from the drop-down
list box. This is optional.
9. Select Configure line in the Product model group of the Product
and supply drop-down list box on the Sales order lines FastTab to
open the Configure line form.
10. Specify a value for each attribute for the first component in the left
pane tree structure.
11. Click Next to advance to the next component in the left pane tree
structure.
12. Repeat steps 9 and 10 for all the components in the left pane tree
structure.
13. Click the Price button in the Price and ship date FactBox to
calculate the sales price. This can take several seconds to calculate.
14. Click the Ship date button in the Price and ship date FactBox to
calculate the ship date. This can take several seconds to calculate.
15. Click OK on the Configure line form to complete the configuration
and close the form. The system generates a new BOM line version
and route for the configured item.
16. Click Close to save the sales order, and then close the Sales order
form.

Scenario: Configure a Sales Quotation Line

A customer calls Susan, the Order Processor, at Contoso Entertainment Systems
to request a sales quote for a home entertainment system that he or she is
considering to buy.

The customer specifies the features that he or she wants the home entertainment
system to have. Susan enters a sales quotation for the item number that represents
the home entertainment system. She then configures the sales quotation line
according to the customer's specifications to obtain a sales price quote and sends
the customer the information.

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Procedure: Configure a Sales Quotation Line for a

Prospect
To configure a sales order quotation line for the home entertainment system,
follow these steps.

1. Open Sales and marketing > Common > Sales quotations > All
quotations.
2. Click Sales quotation in the New group of the Action Pane to open
the Create quotation form.
3. In the Prospect field, select the prospect from the drop-down list box
to create the quotation for.
4. Click OK to open the Sales quotation form.
5. Click the Lines FastTab.
6. In the Item number field in the grid, select the item number from
the drop-down list box that represents the product configuration
model.
7. In the Site field, select the site from the drop-down list box.
8. Click Product and supply > Configure line to open the Configure
line form.
9. Specify a value for each attribute for the first component in the left
pane tree structure.
10. Click Next to advance to the next component in the left pane tree
structure.
11. Repeat steps 9 and 10 for all the components in the left pane tree
structure.
12. Click Price in the Price and ship date group on the Configure line
form to calculate the price based on the selected configuration.
13. Click OK on the Configure line form to complete the configuration
and close the form. The system generates a new BOM line version
and route for the configured item.
14. Click Close to save the sales quotation and close the Sales quotation
form.

Scenario: Configure a Purchase Order Line

Sales for home entertainment systems at Contoso Entertainment Systems are
strong this year.

The company has low stock availability for one of the custom components that it
must have to build a home entertainment system.

Alicia, the Purchasing Agent, configures a purchase order line to order the
customized component from the vendor that has it in stock. The vendor can
deliver the component to Contoso Entertainment Systems in some days.

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Procedure: Configure a Purchase Order Line

To configure a purchase order line for the home entertainment system, follow
these steps.

1. Open Procurement and sourcing > Common > Purchase orders >
All purchase orders.
2. Click Purchase order in the New group of the Action Pane to open
the Create purchase order form.
3. In the Vendor account field, select the vendor account from the
drop-down list box to create the purchase order for.
4. Click OK to open the Purchase order form.
5. Click the Purchase order lines FastTab.
6. In the Item number field, select the item number from the drop-
down list box that represents the product configuration model.
7. In the Site field, select the site from the drop-down list box.
8. In the Warehouse field, select the warehouse from the drop-down
list box. This is optional.
9. Click Product and supply > Configure line to open the Configure
line form.
10. Specify a value for each attribute for the first component in the left
pane tree structure.
11. Click Next to advance to the next component in the left pane tree
structure.
12. Repeat steps 10 and 11 for all the components in the left pane tree
structure.
13. Click OK on the Configure line form to complete the configuration
and close the form. The system generates a new BOM line version
and route for the configured item.
14. Click Close to save the purchase order and close the Purchase order
form.

NOTE: Neither price or ship date can be calculated for a configurable item on a
purchase order.

Scenario: Configure a Production Order Line

Sales for Contoso Entertainment Systems continue to be strong this year.
Available stock for the most popular version of the company's home
entertainment system is low.

Earlier, Emil, the Product Designer, created a product configuration model

template for this popular home entertainment system. The production manager
uses the template to configure a production order to build sufficient inventory for
the popular home entertainment system version.

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Procedure: Configure a Production Order Line

To configure a production order line for the home entertainment system, follow
these steps.

1. Open Production control > Common > Production orders > All
production orders.
2. Click Production order in the New group of the Action Pane to
open the Create production order form.
3. In the Item number field, select the item number from the drop-
down list box that represents the product configuration model.
4. In the Site field in the Inventory dimensions group, select the site
from the drop-down list box.
5. Click Configure production on the Create production order form
to open the Configure line form as shown in the Create Production
Order Form figure.
6. Specify a value for each attribute for the first component in the left
pane tree structure.
7. Click Next to advance to the next component in the left pane tree
structure.
8. Repeat steps 6 and 7 for all the components in the left pane tree
structure.

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9. Click OK on the Configure line form to complete the configuration

and close the form. The system generates a new BOM line version
and route for the configured item.
10. Click Create to save the production order and close the Create
production order form.

FIGURE 4.8 CREATE PRODUCTION ORDER FORM

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Lab 4.1 - Configure a Sales Order Line by Using the Microsoft

Dynamics AX 2012 Client
Contoso Entertainment Systems - Company CEU

Scenario

You are the Order Processor at Contoso Entertainment Systems. A customer calls
to order a home entertainment system.

Create a sales order for item number 20011 that represents the home
entertainment system. Ask the customer for the features he or she wants the
system to include and configure the sales order line according to his or her
responses.

IMPORTANT: To complete this lab, you must first complete Lab 3.5: Create,
Approve, and Make a Version Available.

Use the information in this table to configure the sales order line.

Field Value
Customer account 1101
Item number 20011
Site 2
Warehouse 21
Apply same color configuration true
Length of power cable 10
Model Model 04
Configuration HD
Size 50

Challenge Yourself!
Use the information that is provided to configure the sales order line.

Need a Little Help?

• Open the All sales orders list page from the Sales and marketing
menu in the Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 client.
• Add a new sales order.
• Configure the sales order line.

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Step by Step
To configure a sales order line by using the Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 client,
follow these steps:

1. Open Sales and marketing > Common > Sales orders > All sales
orders.
2. Click Sales order in the New group in the Action Pane to open the
Create sales order form.
3. In the Customer account field, select customer account 1101 from
the drop-down list box.
4. Click OK to open the Sales order form.
5. In the Item number field, type "20011".
6. In the Site field, type "2".
7. In the Warehouse field, type "21".
8. Click Product and supply > Configure line to open the Configure
line form.
9. If fields do not display in the body of the Configure line form, click
the HomeEntertainmentSystem node in the left pane. Fields will
now display in the body of the form.
10. In the Apply same color configuration field for the
HomeEntertainmentSystem node in the left pane, select true from
the drop-down list.
11. In the Length of power cable field, type "10".
12. Click Next to advance to the Audio System node in the tree
structure.
13. Review the default values.
14. Click Next to advance to the Receiver node in the tree structure.
15. Review the default values.
16. Click Next to advance to the Speakers node in the tree structure.
17. Review the default values.
18. Click Next to advance to the Light Video System node in the tree
structure.
19. Review the default values.
20. Click Next to advance to the DVD Player Recorder node in the tree
structure.
21. In the Model field, select Model 04 from the drop-down list box.
22. Click Next to advance to the LCD TV node in the tree structure.
23. In the Configuration field, select HD from the drop-down list box.

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24. In the Size field, select 50 from the drop-down list box.
25. Click Next to advance to the Services node in the tree structure.
26. Review the default values.
27. If the Price and ship date FactBox is not open in the right pane,
click the Price and ship date FactBox.
28. Click the Price button in the Price and ship date FactBox to
calculate the sales price. The Price button resembles a calculator.
This can take several seconds to calculate.
29. Click the Ship date button in the Price and ship date FactBox to
calculate the ship date. This can take several seconds to calculate.
30. Click OK on the Configure line form to complete the configuration
and close the form. The system generates a new BOM line version
and route version for the configured item.
31. Click Close to save the sales order and close the Sales order form.

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Product Configuration on the Enterprise Portal

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 provides a website that gives you access to data.
You can also participate in business processes by using web-based forms. These
sites are collectively called the Enterprise Portal. The Enterprise Portal provides
access to the Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 application from a web browser.

External users, and users who do not require the rich user interface that the client
application offers, can use the Enterprise Portal for Microsoft Dynamics AX
2012.

For example, a sales team member who is visiting a customer site can create a
sales order for the customer by using the Enterprise Portal. The Sales team
member does not have to enter the customer's order information in a separate
document and wait until he or she is in the office to create sales orders. The Sales
team member can use the Enterprise Portal to complete his or her work.

Sales Site
You can use the Sales web-site in the Enterprise Portal to configure a sales
quotation line and sales order line for a product configuration model.

The Sales web-site can be useful when you have an organization with many
employees who do not have to access Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 regularly.
You can activate users in the Enterprise Portal with access restricted to only the
tasks that they have to complete. This can also be helpful when the employees in
your organization are in many locations.

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Accessing the Enterprise Portal and Role Center Page

You can access the Enterprise Portal by opening the Internet browser on your
computer. When you access the Enterprise Portal, the Home Role center page is
displayed as shown in the Home Role Center Page figure.

FIGURE 4.9 HOME ROLE CENTER PAGE

The Enterprise Portal can be configured to display role-specific pages that are
known as Role Centers.

Role Centers provide an overview of information related to a user's job function

in the business or organization. This information includes transaction data, alerts,
links, and common tasks that are associated with the user's role in the company.

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 includes many predefined Role Centers that users
can access from the Enterprise Portal or the Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 client.

Depending on the security that is set up for your user role in Microsoft Dynamics
AX 2012, you can use the top link bar on the Enterprise Portal Home Role
center page to access several sites. You can select sites such as Sales, Vendor
portal, Customer self-service, and so on, that you can use to manage your daily
work.

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Sales Site Page

You can access the Sales site by clicking Sales on the top-link bar in the
Enterprise Portal as shown in the Sales Site Page figure.

FIGURE 4.10 SALES SITE PAGE

The Sales site is a webpage that employees in your organization can use to
perform their job duties. You can use the Sales site to maintain the following:
customers, cases, sales quotations, sales orders, customer returns, and many
more. View the left pane in the Sales Site Page figure.

You can use the All quotations page to view a list of sales quotations that are
created, and then use the View sales quotation page to view the details of a
specific quotation. The All sales orders and View sales order pages are also
available to view information about the customer's sales orders.

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Configure Selected Item Page

When you configure order lines by using the Enterprise Portal compared to the
Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 client, the process is similar. The main differences
that you will notice are the navigation to access the page and the appearance of
the Configure selected item page as shown in the Configure Selected Item Page
figure.

FIGURE 4.11 CONFIGURATION SELECTED ITEM PAGE

You can use the Configure selected item page to configure a product from a
sales order and a sales quotation.

You cannot configure purchase order lines and production order lines for a
product configuration model by using the Enterprise Portal. Purchase orders that
are created by using the Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 client can be viewed in
the Enterprise portal. However, you cannot access the Configure selected item
page.

You can access the Configure selected item page from the following locations
in the Enterprise Portal:

• Click Sales on the top link bar, and then click Common > Sales
orders on the Navigation Pane. Click Sales order in the New group
of the Action Pane to open the New sales order page. Select a
customer account. Click Add line in the Lines FastTab to add a new
line. In the Item number field, select the item that represents the
product configuration model. Click the Configure line icon on the
order line to open the Configure selected item page.

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• Click Sales on the top link bar, and then click Common > Sales
Quotations on the Navigation Pane. Click Sales quotation in the
New group of the Action Pane to open the New sales quotation
page. Select a customer account. Click Add line in the Lines
FastTab to add a new line. In the Item number field, select the item
number that represents the product configuration model. Click the
Configure line icon on the quotation line to open the Configure
selected item page.

Configure Selected Item Page FastTabs

The options that display in the Configure select item page depend on the options
that you create and select when you create the product configuration model in the
Constraint-based product configuration model details form. Attributes can be
selected at the root component, component, and subcomponent levels.

The Configure selected item page consists of three FastTabs:

• Configuration templates
• Price and ship date
• Product configuration model

Configuration Templates

You can use the Configuration templates FastTab to load a configuration from
a template. Click Load template to open the Configuration templates page and
load the template. Only the existing templates for the product configuration
model that are active will display.

Price and Ship Date

You can use the Price and ship date FastTab to calculate a price and a ship date
based on the configuration.

• Calculated price per unit: This field displays the price of the
configured product. Click Calculate to calculate the price based on
the selected product configuration.
• Confirmed ship date: This field displays the ship date of the
configured product. Click Calculate to calculate the ship date based
on the selected product configuration.

Product Configuration Model

The Product configuration model FastTab shows a tree structure that contains
the product configuration model component structure. You can use the tree
structure display for navigation by selecting a component in the tree structure. An
attribute section also displays on the FastTab in the body of the page. It shows
the attributes for the selected component and you can select and specify the
attribute values.

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• Next: Click Next to select the next component or subcomponent in

the left pane tree structure. After the system advances to the
component or subcomponent, you can select the attributes.
• OK: Click OK to accept the configuration changes and close the
Configure line form.

NOTE: Closing the Configure select item page cancels changes that you make
on the page.

Configuration Templates Page

When you configure an order line, use the Configuration templates page to
select a configuration template with the attribute values already selected as
shown on the Configuration Templates Page figure.

FIGURE 4.12 CONFIGURATION TEMPLATES PAGE

To open the Configuration templates page, click Load template on the

Configure selected item page.

All active configuration templates for the product configuration model will
display by default.

You can modify configuration templates while you create or modify a product
configuration model. However, you cannot modify configuration templates while
you configure a line.

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When you select a configuration template and then click OK on the

Configuration templates page, the system closes the Configuration templates
page and loads the corresponding attribute values from the selected configuration
template to the Configure selected item page. All the attribute values that are
specified for the configuration template are now selected to configure the order
line.

You can click Cancel on the Configuration templates page to cancel the
selection of a configuration template and close the form.

Configuring a Sales Order Line

When you create a sales order line in the grid on the Lines FastTab, you can
populate the Item number field by using the item that you want to configure.
The Product number field will display the default value that you specify in the
Default configuration ID field on the Constraint-Based product
configuration models FastTab on the Product information management
parameters form. In the Product number field, the product number also
displays to the left of the default configuration ID.

Next, populate the Site field.

Now you can click Configure line located to the right side of the Net amount
column in the Lines FastTab to open the Configure selected item page.

On the Configure selected item page, specify the attributes for the first node on
the left side tree structure. Click Next to advance to the next node in the tree
structure. You can also click the node in the tree structure to advance to the
selected node.

After you specify all the attributes for all nodes in the tree structure, you can
click Calculate for the Calculated price per unit field to calculate and display
the price based on the selected product configuration. You can also click
Calculate for the Confirmed ship date field in the Price and ship date FastTab
to calculate and display the required ship date.

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Click OK to accept the configuration and close the Configure selected item
page. The BOM and route structure that fits this specific configuration is now
created for the configured item number. After you click OK, you can review the
Product number field in the Lines FastTab on the New sales order page. The
Product number field no longer displays the default value from the Product
information management parameters form next to the product number. The
Product number field now displays a unique configuration ID number that is
generated from the Constraint-based product configuration name number
sequence code as shown in the New Sales Order Page figure.

FIGURE 4.13 NEW SALES ORDER PAGE

This number can be tracked to identify your item in the inventory system.

To validate the generated BOM version and route version that corresponds to the
configured item, you must open the Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Windows
client.

Scenario: Configure a Sales Order Line on the Enterprise

Portal
Bill, the Sales Manager at Contoso Entertainment Systems is meeting with a
customer at the customer's location to review the details of the home
entertainment system that the customer is considering to buy. The customer
agrees to purchase the home entertainment system. The home entertainment
system consists of several components and subcomponents. Each component and
subcomponent has several features that Bill must specify to configure the sales
order.

Bill decides to enter the sales order for the home entertainment system by using
the Enterprise Portal. He can verify the correct features are selected for each
component with the customer as he configures the sales order line. Bill can also
give the customer the price of the home entertainment system that is based on the
selected product configuration.

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Procedure: Configure a Sales Order Line on the

Enterprise Portal
To configure a sales order line for the home entertainment system on the
Enterprise Portal, follow these steps.

1. Open the Enterprise Portal in your Internet browser.

2. Click Sales on the top link bar to open the Sales site.
3. Click Common > Sales orders on the Navigation Pane to open the
All sales orders list page.
4. Click Sales order in the New group of the Action Pane to open the
New sales order page.
5. In the Customer account field in the Customer FastTab, select a
customer account from the drop-down list box.
6. Click Add line in the Lines FastTab to add a new order line in the
grid.
7. In the Item number field, select the item number to configure from
the drop-down list box.
8. In the Site field, select the site from the drop-down list box.
9. In the Warehouse field, select the warehouse from the drop-down
list box.
10. Click Configure line located to the right side of the Net amount
column in the Lines FastTab to open the Configure selected item
page.
11. Specify a value for each attribute for the first component in the left
side tree structure in the Product configuration model FastTab.
12. Click Next to advance to the next component in the left side tree
structure.
13. Repeat steps 11 and 12 for all the components in the left side tree
structure.
14. In the Calculated price per unit field in the Price and ship date
FastTab, click Calculate to calculate the price based on the selected
product configuration.
15. In the Confirmed ship date field in the Price and ship FastTab,
click Calculate to calculate the ship date based on the selected
configuration.
16. Click OK on the Configure selected item page to complete the
configuration and close the page. The system generates a new BOM
line version and route version for the configured item.
17. Click Save and close on the New sales order page to save the sales
order.

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Scenario: Configure a Sales Quotation Line on the

Enterprise Portal
Bill, the Sales Manager at Contoso Entertainment Systems is meeting with a
customer at the customer's location to review the details of the home
entertainment system that the customer is considering to buy. The customer
wants to receive a price quote based on the features that he or she wants the
system to include before he or she agrees to buy the home entertainment system.

Bill enters the sales quotation order for the home entertainment system by using
the Enterprise Portal. He can verify that the correct features are selected for each
component with the customer as he configures the sales quotation order line. Bill
can also give the customer the price of the home entertainment system that is
based on the selected product configuration.

Procedure: Configure a Sales Quotation Line on the

Enterprise Portal
To configure a sales quotation order line for the home entertainment system on
the Enterprise Portal, follow these steps.

1. Open the Enterprise Portal in your Internet browser.

2. Click Sales on the top link bar to open the Sales site.
3. Click Common > Quotations on the Navigation Pane to open the
All quotations list page.
4. Click Sales quotation in the New group of the Action Pane to open
the New sales quotation page.
5. In the Customer account field in the Sales quotation FastTab,
select a customer account from the drop-down list box.
6. Click Add line in the Lines FastTab to add a new sales quotation
line in the grid.
7. In the Item number field, select the item number to configure from
the drop-down list box.
8. In the Site field, select the site from the drop-down list box. Refer to
the New Sales Quotation Page figure.
9. Click Configure line located to the right side of the Net amount
column in the Lines FastTab to open the Configure selected item
page.
10. Specify a value for each attribute for the first component in the left
side tree structure in the Product configuration model FastTab.
11. Click Next to advance to the next component in the left side tree
structure.
12. Repeat steps 10 and 11 for all the components in the left side tree
structure.
13. In the Calculated price per unit field in the Price and ship date
FastTab, click Calculate to calculate the price based on the selected
product configuration.

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Product Configuration in Microsoft Dynamics® AX 2012

14. Click OK on the Configure selected item page to complete the

configuration and close the page. The system generates a new BOM
line version and route version for the configured item.
15. Click Save and close on the New sales quotation page to save the
sales order.

FIGURE 4.14 NEW SALES QUOTATION PAGE

The New Sales Quotation Page figure displays the values selected on the page.
Configure line is located to the right side of the Net amount column in the
Lines FastTab.

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 Chapter 4: Product Configuration Access

Lab 4.2 - Configure a Sales Order Line on the Enterprise

Portal
Contoso Entertainment Systems - Company CEU

Scenario

You are the Order Processor at Contoso Entertainment Systems. Your manager
asks you to visit a special customer to demonstrate the personal level of service
that Contoso Entertainment Systems offers. The customer will order a home
entertainment system and wants to learn more information about the features that
are available.

You bring your laptop to the customer's location and access the Enterprise Portal.

You open the Sales site to create the customer's sales order and enter the item
number for the home entertainment system that you must configure. You access
the Configure selected item page and ask the customer questions based on the
components and features that display.

IMPORTANT: To complete this lab, you must first complete Lab 3.5: Create,
Approve, and Make a Version Available.

Use the information in the following table to configure the sales order line:

Field Value
Customer account 1101
Item number 20011
Site 2
Warehouse 21
Length of power cable 10
Color (Audio System) Blue
Color (Light Video System) Green
Configuration HD
Color (LCD TV) Black
Size 42
Professional services true
Installation true

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Challenge Yourself!
Use the information that is provided to configure the sales order line.

Need a Little Help?

• Open the Sales site in the Enterprise Portal.

• Add a new sales order.
• Configure the sales order line.

Step by Step
To configure a sales order line in the Enterprise Portal, follow these steps:

1. Open Internet Explorer to open the Enterprise Portal. The Home

Role Center page displays on the site that defaults.
2. Click Sales on the top link bar to open the Sales site. The site can
take several seconds to open.
3. Click Common > Sales orders on the Navigation Pane to open the
All sales orders list page.
4. Click Sales order in the New group in the Action Pane to open the
New sales order page.
5. In the Customer account field in the Customer FastTab, select
customer account 1101 from the drop-down list box.
6. Click OK to select the customer account and turn on the Add line
button in the Lines FastTab.
7. Click Add line in the Lines FastTab to add a new order line in the
grid.
8. In the Item number field, type "20011".
9. In the Site field, type "2".
10. In the Warehouse field, type "21".
11. Click the Configure line icon that is located to the right side of the
Net amount column in the Lines FastTab to open the Configure
selected item page. The Configure line icon has a brown color with
a cog wheel.
12. If the Product configuration model FastTab is not open on the
Configure selected item page, click the Product configuration
model FastTab.
13. If fields do not display in the body of the Configure selected item
page, click the HomeEntertainmentSystem node on the left. Fields
will now display in the body of the form.
14. In the Length of power cable field in the Product configuration
model FastTab for the HomeEntertainmentSystem node on the left
side tree structure, type "10".
15. Click Next to advance to the Audio System node in the tree
structure.

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16. In the Color field, select Blue from the drop-down list box.
17. Click Next to advance to the Receiver node in the tree structure.
18. Review the default values.
19. Click Next to advance to the Speakers node in the tree structure.
20. Review the default values.
21. Click Next to advance to the Light Video System node in the tree
structure.
22. In the Color field, select Green from the drop-down list box.
23. Click Next to advance to the DVD Player Recorder node in the tree
structure.
24. Review the default values.
25. Click Next to advance to the LCD TV node in the tree structure.
26. In the Configuration field, select HD from the drop-down list box.
27. In the Color field, select Black from the drop-down list box.
28. In the Size field, select 42 from the drop-down list box.
29. Click Next to advance to the Services node in the tree structure.
30. In the Professional Services field, select true from the drop-down
list box.
31. In the Installation field, select true from the drop-down list box.
32. If the Price and ship date FastTab is not open, click the Price and
ship date FastTab.
33. Click the Calculate button to calculate the sales price for the
Calculated price per unit field in the Price and ship date FastTab.
This can take several seconds to calculate.
34. Click the Calculate button to calculate the ship date for the
Confirmed ship date field in the Price and ship date FastTab. This
can take several seconds to calculate.
35. Click OK on the Configure selected item page to complete the
configuration and close the page. The system generates a new BOM
line version and route version for the configured item.
36. Click Save and close to save the sales order and close the New Sales
order page. You might have to use the scrollbar on the right side of
the New sales order page to scroll down to see the Save and close
button.

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Product Configuration in Microsoft Dynamics® AX 2012

Summary
The product configuration feature offers two options for configuring lines:

• Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 client: You can configure lines for a

sales quotation, sales order, purchase order, and production order.
• Enterprise Portal: You can configure lines for a sales quotation and
a sales order. The Enterprise Portal is frequently used by external
users, and users who do not require the full functionality that is
available in the Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 client.

The forms and pages that you use to create orders are different between the two
options. However, the result is the same. You can configure lines by using both
methods.

The Enterprise Portal does not give users all the functionality that the Microsoft
Dynamics AX 2012 client provides. However, after you have configured lines by
using the Enterprise Portal, you can review detailed information about the lines
by using the Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 client.

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Test Your Knowledge

Test your knowledge with the following questions.

1. Which of the statements is false when you configure an order line on the
Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 client?
( ) Mandatory attributes are highlighted in the color red on the Configure
line form.
( ) You can select a configuration template to configure the order line.
( ) You cannot use the tree structure to browse between components on
the Configure line form.
( ) You can calculate a price for an item based on the selected
configuration.

2. Which of the statements is false about configuration templates?

( ) Configuration templates cannot be used to configure a purchase order
line.
( ) Configuration templates can be used to configure a sales quotation
line.
( ) Configuration templates can only be modified when you create or
modify a product configuration model.
( ) Configuration templates can be used to configure a sales order line.

3. What does the system do when you complete the process to configure a sales
order line?

4. Which product configuration process cannot be performed when you use the
Enterprise Portal?
( ) Configure a sales order line.
( ) Configure a sales order line by using a template.
( ) Configure a sales quotation line.
( ) Configure a production order line.

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Quick Interaction: Lessons Learned

Take a moment and write down three key points you have learned from this
chapter

1.

2.

3.

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Solutions
Test Your Knowledge
1. Which of the statements is false when you configure an order line on the
Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 client?
( ) Mandatory attributes are highlighted in the color red on the Configure
line form.
( ) You can select a configuration template to configure the order line.
(•) You cannot use the tree structure to browse between components on
the Configure line form.
( ) You can calculate a price for an item based on the selected
configuration.

2. Which of the statements is false about configuration templates?

(•) Configuration templates cannot be used to configure a purchase order
line.
( ) Configuration templates can be used to configure a sales quotation
line.
( ) Configuration templates can only be modified when you create or
modify a product configuration model.
( ) Configuration templates can be used to configure a sales order line.

3. What does the system do when you complete the process to configure a sales
order line?

MODEL ANSWER:

A new product variant with a unique configuration identification is created

and released. The corresponding BOM and route is created.

4. Which product configuration process cannot be performed when you use the
Enterprise Portal?
( ) Configure a sales order line.
( ) Configure a sales order line by using a template.
( ) Configure a sales quotation line.
(•) Configure a production order line.

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