Product configurator glossary
Product configurator terminology. Clearly defined.
Software that guides a user through permitted product choices and creates a structured configuration. It can control dimensions, components, materials and accessories. A useful configurator does more than change an image: it records what was selected and applies the rules that define a valid product.
A practical reference for teams buying, building or operating product configurator software. Understand the rules, 3D, pricing, CPQ, ecommerce, materials and implementation language behind a complete product workflow.
Discuss your product catalogue
48 terms for a shared product language
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Matching terms: 48
Configurator foundations
The terms that separate a viewer, customizer, configurator and complete commercial workflow.
Product configurator
Software that guides a user through permitted product choices and creates a structured configuration. It can control dimensions, components, materials and accessories. A useful configurator does more than change an image: it records what was selected and applies the rules that define a valid product.
Why it matters
Use this category term when product rules and saved configuration data are central to the project.
3D product configurator
A product configurator whose visual model updates in three dimensions as choices change. The 3D scene should represent the same dimensions, components and materials stored in the configuration record instead of acting as a disconnected animation.
Why it matters
Ask whether every visual change also creates reliable product data and a reproducible saved design.
Product customizer
An interface for changing visible or personal attributes such as colour, text, engraving, fabric or artwork. A customizer may suit independent cosmetic choices, but it does not necessarily contain dimensional, compatibility or commercial rules.
Why it matters
Distinguishing customization from configuration prevents a polished visual tool from being mistaken for a rule-driven product system.
3D product viewer
A presentation tool that lets a user rotate, zoom or inspect a prepared 3D model. A viewer may include hotspots or animation but normally does not create a new product specification when the user interacts with it.
Why it matters
A viewer solves presentation; a configurator solves controlled product definition. Inspect the saved output to tell them apart.
Guided selling
A question-led or step-by-step journey that narrows product choices according to customer needs, use conditions or commercial policy. It can sit before or inside configuration and should explain why a recommendation or restriction appears.
Why it matters
It reduces choice overload and helps customers, dealers and new salespeople reach an appropriate product path.
Made-to-order product
A product manufactured or assembled after a customer selects its permitted dimensions, components or finishes. Made-to-order does not mean every design is possible; the offer is constrained by a defined solution space and production capability.
Why it matters
The configurator must preserve enough structured detail for review, quotation and the agreed downstream handoff.
Mass customization
The practice of offering meaningful customer choice while using repeatable product structures, rules and operations. It aims to combine variety with the control normally associated with standardized products.
Why it matters
A configurator is often the customer and sales interface to mass customization, but the operational model must exist behind it.
Solution space
The complete set of product combinations a business is prepared to sell, engineer and fulfil. It includes allowed options, limits, dependencies and cases that require review rather than only the variants shown in a demonstration.
Why it matters
A clear solution space is the foundation for reliable rules, pricing, testing and catalogue maintenance.
Product logic and data
How a configurable catalogue represents choices, constraints, identities and production-relevant output.
Product model
The structured representation of a configurable product: families, attributes, dimensions, components, relationships, rules and outputs. The term can also mean a 3D asset, so a scope should distinguish the commercial data model from the visual model.
Why it matters
Ambiguity can lead teams to approve attractive geometry without proving the catalogue logic behind it.
Product rule
A condition that controls what can be selected, calculated or produced. Rules can define limits, dependencies, exclusions, defaults, derived quantities, review conditions, prices and output mappings.
Why it matters
Rules turn product knowledge from spreadsheets or experienced employees into repeatable software behaviour.
Constraint
A limit that a valid configuration must satisfy, such as minimum width, maximum span, permitted increment or capacity range. A constraint can block a choice, adjust another value or route the project to review.
Why it matters
Boundary cases should be part of acceptance testing, not discovered after launch.
Dependency
A relationship in which one choice requires, enables or changes another. Selecting a roof type might require a motor, alter drainage or make a compatible accessory available.
Why it matters
Dependencies prevent incomplete specifications and explain why available choices change during configuration.
Exclusion rule
A rule that prevents two or more choices from being used together. A good experience explains the conflict and offers a recovery path instead of silently hiding an option.
Why it matters
Test invalid combinations explicitly; a normal demonstration rarely proves exclusion logic.
Parametric model
A model driven by values and relationships rather than a separate fixed asset for every result. Width, height, projection, bay count or module count can change geometry while constraints preserve the intended product structure.
Why it matters
Parametric behaviour suits continuous dimensions and solution spaces that cannot be represented by a short variant list.
Product variant
One identifiable version of a product created from option values such as size, colour or material. Deeply configurable products may need a configuration record because enumerating every possible combination as a fixed variant is impractical.
Why it matters
Decide whether the commerce system, configurator or another service owns each sellable identity.
Configuration ID
A stable identifier for a saved configuration. It lets the website, cart, quote, CRM, order and support process refer to the same selected product without encoding the complete design in a name or screenshot.
Why it matters
The ID should resolve to an immutable or revision-aware record that remains understandable after catalogue changes.
Production and catalogue data
The records that preserve a selected product and connect commercial configuration with operations.
Configuration revision
A traceable version of a saved design created when dimensions, components, price inputs or commercial terms change. A revision model distinguishes the product the customer approved from later edits.
Why it matters
Quotes, approvals and orders should point to the correct revision rather than whichever design happens to be current.
SKU
A stock keeping unit: an internal identifier for a sellable or inventory-managed item. A simple configuration may resolve to one SKU; a made-to-order product can combine many component SKUs or create a configured item reference.
Why it matters
Define whether the configurator selects existing SKUs, creates a configured code or hands a component structure downstream.
Bill of materials (BOM)
A structured list of assemblies, components and quantities associated with a product. A configuration-driven BOM maps permitted choices and derived quantities to operational items; it is a separate acceptance deliverable from the visual scene.
Why it matters
Validate representative, boundary and exception cases against approved engineering or production examples.
Cut list
A manufacturing output describing required profiles, panels or materials and their cut dimensions. It can be derived from configuration data when the necessary product and production rules have been explicitly modelled.
Why it matters
A BOM identifies what is required; a cut list adds transformation dimensions. The terms are not interchangeable.
CAD
Computer-aided design software used to create or edit technical geometry and drawings. CAD supports engineering freedom; a configurator guides repeatable choices within an approved product system. Some workflows connect configuration data to CAD automation.
Why it matters
Clarify whether CAD export means a viewable file, editable design, drawing automation or manufacturing-ready geometry.
PIM
Product information management: a system or discipline for maintaining and distributing names, descriptions, attributes, media and channel data. PIM can feed a configurator without containing the complete configuration rules or parametric geometry.
Why it matters
Identify which attributes belong in PIM and which rules require the configurator or another product-model service.
Structured product data
Machine-readable fields that describe products and variants consistently, such as identifiers, option values, material, price and availability. On public pages, it can also mean schema markup used by search engines to understand product information.
Why it matters
A 3D canvas alone cannot communicate product meaning to carts, CRMs, orders, search engines or AI systems.
Source of truth
The authoritative system for a specific field or decision. One project can have different sources of truth for product rules, customer data, prices, inventory, orders and production items.
Why it matters
Assign ownership field by field; declaring one application authoritative for everything usually hides unresolved contracts.
3D, AR and customer experience
The visual and interaction terms used to evaluate product understanding, device support and usability.
Real-time 3D rendering
The continuous generation of interactive 3D frames while the user rotates the product or changes options. Real-time rendering prioritizes responsive interaction; offline rendering usually spends longer producing one high-detail image.
Why it matters
Evaluate visual quality with loading time, frame rate, mobile behaviour and configurable geometry accuracy.
Photorealistic rendering
Rendering intended to resemble a photograph through plausible materials, lighting, reflections and shadows. Photorealism describes appearance, not product-rule or dimensional accuracy.
Why it matters
A believable image can improve understanding, but it must not hide whether the selected product data is correct.
3D material
The surface definition applied to geometry, including colour, reflectivity, roughness, transparency and other visual properties. One commercial finish may need several settings to look consistent under different lighting.
Why it matters
Approve representative finishes on target devices and scenes, not only in an asset-production screenshot.
3D texture
An image or generated map used by a 3D material to represent colour, grain, relief or surface detail. Resolution, tiling and compression affect both visual quality and page performance.
Why it matters
Large unoptimized textures can make an otherwise simple configurator slow on mobile connections.
Augmented reality (AR) preview
A view that places a supported virtual product into a camera-based or spatially tracked representation of the user's environment. Device support, placement, scale and available options require explicit testing.
Why it matters
Treat AR as a tested product journey with a fallback, not as a badge added to a desktop demonstration.
WebXR
A family of web specifications for accessing virtual- and augmented-reality device capabilities. The W3C WebXR Device API describes how web applications query support and request XR sessions.
Why it matters
Do not promise universal AR availability. Test required session modes and fallback paths on target devices.
Responsive configurator
A configurator whose layout, controls and 3D viewport adapt to screen sizes and input methods. Responsive design is not proven by shrinking the desktop page; the complete task must remain usable on phone, tablet and desktop.
Why it matters
Test selection, 3D interaction, error recovery, save and the final action on real devices.
Configurator accessibility
The ability for people with different visual, motor, auditory and cognitive needs to perceive and operate the experience. It includes controls, focus order, labels, contrast, error handling and equivalent ways to understand selections.
Why it matters
WCAG provides testable criteria, but automated checks alone do not prove a complex configuration journey is usable.
Pricing, CPQ and sales workflow
How a valid product becomes a commercial calculation, proposal, approval and customer decision.
CPQ
Configure, Price, Quote: software and workflow for selecting a permitted product or service, applying commercial rules and producing a customer-facing quote. CPQ commonly includes pricing, discount and approval logic.
Why it matters
Use CPQ when commercial governance and quote output are central requirements, not optional consequences of a visual choice.
Visual CPQ
A CPQ experience in which an interactive visual model helps users understand the configured product while the same selections drive price and quote data. The visual and commercial records should remain connected to one revision.
Why it matters
It combines product understanding with commercial control, but each layer still needs separate acceptance evidence.
Price list
A maintained collection of sell, buy or reference prices for products, components or services. Multiple lists may exist by market, currency, account, dealer tier or effective period.
Why it matters
Define ownership, dates, rounding, fallback behaviour and which roles may see each commercial value.
Price formula
A calculation that derives price from values such as area, perimeter, length, module count, component quantity, installation conditions or service selections. A formula can combine fixed, tiered and variable elements.
Why it matters
Reconcile known examples line by line, including boundaries, currencies, taxes and rounding.
Account pricing
Commercial values or rules determined by the authenticated customer, dealer, distributor, branch or contract. Account context can affect availability, price lists, discounts, taxes, currencies and allowed actions.
Why it matters
Resolve identity and permission before exposing sensitive prices or accepting a configured order.
Discount rule
A policy controlling whether a price reduction is automatic, manually permitted or subject to approval. It may depend on role, account, product, quantity, margin, promotion or validity period.
Why it matters
The quote should preserve the inputs, permission and approval associated with the accepted revision.
Approval workflow
A controlled sequence for reviewing exceptions such as unusual configurations, low margin, high discounts, technical conditions or non-standard terms before a quote or order progresses.
Why it matters
Define who approves, what evidence they receive, how status appears and what happens after a change.
Quote revision
A new version of a proposal created after product, price, scope or terms change. Each revision should be distinguishable and traceable to the correct configuration and approval state.
Why it matters
Without revision control, customers and fulfilment teams can act on different versions of the same project.
Systems, delivery and governance
The interfaces and ownership practices that keep a configurator connected and maintainable after launch.
CRM
Customer relationship management software storing organizations, contacts, opportunities, activities and pipeline status. A configurator integration can attach structured product interest, configuration IDs and quote context to a CRM record.
Why it matters
Agree record ownership, matching, field mapping, consent, failures and the direction of updates.
ERP
Enterprise resource planning software used for operations such as items, customers, pricing, orders, purchasing, inventory, manufacturing and finance. Its exact role differs by organisation and implementation.
Why it matters
Map source-of-truth ownership by field instead of describing the whole connection only as an ERP integration.
Ecommerce handoff
The transition from configuration to a commerce action such as adding a variant to cart, attaching configuration properties, requesting a quote or creating a configured order.
Why it matters
Define stable IDs, price authority, validation, cart display, reopening and order-line data before implementation.
API
An application programming interface: a defined way for systems to request data or actions from one another. An API description alone does not prove an integration; authentication, payloads, limits, errors and retries must also be specified.
Why it matters
Evaluate one representative end-to-end scenario, including the receiving system and a failed request.
Webhook
An event-driven HTTP notification sent when something happens, such as a configuration being submitted, a quote being accepted or an order changing status. Webhooks usually complement APIs.
Why it matters
Specify event identity, signature verification, ordering, retries, duplicates and operational visibility.
White-label configurator
A configurator presented under the buyer's approved brand and commercial identity. Scope can include domain, typography, colours, navigation, emails, documents, languages, analytics and partner presentation.
Why it matters
A logo swap is not a complete white-label specification; define every customer-visible surface.
Acceptance test
A repeatable scenario with inputs, expected behaviour and evidence determining whether a requirement is satisfied. Useful tests cover normal, boundary, invalid, revision, role, mobile and integration-failure cases.
Why it matters
Acceptance tests convert vendor claims into observable proof and can become the regression pack after launch.
Total cost of ownership (TCO)
The combined cost of acquiring, implementing, operating and changing a system over an agreed period. It can include discovery, 3D assets, rules, integrations, licences, internal time, catalogue growth and support.
Why it matters
Normalize proposals to the same scope, period and internal-resource assumptions before comparing price.
How the layers connect
Product rules define a valid result. 3D communicates it, CPQ adds commercial control and agreed interfaces carry it into the next system.
Configure
Catalogue, dimensions, components, constraints and dependencies create one valid product record.
Price and quote
Price lists, formulas, permissions, approvals and documents use the accepted revision.
Convert
The buyer continues to a structured enquiry, dealer project, cart, quote or approved order path.
Hand off
Defined identifiers and payloads connect CRM, ERP, ecommerce or scoped operational output.
Custom software for manufacturers
A configurator up front. Your business connected behind it.
We specialize in complex, configurable and made-to-order products. We build custom software around your catalogue, calculations, permissions, sales process and factory workflows.
Custom software around your product model
Configurix specializes in complex products. We build custom configurators and business software around your catalogue, product rules and sales or factory process. Define lead qualification and CRM, calendars and appointments, prices and quotes, materials and BOM, jobs, orders, invoicing and website or business-system integrations as scoped implementation deliverables. Agree data ownership, permissions and acceptance examples for each output.
CRM and qualified leads
Capture the selected product, dimensions and options with each enquiry. Qualify by product fit, project requirements and commercial readiness, then assign the next action to the right salesperson.
New enquiry
Product configurator glossary
Product fitQualified
Product configurator glossary
RequirementsProposal
Product configurator glossary
Next actionCalendars and appointments
Let a configured project continue into a sales consultation, technical review, survey or installation appointment. Connect calendars, responsibilities and reminders to the same customer record.
- 09:00Project review
- 11:30Technical review
- 14:00Production planning
Bill of materials and factory data
Map product selections to component codes, quantities, materials and cut lengths. Build the sales or manufacturing BOM your team needs, with revisions and production review rules defined for your products.
| Component | Quantity |
|---|---|
| FRM-01Configured components | 1 |
| PNL-02Materials and quantities | 1 |
| KIT-03Agreed operations | 1 |
Mapped to your product codes
Live prices and branded quotes
Apply your own formulas, price lists, dealer margins and approval rules. Generate a quote containing the saved specification, product images, commercial terms and a clear customer approval step.
Quote revision
Orders, jobs and production
Carry accepted choices into order lines and assigned jobs. Keep product revisions, required approvals, documents and delivery tasks together so sales and the factory work from the same specification.
- Accepted quote01
- Configured order02
- Production job03
- Installation04
Invoicing and accounting
Connect accepted orders to deposits, invoice drafts, payment terms and your accounting workflow. Agree which system issues the invoice and how references and confirmed payment status return to the project.
Product configurator glossary
Built for your website. Connected to your systems.
Launch a branded configurator in your existing website or a custom sales portal. Connect CRM, ERP, PIM, ecommerce, calendars and accounting through available APIs, webhooks or agreed imports. We define the data, permissions and responsibilities for each connection with your team.
- 01Your website
- 02Configurator
- 03CRM & calendar
- 04ERP & accounting
Choose the workflows your implementation needs. We build and validate them against your products, documents and target systems.
Discuss your product catalogueProduct configurator questions
Primary references
These platform and standards sources anchor the terminology. Configurix explains the project implications; a definition is not evidence that a specific connector or implementation is included.
Schema.org DefinedTermSet
Structured-data vocabulary for describing a glossary and its defined terms.
Salesforce: What is CPQ?
Primary platform explanation of configuration, pricing rules, discounts and approvals.
Shopify ProductVariant
Current GraphQL platform reference for product variants and their selected options.
Google product variant data
Search documentation for ProductGroup, Product, variant attributes and identity.
W3C WebXR Device API
Web specification describing access to virtual- and augmented-reality device capabilities; support requires device testing.
W3C WCAG 2.2
The W3C Recommendation containing testable web-content accessibility criteria.
Oracle bills of material
Manufacturing documentation for end items, subassemblies, components and quantities.
Bring the product terms your team uses today.
Show us your catalogue, rules, pricing and downstream requirements. We will discuss the configurator and custom business software your team needs.