From Idea to Operations – how Configit and adesso are closing the gap between product configuration and order fulfilment

In today's manufacturing industry, it is no longer enough to simply ‘build’ products. Customers expect tailor-made solutions, short delivery times and customised product variants at catalogue prices – and all this with the efficiency required by standard processes. At the same time, internal and external complexity, product variety and the pressure to establish end-to-end digital processes are increasing.

The combination of Configit – the market leader in Configuration Lifecycle Management (CLM) – with adesso FIRE, the established framework for configuration and automation, opens up new perspectives for companies facing precisely these challenges.

What makes this combination so special is not just technological compatibility – it is the shared vision of finally thinking about configuration in a consistent and integrated way. From the initial rule concept to automated order generation – in other words, ‘from idea to operations’.

Product configuration reimagined: from rules to reality

Configit enables the import and processing of rule sets from external systems such as PLM, ERP and PIM, and can validate and supplement these rule sets on a model-based basis. Ace™ also provides co-pilots that use artificial intelligence (AI) to enable efficiency gains of up to 90 percent. This modelling, maintenance and validation of configuration rules is particularly important for highly complex products – and delivers exclusive performance, even with millions of variant combinations. The key feature is Virtual Tabulation® technology, which executes the configuration logic once and makes all configuration data available consistently – from engineering to sales, operations and service.

But for configuration to be operationally effective, it has to go much further: the rules are dynamic and ‘live’ throughout the lifecycle, in real business processes. This is where adesso FIRE comes in: as a configuration-driven integration platform, FIRE links existing ERP, CRM, PLM systems and many others, including some proprietary IT systems (legacy), which are necessary and essential for the end-to-end process within order processing. This ensures that product configurations are seamlessly transferred into reality – into quotations, 3D visualisations, engineering models, drawings, parts lists, production orders, NC programmes, test plans, spare parts lists... in short, into the entire order processing system.

End-to-end means: from the idea to the order

With the integration of Configit Ace™ and adesso FIRE, ‘From Idea to Operations’ is no longer a promise, but a concrete process advantage. Companies benefit on several levels:

• Centralised rule logic: Modelled rules for all systems are available centrally in a consistent and synchronised manner – no more multiple mapping, no media breaks, no shadow logic.
• Guided sales processes: Based on validated product models, sales staff or end customers can configure variants in CRM or e-commerce systems – securely, correctly, integrated and automatically transferable.
• Automated order generation: FIRE interprets configuration results and generates directly executable orders, processes and work steps – including material master data, parts lists, production plans, 3D models, production data, quality data and all necessary documentation.
• Configuration across all levels of complexity: With its structure, adesso FIRE specifically addresses CTO+/ETO complexity, while Configit provides an open, market-leading solution in the configure-to-order segment with Ace™ and the Configure module. Together, they create a seamlessly integrated configuration and processing process regardless of the level of complexity.

Orchestration of all process variants in order processing: adesso FIRE not only supports all levels of complexity, but also offers the option of translating the configuration result, generating process variants and work cards from it, and thus integrating, controlling and automating all relevant systems, services and teams within order processing.

A look under the hood – why does it work so well?

One factor for success is the open architecture compatibility: Configit can be easily integrated into existing system landscapes. Whether SAP, PTC, Siemens, Salesforce or customer-specific solutions – configuration data can be processed bidirectionally in this architecture. As intelligent and configuration-driven middleware, FIRE not only handles routing, but also offers domain-specific logic for automated interpretation and enrichment of configuration results.

At the same time, companies benefit from the division of roles: While Configit focuses on data and rule synchronisation and import functions, AI in the modelling and verification of product models, and high-performance, user-oriented configuration, adesso FIRE takes care of mastering all complexities, flexible control of process variants, and the integration and automation of all IT systems involved.

Added value across the board

The combination of rule-based product modelling and operational process intelligence opens up new possibilities:

• Comprehensive transparency across all product configurations prior to use
• Reduced error rate in product configuration
• Faster response times to changes in product structure or market requirements
• Accelerated time-to-market through end-to-end PLM integration
• Higher customer satisfaction through reliable, feasible product variants
• Scalability for global markets with country-specific requirements

Stronger together for the manufacturing industry

What complements each other so seamlessly on a technical level is also being thought through strategically: adesso and Configit have joined forces to drive forward the digital transformation in the configuration environment of the manufacturing industry. The aim is to provide consistent, scalable solutions that can be individually adapted for industries such as mechanical and plant engineering, automotive and high-tech.

‘By integrating the FIRE Framework and Configit Ace™, we enable companies to manage their product complexity while increasing efficiency across the entire value chain,’ says Andreas Liesche, Managing Director at adesso MIS.

Johan Salenstedt, CEO of Configit, adds: ‘Anyone who wants to offer complex products today needs to rethink their configuration strategy – across silos, across systems, and throughout the entire lifecycle.’

Conclusion: From complexity to automation

The combination of Configit Ace™ and adesso FIRE is more than just technical integration – it is a new way to master product complexity and actively use it as a competitive advantage. Consistency, coherence and operational relevance become standard – from the initial rule idea to the delivered order.