User Interface for Presenting Information about a Product Structure for a Product

An apparatus for managing variations in a product structure for a product, the apparatus comprising:

• a data manager, executed by a processor, and configured to manage the variations in the product structure for the product using a model;
• wherein the model includes a group of master objects having a primary hierarchical organization and a group of configuration objects having a number of secondary hierarchical organizations associated with the primary hierarchical organization;
• wherein a master object in the group of master objects is selected from one of a definition object, a usage object, and an occurrence object;
• wherein a configuration object in the group of configuration objects is selected from one of a definition configuration object, a usage configuration object, and an occurrence configuration object, wherein the configuration object is a configuration corresponding to the master object of the group of master objects;
• and
• a visualizer, executed by a processor, and configured to visually present information for an object selected from one of the master object and the configuration object in a graphical user interface, wherein the visualizer is further configured to:
• present the information in a row having, correspondingly, a first column, and a second column, a third column;
• display in the first column presents master information for the object, wherein the object comprises a reusable definition object;
• display in the second column and the third column, together, configuration information;
• display in the second column a first reusable definition configuration object information corresponding to the reusable definition object;
• and
• display in the third column a second reusable definition configuration object information corresponding to the reusable definition object.

A computer-implemented method for managing variations in a product structure for a product, the method comprising:

• receiving, at a processor, a model of the product structure for the product;
• wherein the model includes a group of master objects having a primary hierarchical organization and a group of configuration objects having a number of secondary hierarchical organizations;
• wherein each secondary hierarchical organization in the number of secondary hierarchical organizations is associated with the primary hierarchical organization and is configured to represent a variant of the product in which a number of configuration objects in the each secondary hierarchical organization represents a number of variations in the product structure for the product;
• and
• displaying, using the processor in conjunction with a display system, information for an object selected from one of a master object in the group of master objects and a configuration object in the group of configuration objects in a graphical user interface on the display system, wherein displaying further includes:
• presenting the information in a row having, correspondingly, a first column, and a second column, a third column;
• displaying in the first column presents master information for the object, wherein the object comprises a reusable definition object;
• displaying in the second column and the third column, together, configuration information;
• displaying in the second column a first reusable definition configuration object information corresponding to the reusable definition object;
• and
• displaying in the third column a second reusable definition configuration object information corresponding to the reusable definition object.