Keywords: mass customisation, product configuration, product family modelling, information modelling, classification, composition, object-oriented analysis and design.

In this paper, some fundamental issues of information modelling are underlined, which can be applied to product family modelling. For product family models, it is important to identify the attributes in the model of the end-products and, because some attributes in models of product families will be assigned values during the configuration process, they must be defined with optional values i.e. domains. It is also characteristic for product family models that relations or constraints must be defined between attributes of the possible end-products and the attributes of the identified modules or components.

As a basis for the development of detailed information models, a generic model component is presented. Likewise, a generic component type is introduced as the basis for creation of information models. According to this type, the basic content of product family models is proposed in the form of a module type and a simple synthetic language is presented. The use of this module type is illustrated by a number of examples.

In the paper, special focus is set on how to develop product family models, which can support product configuration on multiple abstraction levels - suitable for some engineer-to-order companies with long order horizons. First of all, it is proposed that the configuration is performed by a specification of attributes instead of selection of modules. This means that the structure of end-products is defined indirectly based on the values of attributes. Thereby, the configuration is more oriented towards customer needs because attributes are essential in connection with the functional demands from customers. Further, it is proposed that, when modules are selected, it is important to develop classifications of module types and form a taxonomy. Such a structure is well suitable for identification of multiple abstraction levels by classification, where specifications can range from the general level to a more specific level.

The aim of developing product family models is that they can be used as a foundation for development of specific product configurator software and the proposed methodology, included in this paper, is for the moment being used by a particular engineer-to-order company, which intends to develop an advanced product family model and a product configurator that can support many organisational functions in the company world wide. The top-down approach with modelling on multiple abstraction levels are especially followed very closely and a considerable amount of specially designed software modules are being developed.

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