Contemporary CAD systems represent product information at a much lower
level of abstraction than may be considered convenient for many desig
n tasks and human communications. Many of the product structures and a
ssociated coding systems which exist in organisations are specific to
particular product families and a company-wide model rarely exists. Th
is paper presents a product structuring methodology, developed as a ba
sis for computer assisted Product Configuration, and its application i
n an industrial environment. The use of the resulting Generic Product
Structures as a formalism for the representation of the current produc
t range provides the basis for a systematic product rationalisation me
thodology outlined here. A prototype sales support/product configurati
on system employing the structures is also described.