Similarity-based product configuration

In times of increasing market fragmentation, the ability to offer customized products at competitive prices is a crucial success factor for companies in mechanical engineering. Therefore, considering the benefits and expenses of product variants during the configuration process is a significant challenge. However, there is currently no systematic approach that would result in a product configuration that is similar to both, the internal standard variants and the customer requirements. This paper introduces a methodology facing this challenge. The methodology allows companies to determine the ""optimal configuration"" of a product based on similarities between a new product variant and existing variants.