Mass customization and configuration: Requirement analysis and constraint based modeling propositions

The purpose of this paper is, on the one hand, to identify to define and classify customization requirements and, on the other hand, to evaluate how generic modeling and configuration assistance within the Constraint Satisfaction Problem (CSP) framework can fulfil the requirements. The aim is to provide commercial configurator knowledge base designers with constraint based generic modeling elements for customizable industrial product. A first part recalls the main trends of the configuration problem. In a second part divided in four sections corresponding with different requirement set; each section proposes a definition of the requirement set, some CSP based modeling elements and a discussion about adequacy of relevant configuration assistance techniques.