Product configuration is the controlled definition of how a product is specified, assembled, and delivered for a particular model, customer order, revision, or effectivity condition. In manufacturing, it commonly includes the valid combination of options, parts, bills of material, routings, specifications, software or firmware versions, and other product definition data needed to build or service the product correctly.
Product configuration is used across PLM, ERP, MES, and quality systems to keep engineering definition, planning data, production execution, and records aligned. For example, a configured aerospace assembly may depend on a specific drawing revision, approved substitute parts, customer-selected options, and serial-number or date-based effectivity.
The term should not be confused with an engineering change itself. An engineering change is the process that modifies approved product definition. Product configuration is the resulting controlled state or set of valid states that systems use for planning, execution, traceability, and verification.