Reference: McGuinness, D. L. & Wright, J. An Industrial Strength Description Logic-based Configurator Platform. IEEE Intelligent Systems. Vol 13, No. 4, July/August, 1998.
Abstract: Generating a correct and complete parts list that meets a specification can be challenging when specifications are incomplete, inconsistent, or when the final product is large and complicated. We have tackled the configuration problem for a number of large telecommunications products sold by AT&T and Lucent Technologies. Some of our applications have been in use since 1990 and parts of the family have an expected life span into the next century. We have processed over 4 billion dollars worth of orders and have many documented benefits such as reduced order processing time, elimination of rework to generate correct orders, reduced staffing, product knowledge consistency checking, etc. In this paper, we will present our description logic-based approach to configuration. We will show how it supports our representation, reasoning, maintenance, and evolution needs, and claim that it presents a good platform for general configuration applications.