Solving Configuration Problems in Excel : How to successively address Professional Markets through the Office world MSR-TR-2006-106

This work shows how Excel can be leveraged to tackle configuration problems. We demonstrate this by presenting the full development cycle of a PC-configurator prototype. We articulate our demonstration by exemplifying several important points. First, that Excel can be used to import raw products and services data. Second, that these data can be used by a Constraints configuration modelling to correctly instantiate a set of configuration rules. Third, that any update to the data like addition of new components can be performed without altering the modelling. Fourth, that dedicated Excel GUIs can be used for interactive product and service configuration. Finally, we claim that the proposed extension would become a nimble way to successfully address professional markets (B2B, B2C). Indeed, the pervasive nature of the Office suite would make any Office-based Business Solution widely adopted by a large basis of Office customers.