5 Myths about Variant Management

#1

Many variants
= complex

Millions of variants,
but not complex at all

Not necessarily!

Think of IKEA cabinets.

It’s easy to assume that more variants automatically lead to more complexity, but that’s not always the case.

Take IKEA’s modular cabinets: there are millions of possible configurations, but the underlying system is standardized and cleverly designed.

The real trick is in the architecture: if you build your variant logic on a simple, modular foundation, you can offer vast choice with minimal chaos.

Complexity is less about the number of variants and more about how you structure and manage them.

#2

Few variants
= simple

One variant (or few), but super complex

Also not strictly!

Think of plants and industrial machines.

Fewer variants don’t automatically mean things are easy.

Sometimes, even a single product variant can be a technical marvel — just look at a power plant or a giant excavator. Here, the complexity is embedded in the product itself, not in the number of options.

In these cases, the challenge is managing the intricate details, interfaces, and requirements, even if you’re only building one or two “variants.”

#3

Variant management is only about the product

Well, go ask your colleagues from the shop floor or warehouse…

Variant management isn’t just a design or engineering topic.

Every variant decision ripples through the entire organization: from the shop floor to logistics and aftersales.

For example, a new variant can mean new tooling, different storage requirements, or updated service manuals. Ignoring these downstream effects can cause headaches for everyone involved.

Effective variant management takes the whole value chain into account.

#4

Variant management
= CPQ

CPQ only covers sales in E2E variant management

CPQ (Configure, Price, Quote) is a great tool for sales, but it’s just one piece of the variant management puzzle.

True end-to-end variant management covers everything from capturing requirements and designing product architecture to validating, producing, and servicing those variants.

Limiting the discussion to CPQ ignores the critical steps that ensure variants are feasible, manufacturable, and maintainable.

Also worth reading:
CPQ is only half the battle - leveraging Variant Management end-to-end

#5

Versions don't count in variant management

Then versions DO play a role in variant management

Often enough, you need to deal with different versions at the same time.

Sure, variants and versions are different things.

But...

While variants and versions are technically distinct (variants describe different options, versions track changes over time) they often intersect in practice.

For example, you might need to support multiple versions of a variant during a transition period or for different markets.

Good variant management recognizes when version control is needed to keep everything running smoothly, especially in complex product lifecycles.