- Features > Dependency Logic
Product Dependency Logic
Model the relationships between product options so that selections automatically trigger required additions, exclusions, and downstream changes throughout the configuration.
IF/THEN
Logic natively supported
Real-time
Dependency resolution
Zero
Manual dependency checking
The Challenge
The Problem with Unmanaged Product Dependencies
Configurable products are rarely a collection of independent options. Most product selections create downstream dependencies — choosing a specific motor size may require a particular controller, selecting a material may mandate a corresponding seal kit, enabling a software module may necessitate a hardware upgrade. These interdependencies are the reality of engineering products.
When dependency logic is not encoded into the configuration system, the burden falls on sales engineers to track these relationships manually. In practice, this means dependencies are applied inconsistently — some sales reps know them, others don't. The result is orders that reach manufacturing incomplete, requiring engineering intervention, customer callbacks, and costly reconfigurations.
As product lines evolve, new dependencies are introduced with every engineering change. Without a centralised system to manage them, dependency knowledge becomes scattered across email threads, application notes, and institutional memory — creating mounting technical debt that grows with every product update.
For manufacturers selling through dealer and distributor networks, the problem is even more acute. External partners cannot be expected to master your internal product dependency rules. Without enforcement at the point of configuration, errors from the channel are inevitable.
How It Works
How Dependency Logic Works in Mercura
Mercura allows your team to define product dependencies using IF/THEN conditional logic — authored without code directly in the platform. When a triggering selection is made, the system evaluates all associated dependency rules in real time: required options are automatically added to the configuration, incompatible options are removed, and the user is guided through any decisions that require their input. Dependencies can be cascading — a single selection can trigger a chain of downstream changes across the entire configuration. All dependency rules are versioned and centrally managed, so updates to the product model take effect instantly across every channel.
What's Included
Key Capabilities
- IF/THEN dependency rules authored without code
- Automatic addition of required options when dependencies are triggered
- Cascading dependency resolution across multi-level product structures
- User-facing prompts when dependency decisions require input
- Dependency conflict detection with clear resolution guidance
- Version-controlled dependency rules with change history
- Real-time evaluation — zero latency on selection changes
- Works across all channels: sales portal, dealer network, web configurator
The Difference
Before and After Dependency Logic
- Sales reps miss required add-ons and accessories
- Orders arrive at production incomplete
- Dependency knowledge varies by sales rep
- Engineering called to review every complex order
- Channel partners submit orders missing critical components
- Required components are added automatically on selection
- Orders arrive at production complete and correct
- Dependency logic is consistent for every user and channel
- Engineering reviews eliminated for standard configurations
- Channel partners self-serve with full dependency enforcement
Real-World Application
Example Use Case: Industrial Pump Manufacturer
An industrial pump manufacturer offers pumps with a complex matrix of motor, seal, impeller, and coupling dependencies — over 200 individual IF/THEN rules governing what must, can, and cannot be combined. Before Mercura, their sales team relied on a 60-page application guide to manually check dependencies on every quote. Approximately 18% of orders required post-submission correction. After encoding all 200+ rules into Mercura's dependency engine, order correction rates dropped to under 1%. Sales reps now configure complete, accurate pump assemblies in under 10 minutes.
Quote turnaround dropped from 3 days to under 4 hours.
Business Impact
Why Dependency Logic Matters
Dependency logic is the connective tissue of a well-built CPQ system. It transforms a collection of independent options into a coherent product model that reflects how your engineering team thinks about your products. When dependency logic is managed centrally in Mercura, every sales rep, dealer, and self-service user configures with the same intelligence as your most experienced applications engineer — reducing errors, speeding up quoting, and enabling channel growth without growing support burden.
See Dependency Logic in Action
Book a demo to see how Mercura resolves complex product dependencies automatically in real time.
Let’s build together.
We empower manufacturers to master product modeling, streamline quoting process, reduce errors, and ultimately deliver the tailored solutions that customers demand.