If you sell configurable or customisable products, you know the struggle:
- Endless product variants
- Constantly updating bundles
- Keeping everything in sync across teams and channels
Whether it’s a rug with custom dimensions, a suit with 20 button options, or building materials with variable coatings - complexity is part of the business.
But not every product information management (PIM) system is built to handle that.
This article is for digital commerce and product teams managing high-variation catalogues. We’ll show you how Bluestone PIM makes it possible to scale customisation without chaos — using flexible extensions that turn overwhelming product logic into structured, scalable data.
Because where others see complexity as a dealbreaker, we see it as a design challenge worth solving.
The Hidden Cost of Complexity
On the surface, more choice looks like a win. More variants, more bundles, more ways to serve the customer. But behind the scenes, every new option adds weight - slower updates, longer launch cycles, and mounting pressure on teams trying to hold it all together. Suddenly, what should be a growth driver becomes a bottleneck.
And yet - customisation converts.
Tailored offers boost engagement, reduce returns, and drive higher order value. So the question isn’t whether to offer it. The question is: how to make it manageable?
A Structured Approach: Three Levels of Product Configuration
To turn complexity into clarity, Bluestone PIM organises configurability into three levels - each designed to match business maturity and product needs.
At its core, the Bluestone PIM system helps manage product information effectively, including creating relationships between products, defining attributes, and enriching data across channels. However, when your product catalogue involves greater complexity – such as intricate dependencies or highly configurable items – you can go further by activating the Advanced Product Configurator, a Packaged Business Capability (PBC) available via the Extension Hub.
This extension gives you powerful tools to manage advanced configurations and logic, all within a composable architecture that scales with your business.
First Level of Complexity: Advanced Product Configurator
Best for: Accessories, add-ons, and pre-configured options
Status: PBC available in the Extension Hub
Perfect for simple product options - think screen size, colours, or add-ons. Whether you’re selling smartphones, mattresses, or office chairs, this layer enables you to define valid combinations and present them cleanly in your store.
It’s easy, fast, and available directly in the UI – so you can quickly test different configuration options. You can tailor configurations for specific segments – B2B or B2C – and connect pricing dynamically using Bluestone’s Price Rule logic.
In the first level, you define how customers and teams interact with configurable products. You control the rules: which features are mandatory, what’s optional, which combinations are allowed.
Second Level of Complexity: Attributes on Relations
Best for: Conditional compatibility and component-level dependencies
Status: PBC available in the Extension Hub
When product parts are dependent on each other - like compatible accessories or technical components - this layer adds logic. For example, a server motherboard that only works with certain CPUs under specific BIOS versions.
With this setup, your team defines conditions directly on product relationships. The result: fewer errors, fewer support tickets, and a smoother buying experience.
Advanced Product Configurator is an ideal solution for managing complex product relationships. Trusted by companies with technically advanced catalogues, it's particularly valuable in the telecom, electronics, and industrial sectors.
Third Level of Complexity: Multi-Conditional Product Configurator
Best for: Complex dependencies with multiple paths and dynamic options
Status: Possible implementation using custom extension
Here’s where it gets powerful. This level of complexity entails multi-layered dependencies - where choices dynamically affect other options. If selecting a wall thickness changes the available materials, which in turn affects available coatings or colours, you’re in Level 3 territory.
Such a custom extension lets you build visual "paths" through configuration layers. Products don’t have to be created in advance - they’re generated as virtual SKUs on the fly. That keeps your product information management tidy while enabling nearly endless flexibility.
This level of complexity typically sends other PIM vendors running away. Bluestone PIM doesn't just accept it but structures it offering both control and scale.
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Beyond Products: The Bundle Configurator
Configuration isn’t limited to individual products. It extends to offers, that is why the Advanced Bundle Configurator lets you create and manage product and service combinations with full flexibility.
Insurance with electronics. Software with hardware. Custom subscriptions. You can duplicate bundles, localise them by market, or roll out seasonal offers - all without touching your core product data.
From a business perspective, this translates into:
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Launching new bundles in hours, not weeks
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Reacting to partner offers, seasonal trends or inventory shifts with agility
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Avoiding duplicated product setup and manual pricing updates
For sales, it means options that actually reflect customer needs without the chaos.
What Makes This Work? MACH Architecture
Both configurators are built on MACH architecture (Microservices, API-first, Cloud-native, Headless).
This isn’t a monolith. You don’t have to replatform or rebuild your stack to grow. Whether you need out-of-the-box functionality or a highly customised PBC, Bluestone PIM slots into your architecture and scales with your business.
And because it’s composable, you decide when to add complexity - and when to keep it simple.
Watch the video and check how to scale smarter with Bluestone PIM.
Advanced Product Configurator: Built for How You Work — and How You Grow
What sets this three-level model apart isn’t just what it can do - it’s how flexibly it fits into your business.
For every level of complexity you may face, Bluestone PIM provides a composable solution. So if your needs are currently at Level 1 but evolve over time, you’ll be able to extend your PIM capabilities with ease.
Some of our clients who were told by other vendors “it can’t be done” see it running - sometimes in the first demo.
Curious how it would work with your catalogue? Let’s set up a session and we’ll show you.
