  Optimization of product performance repetitively introduces the need to make
products adaptive in a more general sense. This more general idea is often
captured under the term 'self-configuration'. Despite the importance of such
capability, research work on this feature appears isolated by technical
domains. It is not easy to tell quickly whether the approaches chosen in
different technological domains introduce new ideas or whether the differences
just reflect domain idiosyncrasies. For the sake of easy identification of key
differences between systems with self-configuring capabilities, I will explore
higher level concepts for understanding self-configuration, such as the
{\Omega}-units, in order to provide theoretical instruments for connecting
different areas of technology and research.
