Abstract: A default selection to be presented to a user at configuration time is determined at the time a selection list is presented to the user. A desired function, such as profit maximization or price minimization, is applied against each of the available selections. The selection which thus meets the function's criteria is designated as the default selection, and presented to the user as such. The user may, of course, select any item on the list, but accepting the default selection will tend to maximize desirability of the final product in accordance with the criteria defined by the manufacturer. In accordance with an aspect of the invention, the criteria to be used in choosing default selections may itself be defined at run-time, so that different default selections will be presented to, for example, different users.