Managing Products
Table of Contents
Navigating to Products
FOUNDATION APPLICATION > PRODUCTS > MANAGE PRODUCTS
Using Products
Products are Physical Goods or Services which can be used by any business transaction within the System.
- Navigate to Products and explore existing entries via the Summary page.
- Click on the link (Name or Number) of the entry of your interest to enter the Data Entry page and see more detail.
- Use the Actions Menu to create a NEW Product, modify (EDIT) or DELETE an existing one.
- Use BACK to return to the Summary page and CANCEL to revert any unwanted changes made to the Products.
- Click on ACTIONS to discover other possibilities available for Products.
- Click on the Audit Log button to view a log of changes performed on the displayed Product.
View the Attributes Table below for a comprehensive description of the Products fields. Check the Validations & Restrictions Table for a list of available Actions when working with Products including each Action's related restrictions and validations.
Validations & Restrictions
Action | Validations | Restrictions |
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Create |
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Edit |
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Delete |
| Products can only be deleted if:
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Copy Existing Product |
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Attributes
An * indicates a field is mandatory.
Name | Description |
---|---|
Main Information | |
Code* | The code of the Product |
Type* | The type of the Product which will determine its overall behaviour. Once the Type is selected, the Characteristics tab is populated with information related to the characteristics that will be inherited by the selected Product Type. |
Brand | The Brand of the Product used to define trademarks or distinctive names that serve to identify a specific Product or Product line. |
Family | The Family of the Product used to group Products derived from a common platform, using similar or identical production processes and having similar physical or behavioural characteristics. |
Alternative Code* | The Alternative Code of the Type. |
VAT Rate* APPLICABLE UP TO CRM.COM R11.0.0 | The VAT rate of the Product, based on which the VAT will be applied during billing. |
Description* | The description of the Product.
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Characteristics | |
Characteristics | The characteristics of the Product based on the selected Type. |
Product Validity | |
Validity* | The period each Product is valid for.
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Categories | |
Categories | Products are classified into generic groups based on specific shared attributes. |
Product Components Available only if the selected Type has a composition set to Flexible or Fixed Bundle. For more information view the related sections: Fixed Product Bundles & Flexible Product Bundles.
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Bundle Component For Flexible Bundles: Product, Product Type or Product Family components that will be allowed to be added/selected for this Product. For Fixed Bundles: Products that will be allowed to be added/selected for this Product. | |
Components | For Flexible Bundles: A Product, Product Type or Product Family that can be added to the Bundle. Refer to Setting up Flexible Product Bundles. For Fixed Bundles: Products that can be added/selected for this Product. Refer to Allowed Components for Fixed Product Bundles. |
Quantity | The quantity of the Product allowed to be added to the Fixed Bundle. Available for Fixed Bundles only. |
Minimum Quantity | The minimum number of Products that can be added for the specific Product, Product Type or Product Family, on the Flexible Bundle. The value of 0 is accepted and mandatory; Null is not allowed. Available for Flexible Bundles only. |
Maximum Quantity | The maximum number of Products that can be added for the specific Product Type or Product Family, on the Flexible Bundle. Available for Flexible Bundles only. |
Bundle Restrictions Restrictions on the number of different Families or Types of the components of the Product source; This is used optionally for filtering when defining the actual components of a Product on creating a Subscription. By leaving the tab empty, the user will be allowed to add from multiple Types and Families available in the Bundle Components tab. | |
Use Products from only X Product Families | Specify the number of Product Families that can be used. For example, if this is set to 1, then all the Products that can be selected as components must belong to the same Product Family. |
Use Products from only X Product Types | Specify the number of Product Types that can be used. For example, if this is set to 1, then all the Products that can be selected as components must belong to the same Product Type. |
VAT Rate AVAILABLE FROM CRM.COM R12.0.0 | |
VAT Rate | The VAT rates applicable for the product which will be used during billing, to decide which one to apply based on pre-configured rules location rules. Visit Setting up VAT Rates for more information |
Price Plans | |
Price Plans | The Price Plans which include rates for the specific Product (Applicable for all Product Types except Usage Services). Products can be added, and their rate provided directly on the Price Plan while creating or editing a Product, instead of creating the Product and then navigating to the Price Plans Module to add the Product. This is possible via the ADD TO PRICE PLAN action which opens the Price Plan modal. View Price Plans for more information. |
Usage Service Catalogs | |
Usage Service Catalogs | The Usage Service Catalogs which include rates for the specific Usage Service Product (Applicable if the product is a Usage Service). Usage Services can be added, and their rate and provisioning ID provided directly in Usage Service Catalogs while creating or editing a Product, instead of creating the Product and then navigating to Usage Service Catalogs Module to add the Usage Service. This is possible via the ADD TO USAGE SERVICE CATALOG action opens the Usage Service Catalog modal. View Managing Usage Service Catalogs for more information. |
Attachments | |
Files & URL | The attachments associated with the Product. |
Log Information | |
Log Details | The standard set of Log Details information available in all entities. |
Additional Actions for Products
Copying an existing Product
The configuration of an existing Product can be reused and assigned to a new Product, to save time through the NEW > COPY action. When copying a Product the following attributes are carried over:
- Type
- Brand
- Family
- Description
- VAT Rate
- Product Validity
- Categories
Follow the steps below to create a new Product by copying information from an existing one.
- Navigate to FOUNDATION > PRODUCTS > MANAGE PRODUCTS.
- Search for the Product to copy and click on its code to go to the Data Entry page.
- From the Actions Menu click on NEW > COPY
The information is carried over. - Proceed with providing the rest of the values as required.
Allowed Components for Fixed Product Bundles
Products with a composition set to Fixed or Flexible Bundles require a few more steps to define their constituent components.
Depending on the Type of the Product, i.e. Service or Physical good, the components that can be added to the Bundle will differ. See the corresponding table below:
Bundle Product Type | Allowed Products to be added |
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Termed Service |
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Traceable Physical Good |
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Non-Traceable Physical Good |
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Setting up Flexible Product Bundles
All Products, Product Types and Product Families can be combined within a single bundle, as long as component rules do not cancel each other out. See the example configuration below:
Product | ProductType | Product Family | Min Quantity | Max Quantity |
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Gold (Type = Subscription Package) (Family = Local) | 1 | 1 | ||
Silver (Type = Subscription Package) (Family = Local) | 1 | 1 | ||
Subscription Package | 1 | 1 | ||
Local | 1 | 1 |
If both Products are selected and added to the Subscription, all added records will be validated:
The above configuration creates a conflict as, while the System validates the products were added (due to the Minimum Quantity set to 1), they cannot be added as the Max Quantity of the specific Product Type and family is set to 1.
It is recommended to select a single option when making component configurations, or exercise care that the rules are not conflicting.
View Understanding Products for business examples related to Using Products.