Products Getting Started

First you will need to set up your products!!!
Products are physical goods or services which can be used by any type of business transaction within CRM.COM software.  Products are classified into services and physical goods; where Services,  represent any intangible commodity which is offered to consumers, such as telephony, TV channels, repairs, installations, deliveries etc and where the consumer does not have an exclusive ownership of the service that is purchased, and Physical Goods, represent any tangible commodity which is offered to consumers, such as cameras, decoders, magazines etc. In most of the cases the consumer has an exclusive ownership of the good that was purchased. 

What Comes First

To be able to use Products you need to configure the system to support your own business model. In the following table you can find all the related configuration modules related to products. 

• Fast Track: If you would like to set up your system with the basic functionality and get started with using it, follow the sub modules that are marked by the Fast Track Icon
• Complete Configuration: If you would like to utilise the system at its maximum then configure all the sub modules, marked by the Fast Track and Complete Configuration icon

Sub-module	Type	Classification
Product Types	Configuration
Products	Transactional
Product Families	Configuration
Product Brands	Configuration
Product Categories	Configuration

Step 1: Product Types

First you will need to configure the product types which will be used as your base for creating the various types of products.

Product Types are used to define and enforce the behavior and business rules that should be applied on each related product. Product Types are used when you Create and Modify a Product and a product can have only one type. Via the Product types you can distinguish between the following features

• Classification:Whether the product will be Service (Intangible Good such as a TV channel, a movie) or a Physical Good  (Tangible, such as a smartcard, a modem, a decoder)
• Service Type: Service type is available only if the product type is classified as a Service, and determines if the Service is an One Time Service, a Usage Service a Termed Service or an Expense. One Time Services and expenses are provided just once, and are billed just once; for example an installation service. 
  Termed Services are provided continuously and billed on a recurring basis, regardless of their usage, for example a recurring Pay TV service which includes specific channels. 
  Usage Services are provided upon customer request and are billed based on their usage, for example a Pay Per View movie or Telephony Calls. 
• Physical Good Type: Physical Good Type is available only if the product type is classifies as a Physical Good, and determines if the Physical Goods is Traceable or Non Traceable. 
  Traceable Physical Goods can be traced through a unique identifier which is usually a serial number, for example decoder having a unique serial number. 
  Non traceable physical goods are not traced to a single instance and are measured based on their quantity, for example 10 meters of wire.
• Composition: It determines the composition of the product, which can be a flat product, a flexible bundle product or a fixed bundle product.
  • Flexible bundle products are allowed only if the product type is classified as a termed service
  • Fixed bundle products are allowed only if the product type is classified as a termed service or a physical good
• Used for Provisioning: Determines if the products that will be related with that product type will be provisioned by third party provisioning systems

System Access Via: Configuration > Products > Product Types

 To learn more, visit Configuring Product Types manual

Step 2: Creating your Product

Once the Product Types are defined, you are ready to start creating your products. (You can omit any steps below referring to additional configuration module usage)

 Physical Goods and Services can be created through CRM.COM Products Module.

• Specify the type of each Product and provide a Product code, alternative code and description. 
• Use the VAT rate to determine the VAT rate that should be applied on each of your Services or Physical Goods. 
• Define price rates and the Price Plans the product will be available from
• Define component restrictions and rules of Flexible or Fixed bundle products. (Flexible and Fixed Bundle Products are made up of multiple other products)
• Use the Brand, Family and Categories to group your Products and apply specific business rules and restrictions.

System Access Via: FOUNDATIONPRODUCTSMANAGE PRODUCTS

 To learn more, visit Creating Products manual

Product Brands, Categories, Families

Configure the following modules for additional functionality and categorisation

• Product Families are group of products derived from a common product platform, using similar or same production processes and having similar physical or behavioral characteristics. Product Families in CRM.COM are following a hierarchical tree structure.
• Product Brands are used to define trademarks or distinctive names that serve to identify a specific product or a product line. 
• Product Categories are used to classify products into generic groups based on specific similar attributes that they share. Categories are configurable in the system and their number can be in hundreds. Categories are following a hierarchical tree structure.

System Access Via: 

• CONFIGURATIONFOUNDATION APPLICATIONPRODUCTSSET UP FAMILIES
• CONFIGURATIONFOUNDATION APPLICATIONPRODUCTSSET UP BRANDS
• CONFIGURATIONFOUNDATION APPLICATIONPRODUCTSSET UP CATEGORIES
  

 To learn more, visit Products - The Admin Stuff manual

Do it Yourself!!