Product Administration Guide > Smart Part Numbers >

Creating Dynamically Generated Part Numbers


When you create dynamic part numbers, you first create a template that contains a placeholder for each attribute you want to include in the part number. You then define mappings that specify how attribute values replace the placeholders. When the user chooses attribute values, the system inserts the mappings into the part number template to generate the part number.

The following definitions are important to understanding dynamically generated part numbers.

An example of how abbreviation methods determine which characters to insert in part number templates is shown in Table 16. The first column shows the mapping. The remaining columns show the characters that would be inserted in the template for each abbreviation method.

Table 16. How Mapping Methods Work
Mapping
Abbreviation
Acronym
First Symbol
First and Last Symbols
Small
Small
S
S
Sl
X Large
X Large
XL
X
Xe
X-LARGE
X-Large
X
X
XE
A123 B456 C78
A123 B456 C78
ABC
A
A8

Only attributes with a list of values (LOV) domain can be used to create dynamic part numbers.

Before creating part numbers using this method, determine which attributes you want to use in the part number. Then write down the sections of the part number, including the prefix an postfix for each attribute.

Creating dynamically generated part numbers is a process that has the following tasks:

  1. Creating a part number generation record. This record names the part number generation method and specifies whether the method is dynamic or predefined.
  2. Defining the template
  3. Defining a mapping for each attribute value
  4. Testing the part number template

These tasks are described below.

To create a part number generation record

  1. Navigate to Application Administration > Class Administration and query for the desired product class.
  2. Click Part Number Definitions.
  3. In Part Number Definitions, click New to create a new record.
  4. In the Name field, enter a name for the part number generation method.
  5. This name should be unique and should indicate whether the method is dynamic or predefined.

  6. In the Type field, open the menu and choose Dynamic. Then step off the record.

The next step in the process is to define the template.

To define the part number template

  1. In the part number definition Name field, click the name you entered.
  2. The name is a hyperlink. The Part Number Method view appears.

  3. In Part Number Template, create a new record.
  4. Each record is one section in the part number.

  5. In the Attribute Name field, open the drop-down menu and choose the attribute for this section.
  6. Only attributes with a list of values (LOV) domain display in this menu.

  7. Enter the prefix and postfix for this section as needed.
  8. In the Abbreviation Method field, open the drop-down menu and choose an abbreviation method for the attribute mapping.
  9. Enter a sequence in the sequence field.
  10. The sequence determines the order of the section in the part number.

  11. Repeat these steps for each section you want to include in the part number.

The last step is to define mappings for the attribute values.

To define a mapping for each attribute value

  1. In Part Number Template, highlight the template section for which you want to define attribute value mappings.
  2. The values for the attribute display in Attribute Mapping.

  3. For each attribute value in Attribute Mapping, enter a mapping in the Mapping field.
  4. The abbreviation method uses the string in the Mapping field to determine what characters to insert in the part number for this attribute value. If you do not enter a mapping, the abbreviation method uses the attribute value as the mapping.

  5. Repeat these steps for each section in Part Number Template.

The last step is to test the part number template. You do this by creating a quote and selecting the product for which you have created a smart part number method. Add the product to the quote enough times so that you can select all the combinations of attributes needed to verify that the smart part number template is working correctly. The smart part number displays in the Line Item Detail view. For more information on locating the smart part number in a quote, refer to Viewing a Product's Smart Part Number in a Quote


 Product Administration Guide, Version 7.5 
 Published: 18 April 2003