PeopleSoft Enterprise CRM 9.1 Product and Item Management PeopleBook

Setting Up Product Definitional Elements

This chapter provides an overview of product definitional elements and discusses how to create them.

Understanding Product Definitional Elements

Definitional elements describe products in the PeopleSoft Customer Relationship Management (PeopleSoft CRM) system. You must set up these definitional elements before defining products in PeopleSoft CRM:

Product installation options.
Rules for generating product ID numbers.
Rule sets for creating and updating installed products.
Product groups.

Product groups enable you to share processing parameters between products. PeopleSoft CRM delivers a set of basic product groups.
Product categories.

Product categories are used to group products in catalogs.
Product brands.
Competitor codes.

Competitor codes enable you to keep track of competitors' similar products.
Branch scripts.

Branch scripts predefine sales dialogue with customers, provide direction to customer service representatives, and guide internal processes and operations.
Region IDs.

Region IDs enable selling by region.
Competency codes.

Competency codes define the skills required to support the product.
Relationship IDs.

Relationship IDs define the relationship of one product to another. For example, one product might either complement or substitute for another product.
Product attributes.

Product attributes describe characteristics of the product, such as height, weight, color, and so forth.
Subscription terms.

Subscription terms define the length of time for which the subscription is valid.
Multilevel component structure (multilevel component types and sub-levels).

Multilevel component types define various levels that are available within a multilevel component structure and its properties.
Multilevel structure linkage.

Multilevel structure linkage associates each setID that supports multilevel product bundles with a multilevel component structure.

See Also

Setting Up Automatic Numbering

Defining Items

Tracking Installed Products

Managing Workforce Competencies

Setting Up Regions

Configuring Attributes

Defining Scripts

Creating Product Definitional Elements

To create product definitional elements, use the Product Installation (PROD_INSTALLATION), Automatic Numbering (AUTO_NUM_PNL), Product Group (PROD_GROUP_TBL), Product Category (PROD_CATEGORY), Product Brand (PROD_BRAND), Competitors (COMPETITOR_CD), Region (RB_REGION), Attribute Definition (RB_ATTRIBUTE), Auto Numbering (AUTO_NUM_PNL), Multilevel Component Types (RB_HLEV_MGMT), and Multilevel Structure Linkage (MLPB_STRUCT_MGMT) components.

This section discusses how to:

Select options for managing products.
Specify installed product rules.
Define product automatic numbering options.
Define product group codes.
Viewing products that are linked to the product group.
Define product categories.
Define product brands.
Enter competitor information.
Define branch scripts.
Set up product relationship codes.
Define product attributes.
Set up subscription terms.
Set up multilevel component types.
Specify sublevels for multilevel component types.
Set up multilevel structure linkages.

Pages Used to Set Up Product Definitional Elements

Page Name	Definition Name	Navigation	Usage
Product Installation	PROD_INSTALLATION	Set Up CRM, Install, Product Options, Product Installation	Select options for managing products.
Installed Product Defaults	RF_INSTPRD_DFLT	Set Up CRM, Install, Product Options, Installed Product Defaults	Specify rules that determine how system transactions create and update installed products.
Setup Auto Numbers	AUTO_NUM_PNL	Set Up CRM, Common Definitions, Codes and Auto Numbering, Automatic Numbering, Auto Numbering	Define automatic numbering options for product IDs.
Product Group	PROD_GROUP_TBL	Products CRM, Product Groups, Product Group	Define product group codes.
Linked Products	PROD_GRP_OVERVIEW	Products CRM, Product Groups, Linked Products	View products that belong to a product group.
Product Category	PROD_CATEGORY	Products CRM, Product Category, Product Category	Define product category codes.
Product Brand	PROD_BRAND	Products CRM, Product Brand, Product Brand	Define product brand codes.
Competitors	COMPETITOR_CD	Products CRM, Competitors, Competitors	Define competitor codes.
Script	RC_BS_MAIN	Set Up CRM, Common Definitions, Process Automation, Script, Script	Define a branch script for support and sales personnel.
Region	RB_REGION	Set Up CRM, Common Definitions, Location, Region Codes, Region	Set up regions.
Competencies	COMPETENCY_TABLE	Set Up CRM, Common Definitions, Competencies, Competencies	Establish competency codes.
Product Relations Codes	RB_RELATIONS	Products CRM, Product Relations Codes, Product Relations Codes	Set up the codes that describe relationships between products.
Attribute Definition	RB_ATTRIBUTE_MAIN	Set Up CRM, Common Definitions, Attributes, Attribute Definition, Attribute Definition	Define a product attribute.
Subscription Terms	PROD_SUBSCRIPT	Products CRM, Subscription Terms, Subscription Terms	Define a length of time the subscription is valid.
Multilevel Component Types	RB_HLEV_DFN	Set Up CRM, Common Definitions, Multilevel Component Types, Multilevel Component Types	Define multilevel components types allowed within a bundle structure and its properties.
Sub-Levels	RB_HLEV_DESCENDANT	Set Up CRM, Common Definitions, Multilevel Component Types, Sub-Levels	Define the commercial component hierarchy for each defined multilevel component type.
Multilevel Structure Linkage	MLPB_STRUCT_MGMT	Products CRM, Multilevel Structure Linkage, Multilevel Structure Linkage	Assign the multilevel structure to any given setID that supports multilevel product bundles.

Selecting Options for Managing Products

Access the Product Installation page (Set Up CRM, Install, Product Options, Product Installation).

Item Required

Select if you have installed PeopleSoft Supply Chain Management (PeopleSoft SCM) or PeopleSoft Integrated FieldService. You can deselect this check box if the order fulfillment system does not require items or if products are not inventoried.

If you select this check box, you must use the Item Definition component to define product IDs, descriptions, and standard units of measure. You then complete the product definition in the Product Definition component.

Components can be deleted

Select to enable deletion of components in a product package.

Alternate Priority Required and Alternate Quantity Required

Select to enter a priority and quantity on the Product Relationships page for an alternate relationship type. Select these check boxes when the PeopleSoft CRM system is integrated with PeopleSoft SCM.

See Also

Defining Items

Specifying Installed Product Rules

Access the Installed Product Defaults page (Set Up CRM, Install, Product Options, Installed Product Defaults).

See Tracking Installed Products.

Defining Product Automatic Numbering Options

Access the Setup Auto Numbers page (Set Up CRM, Common Definitions, Codes and Auto Numbering, Automatic Numbering, Auto Numbering).

See Setting Up Automatic Numbering.

Defining Product Group Codes

Access the Product Group page (Products CRM, Product Groups, Product Group).

Note. You cannot delete a product group from this page. If you integrate your PeopleSoft CRM applications with your PeopleSoft SCM applications, the system would also delete the product from your SCM database. This happens because SCM subscribes to a message that the CRM database publishes. If the system allowed you to delete the product group from this page, it could cause problems in your SCM operating environment. As such, this design is intentional.

Product Group Type

Select the product group type from these available values:

Accounting
Buying Agreement
Configurator
Customer Target
Forecast
Freight
General
Literature
Organization
Pricing
Product Catalogs
Product Line
Reporting
Reporting Externally
Reporting Internally
Self-Service Products
Tax
Transportations
VAT

Global

Select to include all products in the product group.

Note. This selection is not used for product groupings in the catalog.

See Understanding Catalogs.

See Also

Adding Products to Product Groups

Viewing Products That Are Linked to the Product Group

Access the Linked Products page (Products CRM, Product Groups, Linked Products).

This page displays the active products that are included in the product group.

Defining Product Categories

Access the Product Category page (Products CRM, Product Category, Product Category).

Use this page to define product category codes. Enter the date the product category will be effective, short and long descriptions, as well as the status; either Active or Inactive.

Defining Product Brands

Access the Product Brand page (Products CRM, Product Brand, Product Brand).

Use this page to define product brands. Enter the date the product brand will be effective, short and long descriptions, as well as the status; either Active or Inactive.

Entering Competitor Information

Access the Competitors page (Products CRM, Competitors, Competitors).

Enter competitor information on this page. Enter the date the competitor will be effective, short and long descriptions, as well as the status; either Active or Inactive..

Defining Branch Scripts

Access the Script page (Set Up CRM, Common Definitions, Process Automation, Script, Script).

See Defining Scripts.

Setting Up Product Relationship Codes

Access the Product Relations Codes page (Products CRM, Product Relations Codes, Product Relations Codes).

The Product Relations Codes page lists the possible relationships among products of all types that are supported in the product definition model. The options that you select for a relationship type determine the options that are available on the Product Relationships page when you define a product.

Warning! Do not modify the predefined setup in the Product Relations Codes component for multilevel product bundles, as Advanced Configurator is set up to support the delivered code setup only.

Alias Outgoing Link and Alias Incoming Link	Enter the descriptions of the corresponding code, which are used in installed products, orders, and service management orders, to display relationships between two product entities. Because product relationships are bi-directional, different descriptions are used depending on the standpoint from which the relationship is being viewed, the source product's or the target product's. For example, product A and product B have a Child Of relationship (A is the child of B) and they are both added to an order. If you view product A on the Line Details page of the order, the Line Relationship section shows the relation product A has with product B as Is Child Of because in this child of relationship, product A is the source and product B the target of the relationship. Therefore, the system uses the outgoing description to represent the relationship, which is being looked at from the standpoint of the source product. If you view the relationship from the target's (product B) position, the incoming link description appears instead.
Required	Select to include the Required check box on the Product Relationships page. The Required check box enables you to require that the related product is present whenever the listed product appears.
Priority	Select to include the Priority check box on the Product Relationships page. The Priority check box enables you to specify a priority among alternative related products.
Quantity	Select to include the Quantity field on the Product Relationships page. The Quantity field enables you to specify how many times the given relationship can occur.
Catalog	Select to include the Catalog check box on the Product Relationships page. The Catalog check box controls whether related products appear in the catalog along with the main product.
Advisor	Select to enable the use of the PeopleSoft Real-Time Advisor for up-sell and cross-sell opportunities.
Installable	Select for the system to create links in the installed base (called installed links) for the corresponding product relation after the order fulfillment process for products with that product relation completes. See Setting Up Multilevel Product Bundles.
Rule Based	Select for the system to establish the corresponding product relation between products only at runtime, through the execution of validation and configuration rules during configuration sessions in ordering or service management processes. See Setting Up Multilevel Product Bundles.

Note. The product relations codes that appear in the preceding example are delivered as system data. You can add relations, but you should not remove any delivered relations.

See Also

Managing Product Relationships

PeopleSoft Enterprise CRM Real-Time Advisor 9.1 PeopleBook

Defining Product Attributes

Access the Attribute Definition page (Set Up CRM, Common Definitions, Attributes, Attribute Definition, Attribute Definition).

Warning! Although product attributes provide flexibility for modeling products, attributes can adversely affect runtime performance. We suggest that you not use more than a few attributes per product.

See Configuring Attributes.

Setting Up Subscription Terms

Access the Subscription Terms page (Products CRM, Subscription Terms, Subscription Terms).

Enter information in the available fields to define the subscription and the length of time the subscription is valid.

Setting Up Multilevel Component Types

Access the Multilevel Component Types page (Set Up CRM, Common Definitions, Multilevel Component Types, Multilevel Component Types).

A multilevel structure definition contains a list of available component types it supports and their properties. Each setID can only be associated with one multilevel structure, and that structure will be used by product definitions within the same setID to model multilevel product bundles.

Warning! Do not modify the predefined setup in the Multilevel Component Type component (with the exception of the component type description), as Advanced Configurator is set up to support the delivered multilevel product structure only. If updates are made to the current setup, customization to the controller application of Advanced Configurator will be required to support the new configuration.

Configurator Component Type ID and Type Description	Displays the component type ID that the PeopleSoft Advanced Configurator uses to identify each component type. The Type Description field lists the name of the component type. The system delivers five component types, which are: Type 1 (Contract), which represents the top-level commercial component. Type 2 (Play), which represents the second-level commercial components. Type 3 (Offer), which represents the third to N-level commercial components. Type 4 (Atomic Offer), which represents the lowest level commercial components that links to functional components. Unlike other commercial components, this one cannot have descendents. Type 5 (Functional Component), which represents functional components.
Type	Displays whether the corresponding component type is functional, commercial or external (external service). View this see reference for definitions on commercial component, functional component and external service. See Common Terms Used in This Part.
Top Level	Select to indicate that the corresponding component type is a top-level component of multilevel product bundles that are created. A component type must be a commercial component to be set as top-level; it cannot be set as a descendent or sublevel of any other component types. The system allow only one top-level component type for each multilevel product bundle structure. The Top Level and Link to Functional options are mutually exclusive and cannot be selected for a component type at the same time.
Link to Functional	Select to enable products of the corresponding commercial component type to be related to functional components through the Sells product relationship. Note that commercial component types that have this option enabled cannot be parents of other component types. In other words, these commercial component types represent the smallest unit of saleable components in multilevel product bundles. As delivered, atomic offer is the only component type that can be linked to functional components. The capability to distinguish between commercial components and functional components allows for clear separation of commercial aspects of the offer and technical details of underlying products and services. Communication providers will be able to define different commercial conditions (for example, bundling, selling periods, and so on) or change them in time while maintaining just one single definition of the functional product or service. Note. This option does not apply to functional component types.
Installability Default	Select to make products of the corresponding component type installable. If selected, the Track as Installed Product field of the Product Definition - Installed Product page for product definitions of this component type appears as selected by default.
Order Standalone	Select if the products that are associated with the corresponding type can be ordered in a standalone manner. If cleared, the system hides the Order Standalone By section in the Product Definition component for products of the corresponding component type.

See Also

Setting Up Product Components

Specifying Sublevels for Multilevel Component Types

Access the Sub-Levels page (Set Up CRM, Common Definitions, Multilevel Component Types, Sub-Levels).

Warning! Do not modify the predefined setup in Multilevel Component Type component, as Advanced Configurator is set up to support the delivered multilevel product structure only. If updates are made to the current setup, customization to the controller application of Advanced Configurator will be required to support the new configuration.

Use this page to specify sublevels (descendents) that each component type can support in a multilevel product structure. Only commercial component types that are not set to link to functional components are available for setup.

Multilevel Component Type

Select a component type to be a possible descendent of the parent component type. Values in this drop-down field do not include top-level component types or functional component types.

A component type can be specified as its own sublevel. For example, an offer can have other offers as its descendents in a multilevel product bundle.

Setting Up Multilevel Structure Linkages

Access the Multilevel Structure Linkage page (Products CRM, Multilevel Structure Linkage, Multilevel Structure Linkage).

Use this page to assign a multilevel structure to each setID that supports the ordering and service management of multilevel product bundles. The system delivers the multilevel structure for the COM01 setID.

See Also

Setting Up Product Components