8Smart Part Numbers for Product with Attributes
Smart Part Numbers for Products with Attributes
This chapter explains how to set up part numbers so that they are dynamically generated based on the product attributes that the user selects. Smart part numbers can be used to generate part numbers when creating quotes, orders, and agreements. They can also be used when adding items to a shopping cart.
This chapter includes the following topics:
About Smart Part Numbers
Smart part numbers can be used to generate part numbers for the following types of products in quotes, orders, agreements, and for products added to shopping carts:
Simple products
Bundles
Products with components
Smart part numbers allow you to automatically generate part numbers for different combinations of product attributes. You do not have to make an entry in the product table and provide a part number for each combination of product attributes that a customer can purchase.
For example, you sell shirts in three sizes: small, medium, and large. You also sell them in three colors: red, green, and blue. There are nine possible combinations of size and color that customers can purchase. Each combination needs a part number that can be passed to a back-end application at the time of purchase.
One way to set this up is to make an entry in the product table for each combination. In other words, you create nine separate products. This is time consuming and does not take advantage of the attribute features in the class system. It also does not take advantage of the attribute-based pricing features in Siebel Pricer.
Another way to set this up is to make one entry in the product table for the shirt. You then define color and size attributes on the class to which the shirt belongs. Finally, you use smart part number to define which part number to assign to each combination of attributes. For example, when the customer selects the shirt in size small and color blue, smart part number generates a part number for this combination and displays it in the quote. You can also use attribute-based pricing in Pricer to determine the price of the shirt.
There are several advantages to this method:
It makes managing the product table easier. You make one entry for a product and then use the class system to define and manage its attributes. If you enter a product's attribute combinations as products in the product table, you must manually edit the table when attributes change.
It makes managing part numbers easier and more accurate. You can make one entry for a part number definition and it will be applied to all the forms of the product consistently and accurately.
It allows you to take advantage of important features in related products such as attribute-based pricing in Siebel Pricer.
Roadmap for Creating Smart Part Numbers
Smart part number provides the following methods for defining how part numbers are generated:
Dynamic. You specify what product attributes participate in creating a part number and the string that each attribute value will have. You then define a part number template with placeholders for the attribute values. Smart part number inserts the value of the attribute into the part number template to create the final part number. Use this method when your part numbers include important information, besides attribute values, that is needed to uniquely identify the product.
Predefined. You specify what product attributes participate in creating a part number. You can then do one of two things:
You can auto-generate a matrix of all the combinations of these attributes. Random part numbers are provided for each combination. You can accept the random values or replace them with your own values.
You can manually create the matrix, inserting your own part numbers.
When the user selects product attributes, smart part number searches the list for the correct attribute combination and uses its part number. Use this method when your part numbers cannot be easily created using string substitution.
You define named smart part number methods on product classes. These methods use the attributes defined on the class to generate a part number. Only attributes with a list of values domain can be used to generate part numbers. When you assign a product to a class, you can select for it any of the smart part number methods that have been defined on the class.
If you add or remove attributes on a class, or change the values for an attribute, these changes are not automatically propagated to the smart part number methods defined on the class. You must manually update each smart part number method with the changes.
To create smart part numbers for products, perform the following tasks:
Creating the smart part numbers. You can do this in one of two ways:
Process of Creating Dynamically Generated Smart 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 application inserts the mappings into the part number template to generate the part number.
The following definitions are important to understanding dynamically generated part numbers.
Part number template. A sequence of sections in a specified order.
Section. A portion of a part number template. Each section contains one attribute name that acts as a placeholder. Sections can also contain a prefix and a postfix.
For example, you want to create part numbers that begin with ENU- and end with -MC. You want to include values for two attributes, Attrib1 and Attrib2, and separate them with a dash (-). Here is an example: ENU-S-GRN-MC. In this part number, S is the value substituted for Attrib1 and GRN is the value for Attrib2.
To create a part number template, you would define two sections. In the following table, the first row is the first section of the part number. The second row is the second section.
Table Part Number Template
| Prefix | Attribute Name (Placeholder) | Postfix | Sequence |
|---|---|---|---|
ENU- |
Attrib1 |
- |
1 |
Attrib2 |
-MC |
2 |
Mapping. A mapping is a string of characters you define for an attribute value. The mapping is what the abbreviation method uses to determine what characters to insert in the part number. If you do not define a mapping, the abbreviation method uses the attribute value itself.
Abbreviation method. The abbreviation method determines how the characters are derived from the mapping. These characters replace the attribute's placeholder in the part number template. The mapping methods are: Abbreviation, Acronym, First Two Symbols, First and Last Symbols, First Symbol.
Abbreviation. Inserts the whole mapping.
Acronym. Inserts the first character in the mapping plus the first character following each space in the mapping.
First Two Symbols. Inserts the first two characters in the mapping.
First and Last Symbols. Inserts the first and last characters in the mapping.
First Symbol. Inserts the first character in the mapping.
An example of how abbreviation methods determine which characters to insert in part number templates is shown in the following table. The first column shows the mapping. The remaining columns show the characters that would be inserted in the template for each abbreviation method.
Table 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 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 and postfix for each attribute.
To creating dynamically generated part numbers, perform the following tasks:
Creating a Part Number Generation Record
First Create a part number generation record. This record names the part number generation method and specifies whether the method is dynamic or predefined.
This task is a step in Process of Creating Dynamically Generated Smart Part Numbers.
To create a part number generation record
Navigate to the Administration - Products screen, then the Product Classes view.
In the Product Classes list, select the desired product class.
Click the name in the Smart Part Number field.
The name is a hyperlink. The Smart Part Number list appears.
In the Smart Part Number list, add a new record and complete the necessary fields, described in the following table.
Field Comments Name
Enter a name for the part number generation method.
Type
Select Dynamic.
Defining the Part Number Templates
Next, define the part number template.
This task is a step in Process of Creating Dynamically Generated Smart Part Numbers.
To define the part number template
In the Name field of the Smart Part Number record, click the name you entered.
The name is a hyperlink. The Part Number Method view appears.
In the Part Number Template list, add a new record and complete the necessary fields, described in the following table.
Field Comments Pre-Fix
Enter a static text that appears before all other parts of the smart part number generated by the application
Attribute Name
Select the attribute for this section
Post Fix
Enter a static text that appears after all other parts of the smart part number generated by the application
Abbreviation Method
Select an abbreviation method for the attribute mapping
Sequence
Enter a sequence. The sequence determines the order of the section in the part number.
Repeat Step 2 for each section you want to include in the part number.
Mapping Attribute Values to the Template
Next, map attribute values to the template.
This task is a step in Process of Creating Dynamically Generated Smart Part Numbers.
To define a mapping for each attribute value
In the Part Number Template list, highlight the template section for which you want to define attribute value mappings.
The values for the attribute display in the Attribute Mapping list, after the Part Number Template list.
For each attribute value in Attribute Mapping, enter a mapping in the Mapping field.
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.
Repeat Step 1 and Step 2 for each section in Part Number Template.
Testing the Part Number Templates
Finally, test the part number template.
This task is a step in Process of Creating Dynamically Generated Smart Part Numbers.
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, see Viewing a Product's Smart Part Number in a Quote.
Editing a Dynamic Generation Method
You can edit a dynamic generation method in several ways:
Edit the name of the generation method
Delete the generation method
Edit the part number template
Edit the attribute value mappings
If you edit the name of a generation method or delete the method, the change is reflected in all product records to which the method is assigned. For example, you delete the generation method Dynamic1. All product records that have Dynamic1 as the Part Number Method, no longer have an assigned generation method.
If you edit the product template or attribute mappings, the changes become effective immediately. The next time the product is added to quote, order, and so on, the revised part number scheme will be used. The part numbers assigned to products are not changed. You can update the part number by reselecting the product attributes.
If you add or remove attributes defined on a class or change attribute values, these changes are not propagated to the generation method. You must manually update the method. For information on this, see Updating a Generation Method with Attribute Changes.
Process of Creating Predefined Smart Part Numbers
To create predefined part numbers, you create a matrix that contains one row for each possible combination of attribute values. The last entry in the row is the part number you want to assign to this combination. You can create the matrix manually, or the application can generate it automatically.
When the application generates the matrix, it assigns a random part number to each combination. You can accept this part number or replace it with one of your own.
When the user configures the product, the application searches the matrix for the combination of attribute values the user has chosen and assigns the corresponding part number to the product.
Only attributes with a list of values (LOV) domain can be used to create predefined part numbers. Before creating part numbers using this method, determine which combinations of attribute values are allowable. Assign part numbers only to these combinations.
To create predefined part numbers, perform the following tasks:
Creating a Part Number Generation Record
First, create a part number generation record. This record names the part number generation method and specifies whether the method is dynamic or predefined.
This task is a step in Process of Creating Predefined Smart Part Numbers.
Navigate to the Administration - Products screen, then the Product Classes view.
In the Product Classes list, select the desired product class.
Click the link in the Smart Part Number field.
In the Part Number Definitions list, add a new record and complete the necessary fields, described in the following table.
Field Comments Name
Enter a name for the part number generation method.
Type
Select Predefined.
Selecting the Attributes for Predefined Part Numbers
The next step is to select the desired attributes.
This task is a step in Process of Creating Predefined Smart Part Numbers.
To select the desired attributes
In the part number definition Name field, click the name you entered.
The name is a hyperlink. The Part Number Method view appears.
In the Attributes list, add a new record and, in the Attribute Name field, select the desired attribute.
Repeat Step 2 until you have added all the attributes that you want to use for defining part numbers.
Creating the Part Number Matrix
The last step is to generate a part number matrix.
This task is a step in Process of Creating Predefined Smart Part Numbers.
To create the part number matrix
Click the Attribute Matrix view tab.
The Attribute Matrix displays the part number matrix. There is one column for each attribute you selected. There is also a Part Number column and a Description column.
To generate the matrix automatically, click the menu button and choose Generate Part Numbers.
The application creates one record for each possible combination of attribute values. The application also generates a random part number for each combination.
Note: You can also create the matrix manually by clicking New and creating a record for each desired attribute combination.Review the matrix and verify that it is structured correctly.
If you have not specified the correct attributes, click Attributes. Then add or subtract attributes as needed before regenerating the matrix.
Edit the part number for each attribute combination as desired.
You can either accept the randomly generated part numbers or enter the desired part numbers. You can also enter a description for each combination. Users do not see the description.
Add new records as desired.
Enter an attribute value for each attribute, and enter a part number.
Delete records for unneeded attribute combinations as desired.
Testing the Part Number Matrix
The last step is to test the part number matrix.
This task is a step in Process of Creating Predefined Smart Part Numbers.
You do this by creating a quote and selecting the product for which you have created a smart part number method. See Viewing a Product's Smart Part Number in a Quote.
Editing a Predefined Generation Method
You can edit a predefined generation method in several ways:
Edit the name of the generation method
Delete the generation method
Edit the part numbers in a generation method's part number matrix
Add or delete records in a generation method's part number matrix
Regenerate the part number matrix, using different attributes
If you edit the name of a generation method or delete the method, the change is reflected in all product records to which the method is assigned. For example, you delete the generation method Predefined1. All product records that have Predefined1 as the Part Number Method, no longer have an assigned generation method.
If you edit the part number matrix for a generation method, the changes become effective immediately. The next time the product is added to quote, order, and so on, the revised part number scheme will be used. The part numbers assigned to products are not changed. You can update the part number by reselecting the product attributes.
If you add or remove attributes defined on a class or change attribute values, these changes are not propagated to the generation method. You must manually update the method. To do this, see Updating a Generation Method with Attribute Changes.
Assigning Smart Part Numbers to a Product
Smart part numbers defined on a product class are not inherited by the products in the class. You must manually assign the part number generation method to a product.
When you assign a generation method to a product, this method is used for generating part numbers whenever this product is used in new quotes, orders and so on.
To assign a generation method to a product
Navigate to the Administration - Product screen, then the Product Definitions view.
In the Products list, select the desired product.
In the final applet, in the product Part Number Method field, enter the generation method information.
Click Release to make it take effect.
Viewing a Product's Smart Part Number in a Quote
The part number displayed in the Part # field throughout the application and in quotes, orders, and so on is the internally assigned part number. This part number is different than the smart part number, which displays in a separate field.
Before viewing a product's smart part number in a quote, you must assign a part number generation method to the product. See Assigning Smart Part Numbers to a Product.
Assigning a generation method to a product does not cause a smart number to be generated in existing quotes containing the product.
To view a product's smart part number in a quote
Create a quote containing the product.
Navigate to the Quotes screen, then the Line Items view.
Highlight the desired line item, and click the Item Detail view tab.
Locate the Smart Part Number field.
You may need to expand the Line Item Detail form to make the Smart Part Number field visible.
Updating a Generation Method with Attribute Changes
When you add or remove attribute definitions for a class, these changes are not propagated to smart part number methods defined on the class. If you modify the list of values domain for an attribute, these changes also are not propagated. You must manually update each smart part number method with changes to attributes.
You do this by validating the smart part number generation method. When you validate a generation method, the application does two things:
If you have added or removed attributes, a pop-up message displays and recommends you edit the attribute list you are using for the generation method. For dynamic generation methods, you must modify section definitions and mappings. For predefined methods, you must edit the rows of the matrix.
If you have changed attribute values for an attribute, the changes are added to the attribute values available for selection. For dynamic generation methods, you must edit the mappings to reflect the new values. For predefined methods, you must edit the rows of the matrix.
Choose one of the following procedures to validate a smart part number generation method.
To update a dynamic generation method with attribute changes
Navigate to the Administration - Product screen, then the Product Classes view
In the Product Classes list, select the desired product class.
Click the hyperlink in the Smart Part Number field of the desired product class.
A list of the part number generation methods defined on the product class appears.
To edit a generation method name, click the method name in the Name field.
The Part Number Method view appears.
In Part Number Template, click the menu button and choose Validate Definition.
If an attribute has been added, removed, or its name has been changed, a pop-up message appears recommending you revise the sections in Part Number Template.
If an attribute's values have changed, the values available in Attribute Mapping are updated and no pop-up message appears.
Revise the sections defined in Part Number Template as needed.
- Add or revise mappings in Attribute Mapping as needed.
The following procedure shows how to update a predefined generation method.
To update a predefined generation method with attribute changes
Navigate to the Administration - Product screen, then the Product Classes view.
In the Product Classes list, select the desired product class.
Click the Part Number Definitions view tab.
A list of the part number generation methods defined on the product class appears.
To edit a generation method name, click the word Predefined in the Type field.
The Part Number Method view appears.
In Attributes, click the menu button and choose Validate Definition.
If an attribute has been added, removed, or its name has been changed, a pop-message up appears recommending you revise the Attributes list.
If an attribute's values have changed, the values available for automatically generating a matrix are updated and no pop-up message appears.
Revise the Attributes list as needed.
- Add, remove, or revise rows in the matrix as needed.