1. NetSuite CPQ
  2. NetSuite CPQ Configurator
  3. NetSuite CPQ Configurator Products

NetSuite CPQ Configurator Products

NetSuite CPQ Configurator uses products to represent configurable items. Each product contains the business logic that defines how users can configure the item. Products also provide a user interface that guides users through the configuration process based on the business logic constraints. For example, a furniture company may offer a desk as a configurable item. This desk may be available in various shapes, sizes, colors, and so on. Customers can combine various options and features based on their preferences, but only within the combinations that are allowed.

Users with an administrator or a CPQ Product Builder role can create and maintain products. For more information about NetSuite CPQ custom roles, see Assigning NetSuite CPQ Custom Roles.

Before making products available to users, you can preview the user interface during the setup to make sure everything works as expected. For more information, see Previewing Products.

Each product is made up of several building blocks, such as questions, answers, and images. For more information, see Working with Product Building Blocks.

To add configurable items to transactions, you must assign an item to the product during the setup. This base item (formerly called the base generic product) is associated with the configuration and added to the transaction. If you only want to include additional items in the transaction, you don't need a base item. For more information about the base item, see Assigning Base Items to Products.

You must also provide information about the product to open when users edit a configured item. For more information, see Defining a Product to Edit Configured Items.

When the base item is added as the main configured item to transactions, you can set transaction line fields associated with it. To set transaction line fields for the main configured item, go to the product record and select mapping records in the Line Field Mapping Records field. For more information about mapping records, see Setting Transaction Body and Line Fields Based on Configuration Data.

Products can be organized into categories, and you can export and import products as well. For more information, see Creating Product Categories, Exporting Products and Importing Products.

If you no longer need a product, you can make it inactive or delete it. To let users edit configured items associated with inactive or deleted products, replace these products with active products. For more information, see Inactivating Products, Deleting Products, and Replacing Deleted or Inactive Products.

To create a product:

  1. Go to CPQ > Configurator > Product Maintenance.

  2. Click New CPQC Product.

  3. Enter a descriptive name for the product.

    Users view this name on the Configurable Items page and on the product user interface.

  4. In the Code field, enter a unique identifier for this product.

    The code must contain only uppercase letters, numbers, and underscore characters. You can use a shortened version of the name as the code.

  5. (Optional) In the Description field, enter a brief explanation of this product.

    The description isn't displayed to users.

  6. In the Sequence Number field, enter a number to sort the product on the Configurable Items page.

    You can enter a negative or positive number, for example, -2 or 5. Products are sorted from lowest to highest sequence number.

    To display the products by sequence number, also select the corresponding option in the Sort Products By field at CPQ > Configurator > Settings.

  7. To hide the product from the Configurable Items page until it's ready, check the Inactive box.

    Clear this box to include the product on the Configurable Items page when you've completed the setup.

  8. To preview the product faster during the setup, check the Deactivate cache box. By checking this box, you avoid the cache being frequently deleted and recreated every time you open the product interface.

    Clear this box when the product is ready, and use the cache to load it faster.

  9. (Optional) In the Product Category field, select a product category. For more information, see Creating Product Categories.

  10. Assign a base item (formerly called a base generic product) to the product. For more information, see Assigning Base Items to Products.

    If you only want to include additional items in the transaction, skip this step.

  11. To set transaction line fields for the base item when it's added as the main configured item to transactions, select the mapping records in the Line Field Mapping Records field. For more information, see Setting Transaction Body and Line Fields Based on Configuration Data.

  12. On the Appearance subtab, select an image from the File Cabinet to represent the product in the Cover Image field. This image is displayed on the Configurable Items page with the product name.

  13. Click Save.

Previewing Products

When setting up a product user interface, you can verify that everything works in the product preview. The preview lets you access and work with the product user interface without opening it from a transaction every time. To access the product preview, edit the product record and click the Run Standalone button.

You can also preview the list of configurable items displayed to users. To access the preview of the configurable item list, go to the Configurable Items page at CPQ > Configurator > Standalone. Users view the Configurable Items page by clicking the Configure button on a transaction.

Working with Product Building Blocks

Products are organized into building blocks, such as questions, answers, and images. Many building blocks are rule-based, and they're activated under certain conditions. For more information about rules, see Activating or Hiding Building Blocks with Rules.

Create the user interface with the following building blocks:

If you install NetSuite CPQ Manufacturing, you can use the following building blocks to create work orders:

Other building blocks:

After creating a building block instance, you can copy or delete it. By copying a building block instance, you can reuse information and save you manual work.

To copy a building block:

  1. On the building block subtab, click the name of the building block you want to copy.

  2. Select Make a Copy in the Actions dropdown menu.

  3. Edit the building block name, code, and sequence number if available.

  4. On the Rules or Rule subtab, update the rules to match the requirements for this new building block.

  5. Make changes to other fields and subtabs, and add new data as needed.

  6. Click Save.

If you no longer need a building block instance, you can delete it permanently. Edit the building block and select Delete under the Actions dropdown menu. Then, click OK in the popup window to confirm that you want to delete the building block.

Assigning Base Items to Products

A base item (formerly called a base generic product) is a NetSuite item used as a placeholder. After users submit the configuration, the base item is added to the transaction as the main configured item, regardless of the specific choices made in the configuration.

To create the base item, you only need to enter the basic information needed to save the item record. The configuration provides the rest of the information.

Note:

The base item must be an active item. An item is active when the Inactive box isn't checked. You can find this option under the System Information subtab on the item record.

To assign a base item to a product, go to CPQ > Configurator > Product Maintenance. Edit the product that requires a base item. To choose the base item, two options are available:

When you're finished, save the product record.

You can use the following item types as base items:

  • inventory items

  • assemblies

  • kit/packages

  • non-inventory items

  • subscription plans

To create work orders for configured items, select an assembly as a base item. For more information, see Creating Work Orders for Configured Items.

On the Custom or CPQ subtab of the item used as a base item, define the product used to edit configured items. For more information, see Defining a Product to Edit Configured Items.

Defining a Product to Edit Configured Items

After adding a configured item to a transaction, users may want to make changes to it. To let users edit configured items from transactions, you need to define the product used for this purpose. You can either define a default product to edit all configured items, or assign a specific product to each base item.

Note:

If you set both a default and a specific product, users will edit the associated configured item with the specific product.

If you want all configured items to be edited in the same way, define a default product. To define a default product, go to CPQ > Configurator > Settings and select a product in the Default Product field. If you use a default product, make sure you also go to the Custom or CPQ subtab of the item used as the base item. Then, check the Is configurable box. By setting this option, you can edit the configured items associated with the base item using the default product. For more information about base items, see Assigning Base Items to Products.

Alternatively, if you want to edit the configured item using a specific product, assign a product to each item used as a base item. To assign a product to the base item, go to the Custom or CPQ subtab of the item record. Then, select a specific product in the CPQ Configurator Product field.

Creating Product Categories

You can group, classify, and organize products based on their features and functionality using product categories. For example, a furniture company may have a product category for office desks and another for home desks.

With product categories, users can view a filtered version of the Configurable Items page from eligible transactions. The page will only show the products in that category. To view the configurable items for a specific product category, users can click the arrow next to the Configure button on a transaction and select their preferred category.

If the product category includes only one product, users directly access the product interface without going through the Configurable Items page. Using product categories, users can also filter items on the Configurable Items page and quickly find the one that best suits their needs.

To create product categories, go to CPQ > Configurator > Product Categories and click New CPQC Product Category. Provide a descriptive name for the product category and save it. After creating the category, use the Product Category field on the product record to assign a product to a category.

You can also use product categories to create buttons on eligible transactions. To create a button for the product category, check the Display on transactions box on the product category record. When users click a product category button, only the products assigned to that category are displayed on the Configurable Items page.

To modify a product category, click Edit on the product category list. If you want to copy the product category, click Make a copy in the Actions menu. If you no longer need a product category and you want to delete it, click Delete in the Actions menu.

Exporting Products

After creating products, you may want to export them for various reasons. You can combine export and import options to move products from your sandbox to your production account after testing. Through exporting, you can create duplicate products in your current account and use them as a base for new products. Exporting is also useful to create backup copies and restore products if you run into any issues.

You can export products at CPQ > Configurator > Settings. To export a product, select one in the Export Product field and click the Export button. The product is saved as a ZIP file on your computer.

In the exported file, you can include additional resources, such as images, CSV tables, and CSS styles. If these resources aren't in the target account, make sure you check the Export product resources box before exporting the product. However, if you export the product for testing purposes and you don't need these resources, leave the box unchecked.

Importing Products

Note:

Keep the options page open until all product imports are either pending or in progress. Closing the page will cancel any product imports in the Initializing status.

After exporting a product, you can import it back into the same account or a different one at CPQ > Configurator > Settings. You can select and import multiple products at the same time and the imports will run in parallel. When selecting products, you should group together those that will be imported using the same options.

You can monitor the import progress in the product import summary. Import information stays available for 7 days. To remove it earlier, click the Clear button next to the corresponding import line. If the product import summary exceeds 50 lines, clear finished imports before starting new ones.

When importing a product, choose how to handle references to records. For more information, see Importing References to Records.

You can also choose to import a new product version into an existing product, which is called target product. For more information, see Importing a New Version into an Existing Product.

To import a product:

  1. In NetSuite, go to CPQ > Configurator > Settings.

  2. In the Import Product field, select one or multiple ZIP files with the products you want to import.

  3. In the Import Options for Record References field, choose how to handle references to records when importing your product. For more information, see Importing References to Records.

  4. To automatically create placeholder items for any referenced item records missing in the target account, check the Auto-create missing items box.

    Note:

    If you want missing items to be created automatically, make sure you select the Import by name option in the Import Options for Record References field.

  5. Click Import.

Importing References to Records

Imported products may include references to item records—also called links. For example, you create a reference to an item record when selecting a NetSuite item as a material. These referenced item records need to be retrieved in the target account. Before importing a product, choose how to handle item record references in the Import Options for Record References field:

  • Do not import – Leaves all fields with a record reference blank.

    Choose this option when you're importing products into a sandbox account for testing purposes and you don't need the referenced items.

  • Import by ID – Assigns record references based on the internal ID of the item. This is the default option.

    Choose this option when importing products within the same account to optimize the import process.

  • Import by name – Finds the item internal ID by looking for the item name and places it in the link field.

    Because items with the same name can have different internal IDs, choose this option when importing products across different accounts.

    Some items may be referenced by imported products but don't exist in the target account. When importing record references by name, you can automatically create placeholder items to replace missing items that are linked to materials or additional items (formerly called breakout items). Placeholder items use the same ID and name or number as the original item, and they have a fixed price of 10 USD. To enable this option when importing products for testing purposes, check the Auto-create missing item box.

Importing a New Version into an Existing Product

You can update a product by importing a new product version into an existing one—called target product. The updated product keeps the original internal ID, but the rest of the data is replaced with information from the new product.

Note:

When working with a target product, start each import process separately.

To use this option, select the product you want to import in the Import Product field. Then, select the product where you want to import data in the Target Product field and click the Import button.

When working with a target product, you can continue to use the Import Options for Record References and Auto-create missing items fields.

When importing a new version into an existing product, options and features of the configurable item may change. If favorite configurations reference options or features that no longer exist or have changed in the new version, they may no longer work with the new imported version. If this is the case, check the Unlink favorites from target product box before importing the product. By enabling this option, favorites configurations will no longer be associated with the target product, but they'll remain in your account.

Deleting Products

If you no longer need a product, you can delete it from your account. Deleted products don't appear on the Configurable Items page and can't be configured on new transactions. Previous transactions maintain a reference to the deleted product, but you won't be able to view or open the configuration for the product.

Before deleting a product, take the following important points into account:

  • Deleted products are permanently deleted from your NetSuite account and can't be restored. All subrecords (such as questions, answers, or tabs) are also deleted.

  • Check for unfinished transactions that have a saved configuration for the product. After you delete the product, you won't be able to edit the configuration of the product from the transaction unless you specify a replacement product.

  • If you think you might need to use the product again at a future date, you should export a copy of the product before deleting it. See Exporting Products for more information.

Note:

Instead of deleting a product, you might want to make it inactive—see Inactivating Products.

After you delete a product, you can specify a replacement product—see Replacing Deleted or Inactive Products.

To delete a product:

  1. Go to CPQ > Configurator > Product Maintenance and select Edit next to a product.

  2. Click Delete.

    Warning:

    In the next step, you'll confirm the deletion. You won't be able to undo this action. The product record and all its subrecords will be deleted from your NetSuite account.

  3. Type DELETE and click Confirm to confirm the operation.

Inactivating Products

If you want to make a product unavailable temporarily or you no longer sell a product, you can make it inactive. Similar to deleted products, inactive products don't appear on the Configurable Items page and can't be configured on new transactions. If there are unfinished transactions with a configuration for an inactive product, a user can still view or update the configuration from a transaction line. You can override the default behavior, however, to prevent users editing the configuration of an inactive product.

To inactivate a product:

  1. Go to CPQ > Configurator > Product Maintenance and click Edit next to a product.

  2. Check the Inactive box.

  3. If you want to prevent users editing the configuration from a transaction line, check the Disallow edits on existing configurations box.

  4. Click Save.

Note:

You can make a product active again at any time by clearing the Inactive box.

After you inactivate a product, you can specify a replacement product—see Replacing Deleted or Inactive Products. If you want to permanently remove a product from your account, you can delete it instead of making it inactive—see Deleting Products.

Replacing Deleted or Inactive Products

When you delete or inactivate a product, you can choose a different product to replace the inactive or deleted product. Specifying a replacement product can make it easier for users to view or edit a configuration from a transaction line on an existing transaction. Provided that the replacement product has the same configuration properties as the original product, users can continue to configure a product even though the original product is no longer available.

Note:

Users can only edit configurations on transactions that are still in progress and haven't been processed.

Replacement products should have the same or similar configuration properties as the original product. If there are differences in properties between the original product and the replacement product, some information will be lost. For example, if the replacement product is missing some configuration properties from the original product, those properties won't appear on the product interface. On the contrary, if the replacement product contains additional properties, they'll appear on the product interface, but they'll typically be blank or unpopulated.

You can use the same replacement product for multiple inactive or deleted products, but an inactive or deleted product can have one replacement product only.

When a user edits a configured item from a transaction line and then saves the configuration, the transaction is updated with the information entered on the configuration of the replacement product.

Example

A product configuration for a bicycle includes three questions: frame size, frame color, and wheel type. An administrator makes the product inactive and specifies a replacement product that includes the questions: frame size, frame color, and handlebars type. Because the question for wheel type isn't in the replacement product, the question isn't displayed on the replacement product interface. The question for handlebars type is displayed on the configuration page, but its value isn't populated because it did not exist in the original product.

To specify a replacement product:

  1. Go to CPQ > Configurator > Settings and select the Product Replacements subtab.

    The Status column indicates whether the original product was made inactive or was deleted.

  2. In the row of the product you want to replace, choose a replacement product in the Replace With column. You can only choose products that are active.

  3. Click OK and then click Save.

Related Topics

General Notices