Working with Questions

With NetSuite CPQ Configurator, you can create questions to gather user preferences about the features and options of the configurable item.

Questions are provided with an internal name and a label for the user interface. You can use a shortened version of the name as a code to identify questions in actions and rules. The sequence number determines the order in which the question is displayed on the product user interface. Questions with a lower sequence number are displayed higher on the user interface.

The area occupied by questions on the user interface is divided into 12 columns. Depending on the question type selected, many questions require you to specify how much space the question can occupy on the user interface.

To create a question:

1. In NetSuite, go to CPQ > Configurator > Product Maintenance.

2. Click Edit next to the product you want to modify.

3. On the Questions subtab, click New CPQC Question.

4. Enter a descriptive name for the question.

   This name is for internal reference only and is automatically copied to the Label HTML field. To change the name visible to users, edit the text in the Label HTML field.

5. In the Code field, enter a unique identifier for this question.

   You can use a shortened version of the name as a code to identify the question in rules and actions. The code can contain only uppercase letters, numbers, and underscore characters.

6. (Optional) In the Description field, enter a brief explanation of the question.

   The description is not displayed on the user interface.

7. Provide a sequence number to determine the order in which the question is displayed on the user interface.

   You can enter a negative or positive number—for example, −2 or 5.

8. In the Answer Type field, select what type of answers you want to display for this question, such as checkboxes, radio buttons, and dropdown lists.

9. Depending on the question type, you may need to select how many answers users can select on the product interface. In the Select Type field, define whether you want users to select one or multiple answers.

   Note:

   The Default option is no longer used.

10. Depending on the question type, you may need to select the order in which you want the answers to be displayed on the user interface. In the Sort Answers By field, select whether you want to sort the answers by name or by sequence number.

11. In the Question Spans field, enter a number between 1 and 12 to define how much space the question can occupy on the user interface. The number 6 corresponds to half the question space. You can define the number of columns with both the horizontal or vertical question arrangement. You can determine the question arrangement in the Layout Style field of the product record. For more information, see Organizing the Question Space.

12. In the Label HTML field, enter the text displayed on the user interface for this question.

    You can format the text by changing the paragraph font and size or making the text bold, italic, or underlined. You can also include HTML code to add images or links. Script tags are not allowed.

13. (Optional) Select a tab or a tab and group combination where the question is displayed.

14. On the Rules subtab, set up the rule to hide or make the question read-only when users select certain features or options. For more information, see Working with Question and Answer Rules.

15. On the Appearance subtab, define the question look and feel. For more information, see Changing the Question Look and Feel.

16. Click Save.

After saving a question, you can open it from the Questions subtab and modify its information or add new data by clicking Edit. When you are finished, save the changes.

To copy or delete questions, see Working with Product Building Blocks. If you copy a question, answers are not copied with the question. When you delete a question, the answers related to that question are deleted as well.

Changing the Question Look and Feel

With NetSuite CPQ Configurator, you can change the question appearance on the Appearance subtab of the question record. For example, if you want to use only an image to represent the question, you can hide the question label and header on the user interface.

You can add images to most question types to help users better understand features or options. You can select an image from the File Cabinet or enter the URL of the image. The image is displayed between the question header and the answers.

At the question level, you can also define whether to display the answers in one column (vertically) or multiple columns (horizontally). The choice depends on:

• How much space you want to dedicate to each question and its answers.

• How the answer length may affect the ease with which users can read and understand the answers. For example, a vertical layout may be appropriate for long answers, and a horizontal layout may be more suitable for short answers.

To change the question look and feel:

1. On the Questions subtab, open a question for editing.

2. Click the Appearance subtab.

3. To hide the question label, check the Hide question label box.

4. To hide the question background color, check the Hide title background box.

5. To add an image to the question, two options are available:

   • Select an image from the File Cabinet in the Image field. For more information, see Uploading Files to the File Cabinet.

   • Enter the URL of the image in the Image URL field.

   If you select an image and provide a URL, only the image from the URL is displayed on the user interface.

6. In the Answers Layout field, select an option to define how you want to display the answers:

   • Vertical (single column) – Displays the answers vertically.

   • Horizontal (up to 12 columns) – Displays the answers horizontally.

     If you want to display the answers horizontally, enter the number of rows to arrange the answers in the Answers per Row field.

     Note:

     Take into account the following:

     • Depending on how many columns you assign to the question through the Question Spans field, NetSuite CPQ Configurator may automatically adapt the number of answers per row to leverage the available space.

     • If you leave the Answers per Row field blank, the default number of answers per row is 3.

7. Click Save.

Related Topics

Gathering Information with Questions and Answers

Working with Answers

Working with Question and Answer Rules

Working with Specific Question and Answer Types

Working with Popup Table and Popup List Answers

General Notices