Working with Creation Records

Creation records store the information about the records that the configuration may require and that NetSuite CPQ Configurator may need to create when users submit the configuration.

To work with creation records, follow these steps:

1. Enter the information about the new record. For more information, see Entering Information about the New Record.

2. Set up the creation record rule. For more information, see Setting Up the Creation Record Rule.

3. Define how you want to handle the presence of existing records. For more information, see Handling Existing Records.

4. Set values for record fields. For more information, see Setting Values for Record Fields.

5. Save the creation record.

6. Add record sublists and set field values. For more information, see Adding Record Sublists and Setting Field Values.

You can perform these steps on creation records by going to CPQ > Configurator > Product Maintenance. Open a product for editing and click the Record Creation subtab.

NetSuite CPQ Configurator creates the records in batches to optimize performance. If you want to create a limited number of records one by one, go to the options record at CPQ > Configurator > Settings. Under the Submit subtab, check the Serial Record Creation box and click Save. The progress bar on the product user interface will display more detailed information about the records that are being created as well.

To copy or delete creation records, see Working with Product Building Blocks.

Entering Information about the New Record

On creation records, you can manually enter information about the new record to be created. Alternatively, you can copy the information from an existing record. To copy information from another record, follow the instructions in this help topic and skip step 6. For more information, see Entering Information by Copying an Existing Record.

To enter information about the new record to be created, assign a name to the creation record, select a record type for the new record, and the key field—a record field that works as a unique identifier for the new record.

Creation records are provided with a sequence number that determines the order in which records will be created when users submit the configuration. NetSuite CPQ Configurator creates records with a lower sequence number before records with a higher sequence number. For example, a record related to a creation record with sequence number 1 will be created before a record related to a creation record with sequence number 2.

If you want to use the new record in the configuration, you must specify the answer where to store its internal ID. The answer must be an input box text field answer, and you must create it before setting up the creation record. Then, you can include the question and answer codes in a resolve expression {Q/A} and enter it as a field value. For example, you can copy the internal ID to a transaction body or line field with mapping records or use it in NetSuite CPQ functions. For more information about input box text answers and resolve expressions, see Input Box Questions and Obtaining Answer Data with Resolve Expressions.

Creation records are processed after item creation records. If you need to process a creation record before item creation records, check the Process before item creation box. This option is useful, for example, when the internal ID of the creation record must be copied to a field belonging to an item to be created. In this case, the record must be created before the item.

To enter information about the new record:

1. On the Record Creation subtab, click New CPQC Record Creation.

2. Enter a descriptive name for the creation record.

3. Provide a sequence number.

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

4. Select the record type.

   The record types available in the list depend on your account.

5. To define and assign a value to the key field:

   • In the Key Field, select the field used as a unique identifier.

   • On the Fields subtab, select the key field and assign it a value.

6. In the Write ID to QA field, define the answer that will store the internal ID of the new record to be created. Enter the question and answer codes separated by a forward slash character—for example, Q/A.

7. To process the creation record before item creation records, check the Process before item creation box.

Entering Information by Copying an Existing Record

With creation records, you can create a record by copying the information of an existing one, called a template record. The template record works as a basis for the new record to be created. Using the template record data, you can set only the fields that you want to change without manually entering data for all record fields.

On the creation record, you can select the record you want to copy or identify the record from a user selection on the interface with resolve expressions. Then, you add a suffix to the key field of the copied record to create a unique identifier for the new record.

To copy the information of an existing record:

1. Follow the same steps used to enter information about a new record and skip step 6. For more information, see Entering Information about the New Record.

2. To identify the record you want to copy, two options are available:

   • In the Template Record field, select an existing record.

   • In the Template Record from QA field, enter a resolve expression to obtain the key field value from questions or answers on the interface.

     Use question and answer codes separated by the forward slash character and enclosed in curly braces. For example, {A/1}. NetSuite CPQ Configurator finds the key field value by replacing question and answer codes with the corresponding answer value. You can also add characters to generate the final key field value. For example, {A/1}-XXX-{B/2}-XX.

3. To create a unique identifier for the new record, add a suffix to the existing key field value in the Key Field Suffix field.

   To assign a new value to the key field, select the key field on the Fields subtab and enter the new value.

   This new value will overwrite the copied key field value and the suffix. However, you cannot skip assigning a suffix even if it will not be applied.

Setting Up the Creation Record Rule

After entering the basic information for the new record, set up the creation rule to determine whether the record will be created.

When users submit the configuration, the record will be created if the questions or answers selected on the user interface match the rule of the creation record.

To set up the creation record rule, go to the Rules subtab.

In the Show Rule field, provide the question and answer combination that determines whether NetSuite CPQ Configurator creates the new record.

Enter question and answer codes separated by the forward slash character. For example, A/1. Use operators to combine multiple question and answer sets. For example, A/1&B/2. For more information, see Activating Building Blocks with Rules.

Handling Existing Records

When creating a new record, another record may already have the same value you chose for the key field. If a record with the same key field value exists, you can decide to update the existing record, assign a different key field value to the new record, or not create the record.

During the creation record setup, select an option in the Existing Record Handling field to define how to proceed when finding an existing record with the same key field value:

• Don't create if exists – Does not create a new record when the same key field value exists. This is the default option.

• Update the existing record – Updates the existing record with the new information specified in the creation record.

• Create record with a different key field value – Creates the new record by automatically assigning a five-digit suffix to key field value of the existing record. A hyphen precedes the suffix.

  Note:

  For example, if the key field value is AB, the new record is assigned AB-00001 as a unique identifier. If this key field value exists, the new unique identifier is AB-00002, and so on.

Setting Values for Record Fields

On the Fields subtab of the creation record, you can set the field values for the record type you selected. The new record fields will be filled out based on this information. If you chose to update the existing record and set values for fields already filled in, NetSuite CPQ Configurator updates the values when creating the new record.

The basic required fields are automatically displayed depending on the record type and cannot be removed from the subtab. Based on the fields you set, NetSuite CPQ Configurator dynamically determines the additional required fields, the fields to be filled in with default values, and the fields to be dimmed.

To set field values on a creation record:

1. On the creation record opened for editing, go to the Fields subtab

2. Click the Select Fields subtab.

3. Click Add.

4. Select a field from the dropdown list.

5. To provide a value for the field, two options are available:

   • In the Select Value column, perform the task the field requires, such as selecting an option, entering a value, or checking a box.

     This column shows the fields in the same way as they are displayed on the corresponding record. For example, you can see a dropdown list, click the dropdown arrow, and select an option.

   • In the Value column, enter a resolve expression, such as {A/1}. For more information, see Obtaining Answer Data with Resolve Expressions.

     When using resolve expressions, NetSuite CPQ Configurator cannot predict the value assigned to the field and requires you to set any available value in the Emulated Value column. The value you select in this field does not matter. NetSuite CPQ Configurator uses this value to determine fields dynamically.

6. Repeat steps 2 – 4 for each required field and every other field you want to add.

7. Click Save.

Adding Record Sublists and Setting Field Values

After saving the creation record, you can work on the record sublists. To set values for record sublists:

1. Create an RCR sublist record for each sublist type you want to use.

   Each sublist record stores the list of the sublist lines for the new record to be created.

2. Create an RCR sublist component record for each sublist line.

3. On the RCR sublist component record, you can select the sublist fields and enter their values.

Note:

Only one sublist record for each sublist type can be created.

Custom record types with the Allow child record editing option enabled can work as sublist lines. In that case, you can use those custom records as sublist lines also within RCR sublist records. You can enable this option on the custom subrecord at Customization > Lists, Records, & Fields > Record Types. Open for editing the custom record and check the box for this option.

To create a sublist record:

1. On a saved creation record opened for editing, go to the Sublists subtab.

2. Click New CPQC RCR Sublist.

   Note:

   The Sublists subtab becomes available after saving the creation record.

3. Enter a descriptive name to identify the sublist record.

4. In the Sublist ID field, select one of the available sublists for the record type.

5. Click Save.

After creating the RCR sublist record, you can create sublist lines with the RCR sublist component record. On the sublist component record, you can specify the sublist fields and their values according to your business needs. Sublist component records are provided with a sequence number to order the sublist lines within the sublist. Sublist lines with a lower sequence number will be displayed higher on the sublist.

To create a sublist line:

1. On a saved CPQ sublist record opened for editing, go to the Components subtab.

2. Click New CPQC RCR Sublist Component.

3. Enter a descriptive name to identify the sublist line.

4. Provide a sequence number to order the sublist lines.

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

5. On the Fields subtab, set field values for the sublist line as you would on the creation record. For more information, see Setting Values for Record Fields.

6. Go to the Rules subtab.

7. In the Show Rule field, provide the question and answer combination that determines whether NetSuite CPQ Configurator adds the line to the sublist and sets values.

   Enter question and answer codes separated by the forward slash character. For example, A/1. Use operators to combine multiple question and answer sets. For example, A/1&B/2. For more information, see Activating Building Blocks with Rules.

8. Click Save.

Related Topics

• NetSuite CPQ Configurator Products
• Working with the Product User Interface
• Calculating the Final Pricing for the Configurable Item
• Including Additional Items Related to the Configurable Item
• Creating Work Orders for Configured Items
• Creating Items Required by the Configuration
• Setting Transaction Body or Line Fields Based on Configuration Data

General Notices