Working with Creation Records

Creation records store the information about the records that may need to be created after 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 rule for the creation record. For more information, see Setting Up the Creation Record Rule.

3. Define how you want to handle 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 sublist lines. For more information, see Adding Sublists and Setting Field Values.

New records are created in batches to optimize performance. If you want to create a limited number of records one at a time, go to the options record at CPQ > Configurator > Settings. Under the Submit subtab, check the Create records one by one box and click Save. After submitting the configuration, the progress bar on the product interface will update as each record is created.

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

Entering Information about the New Record

On creation records, you can either manually enter information about the new record to be created or copy details from an existing record. For more information about copying information from another record, 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 have a sequence numbers that determine the order in which records are created when users submit the configuration. Records with a lower sequence number are created before those with a higher sequence number. For example, a record with sequence number 1 will be created before a record with sequence number 2.

If you want to use the new record in a configuration, you must specify the answer where its internal ID will be stored. This answer must be an input box text field, which you must create before setting up the creation record. Then, you can create a resolve expressions with the question and answer codes, for example {Q/A}, and enter it as a field value in other records. 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 on the creation record. This option is useful, for example, when the internal ID of the creation record must be copied to a field on an item to be created. In this case, the record must be created before the item.

To enter information about the new record:

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

2. Edit the product you want to modify.

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

4. Enter a descriptive name for the creation record.

5. Provide a sequence number.

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

6. Select the record type.

   The available record types depend on your account.

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

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

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

8. In the Answer for Record ID field, specify 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, for example, Q/A.

9. 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 new record by copying the information of an existing one—called a template record. The template record works as the base for the new record to be created. Using the template record data, you only need to update the fields that you want to change, instead of entering all the data manually.

On the creation record, you can either select the record you want to copy or use resolve expressions to identify the record from answers users select on the product interface. 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 for a new record, but 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 Resolve Template Record Key Field field, enter a resolve expression to obtain the key field value from the answers users select on the product interface.

     Use question and answer codes separated by a forward slash and enclosed in curly braces, for example, {A/1}. NetSuite CPQ Configurator finds the key field value using the question and answer codes. You can also combine resolve expressions with additional characters to generate the final key field value, for example, {A/1}-XXX-{B/2}-XX.

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

4. (Optional) To assign a new value to the key field:

   1. Go to the Record Fields subtab.

   2. Select the key field.

   3. Enter the new value.

      This new value will overwrite both the copied key field value and the suffix.

   Note:

   You can't skip assigning a suffix, even if it won't be applied.

Setting Up the Creation Record Rule

After entering basic information for the new record, set up the rule that determines whether the new record will be created. When users submit the configuration, the new record will be created only if the rule of the creation record matches the answers users selected on the product interface.

To set up the rule, go to the Rule subtab.

In the Rule field, provide the condition that determines whether the new record will be created.

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

Handling Existing Records

When creating a new record, another record with the same value for the key field may already exists. During the creation record setup, you can define how to proceed when finding an existing record with the same key field value using the Existing Record Handling field. Three options are available:

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

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

• Create the record with a new key field value – Creates the new record by automatically adding a five-digit suffix to the 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 will be AB-00002, then AB-00003, and so on.

Setting Values for Record Fields

After entering the basic information, you can provide additional details on the creation record to set record fields for the new record to be created. If you choose to update an existing record or use a template record, only the fields included on the creation record will be updated.

You can set record fields under the Record Fields subtab on the creation record. The available fields depend on the record type you selected. Basic required fields are automatically displayed and can't be removed. Based on the fields you set, the system dynamically determines the additional required fields, the fields to be dimmed, and the fields to be filled in with default values.

To set field values on a creation record:

1. On the creation record, go to the Record Fields subtab.

2. Click the Select Fields subtab.

3. Click Add Field.

4. In the Field Name column, select a field.

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

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

     This column shows the fields as they appear on the corresponding record. For example, you may see a dropdown list, click the dropdown arrow, and select an option.

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

     Note:

     When using resolve expressions, the field value can't be predicted. To dynamically determine related fields, you must also set or select a placeholder value in the Placeholder Value column. Otherwise, you may experience issues when setting other fields.

6. Repeat steps 3 – 5 for each required field and every other field you want to set.

7. Click Save.

Adding Sublists and Setting Field Values

After saving the creation record, you can work on the record sublists for the new record to be created. To set values for record sublists, follow these steps:

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.

   Note:

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

2. Create an RCR sublist line record (formerly called an RCR sublist component) for each sublist line.

3. On the RCR sublist line record, select the sublist line fields and enter their values. For more information, see Creating a Sublist Line Record.

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

To create a sublist record:

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

2. Edit the product you want to modify.

3. On the Record Creation subtab, edit the creation record you want to modify.

4. Go to the Sublists subtab.

   Note:

   This subtab becomes available after saving the creation record.

5. Click New CPQC RCR Sublist.

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

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

8. In the Line Add Method field, select how to add new sublist lines:

   • Delete & add new lines – Deletes all existing sublist lines and adds new ones. This is the default option.

   • Append new lines – Adds the new lines below the existing lines.

     Note:

     This option requires you to check the Enable dynamic mode box on the creation record.

   • Overwrite existing lines – Writes the new lines over the existing one by starting from the first line. If the number of existing lines exceeds the new ones, exceeding existing lines remain unchanged.

     Note:

     On RCR sublist line records, you can remove all or some required fields to avoid overwriting line fields.

9. Click Save.

Creating a Sublist Line Record

After creating the RCR sublist record, you can create sublist lines using RCR sublist line records (formerly called RCR sublist components). On the RCR sublist line record, you can set the sublist line fields and their values according to your business needs. Each RCR sublist line record has a sequence number to order the sublist line within the sublist. Sublist lines with a lower sequence number will be displayed higher on the sublist.

To create a sublist line record:

1. Edit the RCR sublist record for which you want to add sublist lines.

2. Go to the Sublist Lines subtab.

3. Click New CPQC RCR Sublist Line.

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

5. Provide a sequence number to order the sublist line within the sublist.

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

6. On the Sublist Line Fields subtab, set field values for the sublist line as you would set values for record fields. For more information see, Setting Values for Record Fields.

   Note:

   You can remove all or some required fields to avoid overwriting existing line fields.

7. Go to the Rule subtab.

8. In the Rule field, provide the condition that determines whether the sublist line will be added to the sublist and its fields will be set.

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

9. 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 and Line Fields Based on Configuration Data

General Notices