Using Attributes to create product variants

Product attributes are additional characteristics of a product. For example product attributes can be size and color. You first create the attribute, such as size. Then, you create values for this attribute. For example, for size, you can create values S, M, L, and XL. The purpose of Attributes is creating variants of the same Product.

Some attributes may only have an informative value, others would be inherent to price plans.

In the Catalog Manager, not only Products can have attributes but also Offers. In this unit we will only go through Product Attributes.

Attribute types

Attributes can be of many types as you can see in the list below:

The attribute types you would mostly use as a catalog administrator are:

• List of numeric or text values : you can limit the options, and your sales team can only select one option during the quoting process

• Multiple list of numeric or text values: you can limit the options, and your sales team can select multiple options during the quoting process

• Integer and numeric value: mainly used for block pricing

• Boolean: corresponds to TRUE or FALSE options

Using Attributes

As previously seen, My Demo Company proposes a Post-delivery Support service that can be customized by the sales team according to 3 criteria:

• The number of dedicated support people that would work exclusively for the client

• The communication channels through which the support team can be contacted by client’s end users

• Operation Dashboard type

Each of these criteria is an Attribute of the Post-delivery Support Product.

As the number of dedicated support people is limited to 1, 2 or 3, Number of dedicated people should be configured as a List of numeric values Attribute.

However, as client can choose to use multiple channels among the suggested four, Support communication channels should be configured as a Multiple List of string values Attribute.

As for the Operation dashboard type, it can be either basic or advanced and should be configured as a List of Text values Attribute.

As for the Consulting Services product, clients have the option whether to have a priority pass or not. If they choose to have the priority pass, the price of the latter will depend on the number of consulting hours they committed to purchase.

Having the option to have a priority pass or not means that Include Priority Pass is a Boolean Attribute. As for Committed Consulting Days, since there are no limited options and client can choose any number according to its needs, it is an Integer Attribute.

Creating an Attribute

Attribute type: Integer

1. From Catalog Manager’s Main Menu, select Products

2. Search for the Product Name: Consulting Services 40

3. Click on it

4. In Product Version, click on ATTRIBUTES tab

5. Click on the button CREATE

6. Select Attribute type: Integer

7. Enter Name: ConsultingDays10

8. Enter Label: Committed Consulting Days 10

9. Enter Sequence: 2. Sequence corresponds to the order in which a sales person would view the attributes in the quoting process

10. Save

11. Go back

You may also enter a default value. For an Attribute with a list type, user gets an error message when saving if the default value is not a value in the list. For Boolean type, default value is a TRUE/FALSE toggle.

As mentioned in a previous unit, you may add tags, media or commercial rules to attributes.

In Model V2 (Opencell Portal v.11 onward), Mandatory, Display, Disabled and Read Only toggles are not functional.

We’ll add another Attribute to the Consulting Services Product.

Attribute type: Boolean

1. In Product Version, click on ATTRIBUTES tab

2. Click on the button CREATE

3. Select Attribute type: Boolean

4. Enter Name: PriorityPass20

5. Enter Label: Include Priority Pass 20

6. Enter Sequence: 1

7. For Default value: TRUE, place the toggle in the TRUE position, its color becomes red instead of grey.

8. Save

9. Go back

10. Save

Attribute type: List of numeric values

1. From Catalog Manager’s Main Menu, select Products

2. Search for the Product Name: Post-delivery Support 50

3. Click on it

4. In Product Version, click on ATTRIBUTES tab

5. Click on the button CREATE

6. Select Attribute type: List of numeric values

7. Enter Name: NumPeople30

8. Enter Label: Number of dedicated people 30

9. Enter Sequence: 1

10. In TYPE tab, values section, click ADD and enter value:1

11. Click ADD again and enter value: 2

12. Click ADD again and enter value: 3

13. For Default value: 1

14. Save

15. Go back

16. Save

We’ll add another attribute for the Post-delivery Support Product.

Attribute type: Multiple list of text values

1. In Product Version, click on ATTRIBUTES tab

2. Click on the button CREATE

3. Select Attribute type: Multiple list of text values

4. Enter Name: Channels40

5. Enter Label: Support communication channels 40

6. Enter Sequence: 2

7. In TYPE tab, values section, click ADD and enter value: Jira ticketing

8. Click ADD again and enter value: Hotline

9. Click ADD again and enter value: Live chat

10. Click ADD again and enter value: Live video assistance

11. For Default value: Jira ticketing, Hotline

12. Save

13. Go back

14. Save

Attribute type: List of text values

1. In Product Version, click on ATTRIBUTES tab

2. Click on the button CREATE

3. Select Attribute type: List of text values

4. Enter Name: DashBoardType50

5. Enter Label: Operation KPI Dashboard Type 50

6. Enter Sequence: 3

7. In TYPE tab, values section, click ADD and enter value: Basic

8. Click ADD again and enter value: Advanced

9. Save

10. Go back

11. Save

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