In the context of Combinum a product is a configuration model, which means that it governs how business products can be customized. It acts as a blueprint for product variations, ensuring that only valid combinations of features and options are allowed.
Hub for configuration logic
A product is the hub towards most configuration logic is linked. It's to the product that you connect parameters, price lists, bill-of-materials, reports etc.
Below is a simplified overview of the types of configuration logic that can be linked to a product:
•Tabs
oData selectors
oPanels (Display of data like prices, calculations, 3D etc.)
•Price lists
oPrice items
▪Price items
•Code files (Modelling of JSON, XML etc.)
oCode items
▪Code items
•Documents
•Report documents
oReport paragraphs
oReport tables
▪Report tables
▪Report paragraphs
oReport folders
▪Report folders
▪Report tables
▪Report paragraphs
•Item structure (Configurable Bill of Materials)
oItems
▪Items
•Graphics
oSymbols
▪Graphic elements
▪Symbols
•Graphic elements
Each type of configuration logic above is maintained in its own tree structure. To open a window with a tree structure In Combinum Architect you right click on a product and select Links followed by the type of tree you would like to open, e.g. Links > Tabs or Links > Rules.
Settings
Products have the following settings:
Setting name |
Description |
|---|---|
Title |
Title of product displayed in the CPQ app. |
Notes |
Longer description of product displayed in the CPQ app. |
Configuration identity expression |
An expression containing a formula for generating the identity of configurations. See also the expression function NumberSeries(). |
Configuration name expression |
An expression containing a formula for generating the name of configurations. |
Icon |
Icon displayed in the CPQ app for representation of the product on the product selection page. The icon is also for representation of configurations of the product and is displayed in the tree structure of composite configurations. |
Image |
Image displayed in the CPQ app for representation of the product on the product selection page. |
Accordion tabs width |
Width of tabs that are displayed in an accordion style. |
Show children in accordion tabs |
Checked if child configurations should be displayed in tabs with the Display style set to Accordion children instead of displaying them in a tree control. The default is unchecked. |
Effective from |
First date from which it should be possible to create configurations of the product in the production site. The behavior for noneffective product on the admin site is controlled by settings. |
Effective until |
Last date of which it should be possible to create configurations of the product in the production site. The behavior for noneffective product on the admin site is controlled by settings. |
Product families and child products
Related products can be grouped together in families to make it easier for the sales reps to find the right product to configure.
Products can contain child products. This is used when creating configuration models for products of system type like elevators, solar panels and automation line, but it can also be used for creating a "quote" product so that sales reps can create quotes that contain multiple configurations of different products. See composite configuration.
Remarks
Since a product equals to a configuration model in Combinum their isn't always a one-to-one relationship between the products you create in Combinum and your business products, e.g. two business products that are closely related with almost the same set of options and rules are better to put in the same Combinum product and decide the business product by an early parameter selection.
