Product Groups Login

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For each TOTECS project there is the ability to create any number of "product groups". Each product can be assigned to any number of product groups. Each product group can be given a name and code that allows it to be identified. There are several reasons for using product groups:

• They can be displayed in product search listings and category listings, and help reduce the amount of similar products that would otherwise normally be listed.
• They can provide a generic code or name of a product that users would identify with, but relates to several products.
• They can help users navigate between each of the products assigned to one product group.
• They can help users further refine the product that they are looking for.
   

Each product group can have the following data set:

Showing Product Groups In Search And Category Listings

On a content managed web site containing web pages with "Product Search Result Listing" and "Category Listing" areas, there is the ability to show the details of product group and hide all products that are assigned to a product group. What this can do is reduce the amount of products that display in the listings and instead only show the product group. The main effect of this is to make it quicker and easier for users to identify the product that they are interested in, then allow them to further navigate more details and choose the specific product that they are looking for later on.

Default Product For a Product Group

For each product group there is the ability to assign one product to be the group's default. When a product group is set to display in a product search listing or category listing, it is the details of the default product that will display, with only the default product's name and code being substituted with the group's name and code. The default product acts like the main representative of the group.

Within the Administration Centre of a TOTECS project, under the Inventory menu there is a menu item labelled Product Groups that takes administrator users to the Product Groups interface. Within the interface administrator users can find, create and modify product groups. Additionally they can add and remove products from groups, as well as set the default product for each group.

Create A Product Group

For administrator users to create a product group follow these steps:

1. Open a web browser and go to the Administration Centre for the relevant TOTECS project.
2. Click on the Inventory menu button.
3. Click on the Product Groups menu link.
4. In the Group Details panel, for the Group Code text box type the code for the group.
5. In the Group Name textbox type the name of the product group.
6. Click on the Create button.

The product group will be created and a table row will be added to the Product Groups table.

Modify A Product Group

For administrator users to modify an existing product group follow these steps:

1. Open a web browser and go to the Administration Centre for the relevant TOTECS project.
2. Click on the Inventory menu button.
3. Click on the Product Groups menu link.
4. In the Product Groups table click on a row of a product group to modify.
5. In the Group Details panel, for the Group Code text box type the code for the group.
6. In the Group Name textbox type the name of the product group.
7. Click on the Save button.

The product group details will be saved and the details will be updated in the Product Groups table, as well as in any product search and category listings that display the product group data on a content managed website.

Delete A Product Group

For administrator users to delete an existing product group follow these steps:

1. Open a web browser and go to the Administration Centre for the relevant TOTECS project.
2. Click on the Inventory menu button.
3. Click on the Product Groups menu link.
4. In the Product Groups table click on a Delete icon of a product group to remove.
5. In the Warning dialog click the Yes button.

The product group will be permanently deleted and any mappings to products will be removed as well. Be sure that you wish to remove the group as its data will be permanently deleted.

Add A Product To A Product Group

For administrator users to add a product to a product group follow these steps:

1. Open a web browser and go to the Administration Centre for the relevant TOTECS project.
2. Click on the Inventory menu button.
3. Click on the Product Groups menu link.
4. In the Product Groups table click on a row of a product group that you wish to add the product to.
5. In the Group Products panel, in the textbox type the code of the product that you wish to add.
6. Select the product that displays in the auto-complete drop down.
7. Click on the Add button.

The product will be added to the product group and appear in the Group Products table.

Set A Product As Default In A Product Group

For administrator users to add a product to a product group follow these steps:

1. Open a web browser and go to the Administration Centre for the relevant TOTECS project.
2. Click on the Inventory menu button.
3. Click on the Product Groups menu link.
4. In the Product Groups table click on a row of a product group that you wish to add the product to.
5. In the Group Products table click on the Default radio button against the product row that you wish to make the default product.

The product will be set as the default product of the product group. In product search and category listings that appear on content managed websites the selected product will now be used to represent the product group, if the web page areas are configured to do so.

Remove A Product From A Product Group

For administrator users to remove a product from a product group follow these steps:

1. Open a web browser and go to the Administration Centre for the relevant TOTECS project.
2. Click on the Inventory menu button.
3. Click on the Product Groups menu link.
4. In the Product Groups table click on a row of a product group that you wish to remove the product from.
5. In the Group Products table click on the Delete icon against the product row that you wish to remove.
6. In the Warning dialog click on the Yes button.

The product will be removed from the product group, as as the group products table.

• For administrator users to be able to access the Product Groups Administration Centre interface the "Product Grouping" feature must be enabled.
• For administrator users to be able to access the Product Groups Administration Centre interface they must be assigned to Admin Permission Role that has the "View & Modify Group" permission set to Allow.
• For Category Listing content web page areas to restrict products showing when assigned to product groups, in the Administration Centre, under the Stores menu, in the Product Search settings interface, set the "Show Only Default Products For Group" setting to YES. To have default products in groups show the group code and name, instead of the product name set the "User Group Information" setting to YES.
• For Product Search Result Listing content managed web page areas to restrict products showing when assigned to product groups, in the Administration Centre, under the Inventory menu, in the Search Profiles interface, edit the search profile that is performing the search and set its "Show products that are in Product Groups" setting to Yes. To have the default products show the group code and name, set the profile's "Show group ID and name for product group's default product" setting to Yes.

• Use product groups when a number of similar products exist and can be represented by a single product group. This can reduce the amount of products that users see in product search and category listings, making it easier for them to find what they are interested in.
• Use product groups to allow users to navigate to other product detail webpages for products in a group. Users can navigate by viewing the images of all products in the group, which can be used for colour selection.
• Assign combination products to product groups to further reduce the amount of products that users can choose from. In some examples product groups are used to group combination products by colours or sizes, then for each combination product users can further refine their choices before selecting a product to add to basket.