Hello,
I thought it was time that I would share a newly developed functionality in our shopping cart that will be releases in the upcoming Accelerator 5.8. To ensure our dear cart would meet the following requirements (which is also part of the Accelerator 5.8):
• Product Packages
• Answers to questions on product quantity level
• Ordering of multiple computers with a unique set of software
… We have extended the structure in the shopping cart, to allow for a so-called hierarchy, i.e. a number / product to the shopping cart can now have a number of products that are related to the parental object. Below you can see an example of how this might look like with 3 levels. The picture shows such a computer package (Laptop Package 1) containing a computer product (Laptop Product 1) and software (Photoshop) assigned to the new computer:
In the standard version of the Accelerator 5.8, only Order Hardware will use the ability to add products in levels, but the function is fully available to use in a customer specific projects. The order is then automatically, assigned approval and shipped to dealers as usual. All configurations except resellers (Vendor) will be inherited down the breakdown of several orders. I.e. Package contents will get the approval based on the packet header and when ordering software with new computer software product will get the same approval as computer product.
The hierarchy is also given to our workflow, allowing consultants can retrieve the relations products, we order. This can as an example be interesting when you want to put a newly ordered computer in the right software groups, etc. All products, regardless of level, will result in so-called order lines NITO which, as usual, depending on configuration, will result in the creation of assets, approval, specification items etc.
It is worth mentioning also that the cart now provides an expanded framework to include determination of which products are allowed to have the products, i.e. what/who shall be permitted to be removed in different parts of the ordering process (Step 1, Step 2 …) etc. The parent product will allow the possibility to expand the graphic in the cart or on a specific product is added to the order when ordering (eg if you do not want to include the packet header when ordering).