NetSuite CPQ Configurator Products

To create a product:

1. Go to CPQ > Configurator > Product Maintenance.

2. Click New CPQC Product.

3. Enter a descriptive name for the product.

   Users view this name on the Select Product page and the product user interface.

4. In the Code field, enter a unique identifier for this product.

   The code must contain only uppercase letters, numbers, and underscore characters. You can use a shortened version of the name as the code.

5. (Optional) In the Description field, enter a brief explanation of this product.

   The description is not displayed to users.

6. In the Sequence field, enter a number to define the order in which the product is displayed on the Select Product page.

   You can enter a negative or positive number—for example, -2 or 5. Products with a lower sequence number are displayed higher on the Select Product page.

   To display the products by sequence number, also select the corresponding option in the Sort Products By field at CPQ > Configurator > Settings.

7. To prevent displaying the product on the Select Product page until it is ready, check the Disable box.

   Clear this box to include the product on the Select Product page when you have completed the setup.

8. To preview the product faster during the setup, check the Disable Cache box. By checking this box, you avoid the cache being frequently deleted and created at every product launch due to the updates.

   Clear this box when the product is ready, and use the cache to load the product faster.

9. (Optional) In the Category field, select a product category. For more information, see Creating Product Categories.

10. Assign a base item (called the base generic product) to the product. For more information, see Assigning Base Items to Products.

    If you want to add only additional items to the transaction, skip this step.

11. To set transaction line fields for the base item when added as the main configured item to transactions, select the mapping records in the Apply Column Mapping field. For more information, see Setting Transaction Body and Line Fields Based on Configuration Data.

12. On the Appearance subtab, select an image from the File Cabinet to represent the product in the Default Image field. This image is displayed on the Select Product page with the product name.

13. Click Save.

Working with Product Building Blocks

NetSuite CPQ Configurator organizes products in building blocks, such as questions, answers, and images. Most building blocks are rule-based, and you can use them depending on whether the condition expressed in their rule is met. For more information about rules, see Activating Building Blocks with Rules.

Create the user interface with the following building blocks:

• Questions and answers – Gather and display information about the configurable item. For more information, see Gathering Information with Questions and Answers.

• Validation messages – Provide additional information or communicate any inconsistencies or errors in the configuration. For more information, see Displaying Validation Messages on the User Interface.

• Images – Help users visualize the final look and feel of the configurable item. For more information, see Displaying Preview Images of the Configurable Item.

• Tabs and groups – Organize questions to guide users in the configuration process. Organizing Questions in Tabs and Groups.

If you install NetSuite CPQ Manufacturing, you can use the following building blocks to create work orders:

• Materials – Form the configurable item. For more information, see Defining Materials for the Configurable Item.

• Routing steps – Represent the tasks required to build the configurable item. Defining Routing Steps to Build the Configurable Item.

Other building blocks:

• Prices – Create the final price for the configurable item. For more information, see Calculating the Final Pricing for the Configurable Item.

• Additional items – Complete the main configurable item. For more information, see Including Additional Items Related to the Configurable Item.

• Tables – Provide structured data for answers. For more information, see Storing Answer Options in Tables.

• Item creation records – Contain information to create items required by the configuration. For more information, see Creating Items Required by the Configuration.

• Creation records – Contain information to create records required by the configuration. For more information, see Creating Records Required by the Configuration.

• Mapping records – Contains information to set transaction body and line fields based on configuration data. For more information, see Setting Transaction Body and Line Fields Based on Configuration Data.

• Actions – Let you personalize products with scripts that can automate a series of repetitive tasks or perform advanced tasks. For more information, see Customizing Products with Scripts Using Action Records and Functions.

After creating a building block instance, you can copy or deleted it. By copying a building block instance, you can use already entered information and reduce manual work.

If you no longer need a building block instance, you can delete it permanently. Open the building block record for editing. In the Actions dropdown menu, select Delete and click OK to confirm that you want to delete the building block.

Assigning Base Items to Products

A base item (called the base generic product) is a NetSuite item used as a placeholder. After users submit the configuration, the base item is added to the transaction as the main configured item, regardless of the specific choices made in the configuration.

The item used as a base item requires only the basic information needed to save the item. The rest of the information belongs to the configuration.

To assign a base item to a product, go to CPQ > Configurator > Product Maintenance. Edit the product that requires a base item. To choose the base item, two options are available:

• In the Base Generic Product field, select an item from NetSuite.

• In the Base Generic Product (Created) field, select an item creation record to create the item when users submit the configuration. For more information, see Assigning Item Creation Records to Materials, Additional Items, or Products.

When you are finished, save the product record.

On the Custom or CPQ subtab of the item used as a base item, define the product used to edit configured items. For more information, see Defining a Product to Edit Configured Items.

You can use the following item types as base items:

• inventory items

• assemblies

• kit/packages

• non-inventory items

To create work orders for configured items, select an assembly as a base item. For more information, see Creating Work Orders for Configured Items.

Defining a Product to Edit Configured Items

NetSuite CPQ Configurator requires information about the product to use when users want to edit a configured item from a transaction.

You can define a default product to edit all configured items. To define a default product, go to CPQ > Configurator > Settings and select a product in the Default Configurator field.

If you use a default product, also go to the Custom or CPQ subtab of the item used as a base item. Then, check the Is configurable box. By setting this option, you can edit the configured items associated with the base item using the default product. For more information about base items, see Assigning Base Items to Products.

If you want to edit the configured item using a specific product, assign a product to the item used as a base item. To assign a product to the base item, go to the Custom or CPQ subtab of the item record. Then, select a specific product in the CPQC-Product Configurator field. If you set both the default product and a specific product by mistake, the specific product will be used to edit the associated configured item.

Creating Product Categories

With NetSuite CPQ Configurator, you can create product categories to group, classify, and organize products based on their features and functionality. For example, a furniture company can have a product category for office desks and another for home desks.

With product categories, users can launch a filtered version of the Select Product page from eligible transactions. The page will show only the products belonging to that category. To view only the configurable items associated with a product category, users can click the arrow next to the Configure button on transactions and select their preferred category. If only one product is assigned to a product category, users directly access the product interface without going through the Select Product page.

Additionally, users can filter products by categories directly on the Select Product page and quickly find the product that best suits their needs.

To create product categories, go to CPQ > Configurator > Product Categories and click New CPQC Product Category. Provide a descriptive name for the product category and save it. After creating the category, use the Category field on the product record to assign a product category to a product.

You can also use product categories to place additional launch buttons on eligible transactions by checking the Display on SO box on the product category record. When users click a product category button, only the products assigned to that category are displayed on the Select Product page.

To modify a product category, click Edit on the product category list. If you want to duplicate the product category, click Make a copy in the Actions menu with the record in view mode. If you no longer need a product category, click Delete in the Actions menu with the record opened for editing.

Exporting and Importing Products

You can export and import your products at CPQ > Configurator > Settings. Use the import and export options to move products from your sandbox account to your production account after testing. Additionally, you can create duplicate products in your current account to use as a base for new products.

To export a product, select one in the Export Product field and click the Export button. The product is saved as a ZIP file on your computer.

In the exported file, you can include additional resources, such as images, CSV tables, and CSS styles. If the additional resources are unavailable in the target account, you must check the Export product resources box before exporting the product. However, if you export the product for testing purposes and do not need additional resources, leave the box unchecked.

After exporting a product, you can import it back to the same or different accounts. Imported products may include references to item records, also called links. These referenced item records may need to be retrieved in the target account. For example, a reference to an item record is when you select an item from NetSuite as a material.

During the product setup, choose how to handle item record references during the import process in the NS Links Import Options field:

• Don't import links – Leaves blank all fields containing a reference to a record.

  Choose this option when importing products into a sandbox account for testing purposes.

• Import links using same IDs – Assigns references to records based on the internal ID of the item. This is the default option.

  Choose this option when importing products within the same account to optimize the import process.

• Import links using search by name – Looks for the item name to find its internal ID and place it in the link field.

  Choose this option when importing products across different accounts because items with the same name can have different internal IDs.

  When importing record references by name, NetSuite CPQ can automatically create placeholder items to replace materials or additional items (called breakout items) that are linked to the product but do not exist in the target account. Placeholder items have the same ID and item name or number as the original item, and a fixed price of 10 USD. To enable this option when importing products for testing purposes, check the Auto-create missing item box.

You can also update a product by importing a new product version into the previous one. The updated product maintains the ID of the original product. The rest of the data is replaced with information from the new product. To use this option, select the product you want to import in the Import Product field. Then, select the product where you want to import data in the Target Product field and click the Import button.

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