Product Grouping

Product Grouping expands the Use Style Code As Part Number feature to allow any or all combinations of a Product's Style choices (Size, Color, etc.) to be mapped to individual inventory items, allowing control over availability. Before going any farther, please be sure you read and understand the Use Style Code As Part Number feature.

Let's use the example Widget from the Use Style Code As Part Number instructions. Your Color group contains Red, Blue and Green. Your Size group contains Large and Small. BUT, what if the Large Widget is only available in Red and Green? Or maybe you only have a fixed number of each color/size combination in stock.

The solution is to make the Widget a Group Master Product and enter each individual item as a Group Sub Item, the Product ID of each matching the Part Number that is created "on-the-fly" when using the Use Style Code As Part Number feature. Using our example, we would have our Group Master Product as the Widget with a Product ID of W. All of the possible style code combinations would produce product IDs of the following, if using the default setup. We will refer to this id as the "Style Part" from now on.

• W-RD-SM = Widget - Red - Small
• W-RD-LG = Widget - Red - Large
• W-GR-SM = Widget - Green - Small
• W-GR-LG = Widget - Green - Large
• W-BL-SM = Widget - Blue - Small
• W-BL-LG = Widget - Blue - Large

Refer back to our "what if" scenarios (no large, blue widget, etc.). If you simply do not enter the item W-BL-LG, then a Large, Blue Widget is not available. Otherwise, since each item is actually entered, you may use inventory control to control the number of each item that is available. A chart is available for the customer to view the price and availability of all possible combinations.

Creating a Product Group

1. Set attributes.productgrouping = "1" in Application.cfm and setup the Use Style Code As Part Number feature how you wish to create the correct Style Part.
2. Create a Group Master Product by entering identical values in the Product ID and the Group Master Product ID fields. They would both be W using our example. The following fields must be set to the values shown:
   • Regular Price and Sale Price = $0.00; Each Group Sub Item is priced individually.
   • Weight = 0; Each Group Sub Item is weighted individually.
   • In Stock = [leave blank]; In Stock (Quantity On Hand), if using inventory control, is entered on individual Group Sub Items.
   All other fields should be entered as they normally are.
3. Create a Group Sub Item as you would any item, except enter the ID of the Group Master Product in the Group Master Product ID field (W for the Red, Small Widget in our example) and enter the Style Part (W-RD-SM for the Red, Small Widget in our example) as the Product ID.
4. Repeat the previous step until all Sub Items have been entered.

Sub Item Notes

• You may use the Product Part field of each Sub Item if the Product ID/Style Part cannot be used in your internal inventory or accounting program. For example, if the actual SKU number that you use internally for the Red, Small Widget is something such as 01348573899, you may enter that and the W-RD-SM Product ID will be used internally by cf_ezcart only. The 01348573899 would be passed as the Part number in the order reports and invoices.
• You may use the Group Master Product to update the Sub Item Prices as a shortcut. Does not work when pricing based on quantity.