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Dynamics 365 Community / Forums / Microsoft Dynamics CRM (Archived) / Product catalog - advice
Microsoft Dynamics CRM (Archived)

Product catalog - advice

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Posted on by TBredel 970

Hi

I'm doing an 2013 Online implementation, for a newly starte company, and have some concerns regarding the product catalog...

They are a manufacture of modular furnitures, and based on their product catalogue, can combine approx 5000 variations of the end-products.

Since they do not have an ERP system yet, they would also like to have some insight into the various components, semi-fabricates and end-products in the pipeline.

So my questions/thoughts are...

Should I add all components to the system and then create product kits to makeup the end-products?
Or
Should I extent the product entity to have 9-10 different fields so that a single product contains information about the components etc.?

Also they would like me to build a lookup form for selecting the Opportunity Product, as the product name will be generated from the components used in the end-product (e.g. OE-SQ00650K1IP64-AB41), and it is to difficult for the sales reps to remember how the name is build.

It should be taken into consideration that it is most likely, that they will start implementing some ERP (end 2014/start 2015) so that supply, production, stock etc. is sync'ed... but that is a project they are not quite ready for yet.

Thanks for you time and thoughts!

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I have the same question (0)
  • Josh Thompson Profile Picture
    Josh Thompson 1,115 on at

    This is not going to be easy as CRM isn't really meant to do finished goods/component/kit type products. This would have to be custom developed. You could accomplish it in a couple of different ways but really, you'd be forcing a square peg into the proverbial round hole. At a high level, I can envision connections being used for related components, you would need some js to develop the product name on save. I built this out in Access a dozen or more years ago and if you have the option of building this separate (elsewhere) and just loading finished goods into CRM you might have more success. There are even some free tools you could find that manage this sort of thing in the short term. You aren't going to get the forecasting and robust inventory management that you'll find in an enterprise grade ERP/MRP tool either.

  • TBredel Profile Picture
    TBredel 970 on at

    Hi josh

    Thanks!

    The product names is not a problem, I have them in an Excel sheet, with all different componenets in seperate columns.

    I'm currently also looking at a Tool that can import/sync products from the Excel sheet.

    Implementing a ERP/MRP is a goal, but it is going to take at least 3-6 before the company is mature, and then at least 6-9 month of development/deployment. In the mean time I have to come up with some CRM-based solution to support sales and also gives some forecast possibility of products/componentes needed based on the pipeline.

    My concerns are more towards advantages/disadvantages in building a product (kit) tree structure versus extending the products with multiple attributes

    Thanks!

  • Verified answer
    TBredel Profile Picture
    TBredel 970 on at

    My solution (for future reference)...

    I've added a field to products that can contain a product type.

    I've added a custom entity called product type.

    For each product type I add a corresponding custom entity containing all the attributes needed to describe that product (type).

    I installed an Excel Import Tool, that imports all the products of that specific product type into the custom entity, and also their unique ids to the actual product entity.

    I've then added a script to the opportunity form, that when a user selects "+" to add a product to the opportunity, a popup opens.

    First step in the popup is to select the product type.

    When product type has been selected, x-number of select fields appears based on the attributes that the product types corresponding custom entity has, so that it filteres the list of products until the user can select the product.

    I now have a structure there producs has only been ammended with a singe attribute (product type), but in regards to reporting etc. I can match products sold with the custom entity based on the Unique id.

    Not the easiest task (requires some pretty complex custom built reports), but it Works for me

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