A product classification consists of hierarchically organized product categories and product features that are assigned to these product categories. If a product is placed in a product category, it inherits all product features from the direct and indirect parent product categories.
This article describes how to manually create a product classification with censhare PIM. Do you plan to use a standard classification system (GS1/GPC)? Then continue reading Standard product classification.
Target group
Solution developer
Solution administrator
Context
Product features are stored as features in the Master data and represented as Feature assets. The product category hierarchy is created as an asset structure in censhare Web. Product features and inheritance rules are assigned to the respective product categories.
Prerequisites
None
Introduction
With a product classification, you create a framework in censhare PIM to build a consistent product catalog. Typically, a product classification is represented in a tree structure of Product categories. The root category can simply be called Products and represents the top level of all child Product categories. If you want to set up multiple classification systems, create a root category for each classification system.
Before you start to create a Product classification, we recommend that you conceptualize a category tree, if you haven't done this yet. Each Product category can be defined as a node in a navigation path (bottom-up), or by one or multiple unique product features (top-down).
Bottom-up approach
Start to group your products into the base categories. The base categories contain the product features that define the products in them. Next, group the base categories into more abstract categories. Do this for each hierarchy level up to the root category. For example, in a supermarket assortment, start with grouping sparkling waters into a base category, and still waters into another. Next, group sparkling and still waters in a mineral water category. Next, add this category together with soft drinks into a non-alcoholic beverages category, and so on.
Top-down approach
Starting with the root category, define the unique product features that define the category. The higher in the hierarchy a category is placed, the more generic are the product features in this category. The lower a category is placed, the more specific are the product features in this category. For example, all products have a retail price, an EAN, and a manufacturer number. These are the unique features that define the root product category. In the next level, you place the categories food and non-food. The food category is defined by the unique feature minimum shelf life date, and so on. If you put together all product features from the root category to any base category, you obtain a complete set of product features for products in that category.
In practice, the bottom-up and the top-down approach can be used together to create your classification system.
To classify and store a product asset, you add it to a Product category at the lowest hierarchical level of the Product categories tree. This Product category is directly stored in the Product asset. All parent Product categories up to the root category are indirectly related to the product through a cascade of parent relations. This cascade serves also to inherit product features (or Product properties in censhare PIM) down from the root category to the product.
Other than the indirect assignment of parent Product categories, product features are physically inherited to the products in a Product category hierarchy. Assigning a product to a Product category creates the respective product features in the Product asset. You can enter a value to product features in the Product asset, or in a Product category. If you enter a value for a product feature in a Product category, it is inherited together with the product feature. In a Product classification cascade, you can control, whether you want to inherit values further down or stop the inheritance.
The functionality of Product categories and product features is an integral part of censhare PIM and works as described above without further configuration. censhare PIM also comes with some generic product features that you can use as is.
In the following sections, learn how to build your own classification system of Product categories and product features.
Product features are created as Features in the censhare Admin Client, in the Master data/Features table. For more information, see Create product features.
In censhare Web, product features are represented as Module / Feature assets. These assets are created automatically when you add a new feature to the master data. Use the Module / Feature asset of a product feature, to add and edit localized names, descriptions, or icons.
Take into account the following considerations:
We recommend to use product as Trait key.
In the Target object field, select Asset.
In the Type field, select Asset feature.
To create a feature with values to select from a list, in the Value type field select Asset key reference, and in the Value list resource key field, enter "censhare:value-list.feature-item-assets".
For currencies, dimensions, weights, always select a Unit or a Unit set.
The fields in the Classification area are only used for standard product classifications that you import into censhare. Leave these fields empty!
Value lists provide a list of value items that represent possible values of a product feature. A Feature item represents a single value of a product feature. Use Feature items to create value list from which you can select a feature value. For example, the shoe size: Shoe sizes are numeric values like 5, 5.5, 6, 6.5, and so on. However, it is not intuitive to create a number field and let users enter a value. This can lead to errors if a user enters for example 6.3. A value list is more intuitive and avoids errors.
To create a value list, proceed as follows:
In the censhare Admin Client, create the product feature as described in the previous section.
In censhare Web, open the corresponding Module / Feature asset.
In the Overview tab, in the Child feature items table, click in the table header.
In the Add asset dialog, select the New asset tab.
Enter a Name, Localized names, and Descriptions.
Select the Enabled field.
Enter a Resource key.
To save the Feature item and close the dialog, click OK. The new Feature item is assigned to the Feature and shown in the Child feature items table.
To add an icon or image, open the Feature item asset on an asset page. In the Assigned preview widget, click Preview and select or upload an image.
Repeat the previous steps for each Feature item.
Conditional value lists
Some classification systems require conditional value lists. In a conditional value list, the selectable Feature items of a Feature depend on the Product category, in which the Feature is used. For this setup, you need a custom value list. In the Feature definition, in the censhare Admin Client, use the resource key of the custom Value list instead of the "censhare:value-list.feature-item-assets" resource key.
Each feature that has conditional values requires its own conditional value list. In the Feature items that represent the conditional values, add a category property that contains the context Product category. In the XSL code of the conditional value list, use the category property to filter the Feature items that are available in a given context.
Create product categories and a product category tree
To create a product classification, build tree structure from the product categories that you created. Start with a root category. Proceed as follows:
In censhare Web, create a Product / Product category asset. This product category serves as root product category.
Open the root product category.
On the Overview tab, in the Product hierarchy table, move the cursor over the root category, and click .
In the Add relation dialog, select Product category and click OK.
In the Add asset relation dialog, select the New asset tab.
Create a new Product category asset and configure the product properties as described above.
Repeat the previous steps for each child Product category of the root category.
Proceed with the second level child Product categories and continue until the bottom level of the product category tree. This is the level to which you assign products.
When you created all Product categories, select Products in the Side navigation and verify the product categories tree. Adjust if necessary.
Assign product features
To assign product features to a product category, proceed as follows:
Open a product category in an asset page and go to the Classification tab.
In the Classification features widget, click .
Select the desired Features in the Asset chooser. You can also assign Product feature sets here. For more information, see Create product feature sets below.
To add a child feature, click in the table row of the parent feature. Proceed as described in the previous step.
To add and inherit a value, you must configure feature inheritance for the respective Feature. For more information, see the Configure feature inheritance section below.
Optionally, you can define a feature importance for the respective product feature in the respective product category. For more information, see the Configure feature importance section below.
Configure feature inheritance
By default, censhare PIM inherits product features as empty asset features from the root product category, to child product categories, and to products and product items. The unique cascade or path defines the set of product features that a product inherits. For example, a product is placed in products ► food ► beverages ► non-alcoholic beverages ► waters ► sparkling waters. Product features from all nodes in this path are added to the product. In the product asset, you can enter values for these product features.
For some product features, the values can be entered on a higher level in the path and inherited to products as well. For example, all waters have an energy value of 0 kcal. Instead of entering this value in each product, you can add it to the waters Product category, and inherit the value to all child categories and products.
The feature inheritance of values must be configured for each product feature, and for each of the following relation types:
Feature inheritance rule
Description
Product categories to child product categories
Inherits product feature values downward in the Product category hierarchy.
Product categories to products
Inherits product feature values from the base Product category to a product.
Products to product items
Inherits product feature values from a product to product items. Only required if you use Product items.
Products to product item groups
Inherits product feature values from a product to Product item groups. Only required if you use Product items and Product item groups.
Product item groups to product items
Inherits product feature values from a Product item group to a Product item. Only required if you use Product items and Product item groups.
The Feature inheritance rules listed in the table above are part of the censhare standard solution.
To enable the inheritance of feature values for a product feature, proceed as follows:
In censhare Web, open one of the Feature inheritance rules from the table above.
On the Overview tab, in the Inheritance rule of widget, click .
Select the Features, from which you want to inherit the values and click OK.
The Inheritance rule of widget shows the features for which the value inheritance is enabled.
If necessary, carry out the configuration for other Feature inheritance rules.
To test the feature inheritance with values, edit the Product properties widget of a Product category, enter or select a value for the inherited feature, and save the changes. Open a child Product category, a child Product, or a child Product item. Go to the Classification tab. The Product properties widget shows the inherited product feature and its value.
The feature inheritance can be interrupted with an feature inheritance stop. Feature inheritance stops can be set on child product categories, products, product item groups or product items. To implement feature inheritance stops in the product category hierarchy, see the Configure feature importance and feature stop (optional) section below.
When the inheritance of a feature is stopped, a new value can be entered at any child item. The new value is inherited to its child items. For more information, see Feature inheritance - key concepts.
Configure feature importance and feature stop (optional)
Product features can have importance in the context of a product category. The feature importance is configured for a specific feature in the product category to which a product feature is directly assigned, or to which a product feature is inherited. The feature importance generates a hint in the UI dialogs to remind users of the respective importance:
Mandatory
High
Medium
Low
Disabled
-
Tip: The feature importance is only an information for the users. The mandatory importance does not prevent users from saving a product without entering a value in the respective field. The disabled importance does not remove or disable the respective field. Users can still enter a value. This is intended behavior. To configure the feature edit dialogs accordingly, you can use the read/disabled and required attributes in the </cs-metadata-row> directive. For more information, see censhare metadata directives.
The feature importance can be configured for products and product items, or for product items only. In this configuration, you can also set feature stops for inherited features.
To configure a feature importance and feature inheritance stops, do the following:
Open a product category in an asset page and go to the Classification tab.
In the Importance / Priority widget, click .
In the Importance / Priority area, select the desired values for each product feature:
Only relevant for product items: Select, to apply feature importance values only to product items, not on their parent products.
Display: Select the importance value that displays in the dialog fields when users edit a product.
To stop the feature inheritance at the current product category, go to the Feature Stoparea, and select the feature, for which you want to interrupt inheritance.
To add more feature inheritance stops, click and select the desired feature.
To save your changes, click OK.
Create product feature sets (optional)
Product features can be grouped in Product feature sets. Product feature sets work like individual product features. They save you time and effort to manage a PIM system. You can assign Product feature sets to a Product category or use them to create Output tables.
To create a Product feature set, proceed as follows:
In censhare Web, create a new Product / Product feature set asset.
On the Overview tab, in the Child feature hierarchy table, assign the product features. You can create a flat or hierarchical set of product features.
Assign product features to a Feature group (optional)
Feature groups allow you to define sub-sections of product features in the Product properties widget. For more information, see Feature groups.
Result
You have setup a product classification with Product categories, product features and feature inheritance rules.
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in the table header.
