Catalog Item created from Product Model

[marcelo_moreli]

Hi Community!

We are starting using Asset Management in here, and we want to use Product Catalog (Created from the product models).

Here is the situation that we have:

- Several models for one "kind" of equipment, for example:

• 13-inch MacBook Pro (2011)
• 13-inch MacBook Pro (Mid 2012)
• 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro (Late 2012)
• 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro (Late 2013)
• 15-inch MacBook Pro (Mid 2012)
• 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro (Mid 2012)

Our asset users want to publish an Item that is something like "MacBook Pro", not related to any model, and later assign what model we have in stock to the users.

How would you do that? What's the "best practice" way to do that?

-> Create a hardware model "MacBook Pro" with the other models as "Compatible" or "Substitutes" ?

-> Create a catalog item that is not created from the hardware model?

-> Do something with Bundles?

-> Any other?

Thanks a lot!

[Community Alums]

Hi Marcelo,

One method I've suggested for a similar situation is to use an Order Guide. This works well if you let your users select some of the options, such as 13" or 15", retina/non-retina. Then based on the options they select, the Order Guide selects the appropriate model.

Take a look at this blog post for an example: Model the Service Catalog: Model Management Part 6

I hope this helps.

Ben

[marcelo_moreli]

Problem is that the EndPoint guys don't want the end users to select if they will get a 13" or 15", they want to be the ones to select what the users will have, without giving the end users the ability to choose.

[Community Alums]

You could do it a couple different ways then:

• Create a bundle called MacBook Pro that points to one of these. Substitute out as necessary. This is not really ideal, as the bundle doesn't let you know what is in stock, and it isn't as straight forward to change. I'm looking to blog a workaround for this, but I don't know when I will get to it.
• Create a generic Catalog Item called MacBook Pro and let the EndPoint guys determine what to provide based on what is in stock. This is probably the most straight forward way to do this initially.

Ben