Configuring Browse Tags

This article describes how to set up browse tags in IDI Desktop Client Product Management. Browse tags facilitate selecting SKUs when you assemble a web transaction. They populate the filters and available items lists in the Orders web module when you use the Browse option to select catalog items. You associate one or more SKUs (billable and retail products, packages, pricing plans, discounts, services, contracts, and AdvancePay products) to a browse tag. Applicable SKUs can have zero to many browse tags. For example, a retail product may have these browse tags:

• Handset to indicate it is a Handset opposed to an accessory.

• iPhone to indicate the model.

• Warranty to indicate the item has an available warranty.

Associating multiple browse tags to a catalog item makes it easier to find specifically what you’re looking for as you browse. The system provides several system-defined browse tags (seed data). Others can be set up as needed.

How browse tags work in web transactions (the result of this setup) is covered in the Getting Started article.

Setup

This involves adding browse tags and assigning them to SKUs.

Note:

The ability to create browse tags in Product Management is only available to users with the Browse Tags permission enabled in their permission profile. In the Admin Console Security node > Permission Profiles, navigate to Applications > CostGuard Client > Product Management > Browse Tags. This permission is disabled by default.

To get started with setup, choose Applications > Product Management > Browse Tags > Browse Tags. (This menu option is restricted by the above permission.)

This displays the Browse Tags grid. The initial view shows the system-defined browse tags. Your custom browse tags will also be listed as you add them.

Note:

The system-defined tags have an ID less than 10,000. Your custom browse tags will be assigned an ID greater than 10,000.

The context (right-click) menu has options for adding, editing, deleting, filtering, and duplicating browse tags.

Note:

Duplicating simply creates a copy of the selected tag and adds it to the bottom of the list. From there you can rename and edit the tag as needed.

System-defined Browse Tags

Most of the system-defined browse tags listed below align with catalog item types. Auto-Assign and Account-Level Feature have specific applications as described below.

Note:

System-defined tags cannot be removed.

• Plan

• Handset

• Feature

• Accessory

• Contract

• Auto-Assign lets you ensure designated catalog items are automatically and transparently added without having to present them in the transaction as a selectable item. For example, your business rules may require that all new services include a service activation fee. This application requires assignment templates and is covered in a dedicated example in the Assignment Templatesarticle.

• Service

• Account-Level Feature lets you impose control over which items may or must be added at the account level.

  Note:

  The GUI-based Add/Browse Account Level options presented on the respective views during transaction assembly do not restrict which items can be added at the account level. This application requires assignment templates and is covered in a dedicated example in the Assignment Templates article.

• Discount

• Retail Product

• Pricing Plan

Adding a New Browse Tag

To do this:

• Right-click in the Browse Tags grid and choose New.

  

This displays the Add Browse Tag dialog.

• Configure these four properties that govern how the tag should be displayed and used during transaction assembly:

  • Name is the label by which the browse tag is identified in the Filter list. This value does not have to be unique; however, it is suggested to use unique labels to avoid confusion.

  • Category is optional. It may be used to logically organize browse tags in the grid and make them easier to find. Also, it has a specific application when setting up an assignment template for account-level items. This is covered in the Assignment Templates article.

  • Display as Root marks the tag as a top-level filter (the first set of tags presented when you start to browse). This is checked on all system-defined tags by default. Unchecking this box prevents the tag from appearing as a selectable feature. For example, you may want to hide tags that are not relevant to your business.

  • Display as Child marks the tag as a lower-level filter to display after you select a root tag. This let users further refine their search by drilling down from root to child tags. The parent-child relationship is established when the respective tags are assigned to the same SKU. For example, a handset may be assigned the Handset tag as a root-level tag, and iPhone as a child.

From here you can continue by associating SKUs to the tag using this form, or Save the information entered above and dismiss this form and associate SKUs to the browse tag later. If you defer associating SKUs, you can edit the browse tag via the Browse Tags grid, or make an association to a specific SKU via the SKU’s Product Catalog Add/Edit form. Both options are covered below.

Associating SKUs to the Browse Tag

Using the Add/Edit Browse Tags Form

To do this while you’re adding (or editing) the browse tag:

• Right click in the Associated Products grid and select New.

  

  This displays the Add Linked Product form.

• Use the SKU and/or Description fields to search and display a list of SKUs from which to choose. Then select one or more SKUs as needed by checking their check boxes.

  

• Click Save on this form AND the Add/Edit Browse Tag form to save the SKU associations.

Viewing/Editing Browse Tags on a SKU

Note:

Managing browse tags directly on a SKU does not require Browse Tags permission. The Browse Tags tab lists browse tags where the SKU is already associated (if any). The Edit button lets you add/remove browse tag associations. Clicking Edit displays the Edit Browse Tags form. This form is similar to the Assign Linked Product form shown above, except that the currently associated browse tags are pre-selected.

Auto-generating Browse Tags

The Generate Browse Tags tool in the Product Catalog lets you automatically generate browse tags based on your folder structure, and associate browse tags to catalog items based on the type of item (e.g. associate the Plan tag to all packages). It creates a tag based on the folder name and then applies it to all items inside the folder. For example, if the catalog has a Master Services folder, you can automatically assign all items in that folder a tag called Master Services. If there are nested folders, it creates a tag for every folder in the hierarchy. For example, if a child folder called Activation Flow and another grandchild folder called Contracts are found in the Master Services folder, the item would be assigned three tags: Master Services, Activation Flow, and Contracts.

Note:

This functionality should be used with caution as it may result in creating unneeded or duplicate tags.

One practical application may be to facilitate implementing the same guided experience in the web as you may have already created for guided flows in IDI Desktop Client.

Note:

This requires careful consideration and planning. You are recommended to contact your account manager to engage IDI professional services to assist you with this.

In the Product Catalog, right-click on root (Product Catalog) folder and choose Generate Browse Tags.

This displays the Generate Browse Tags form.

Paste New Instance Option for Browse Tags/Assignment Templates

The Paste New Instance Options form in the Product Catalog lets you bring forward browse tag and assignment template associations when copying/pasting a new instance of an item.

Product Types that support this are:

• Contract

• Discount

• Dynamic Charge

• Product

• Retail Product

• Package

• Pricing Plan

• Service

Continuing with Assignment Templates

If you need to use assignment template in combination with browse tags, refer to the Assignment Templates article.