One of the main tasks of a product information management system is transforming product data from a wide range of different sources into meaningful and salable products. Products, variants, and articles are therefore the focus of OctoPIM.
An article differs from a product on which it is based in two respects:
1) Attributes and variants are created in the product and then specifically assigned in the article. For example, there can be two variants for the product shirt: size and color. The article is then a shirt in size M and the color red.
2) The article has an article number (SKU code).
In contrast to a product, an article can therefore be found in a store ready for purchase.
Variants are differentiations of a product. So for a shirt for example, you can maintain size, design, collar size, and cuff width. Instead of having to enter these specifications individually for each article, you can maintain all this information in a product. This information can then be directly placed from the product in the variant, rather than having to be entered individually.
In the example above, four differentiations have already been made for the product. Unlimited additional variants are possible. With OctoPIM you have full freedom with regard to variant depth, as you can make as many differentiations of a product as you wish.
Variants can be activated for different attribute types that you create in the family, for example for a size attribute. After the attribute has been created – Collar size and Arm length in the example on the left – you can activate the variants with a single click.
After the variants have been activated in the family, a product can be created. It is possible here to deselect the previously created variant levels, if they are not necessary for a single product. In the next step, the activated variants can then be filled out.
Whereas other PIM systems often only offer two levels, with OctoPIM you can make as many differentiations of the product as you wish. Ineffective duplications are thus avoided, because different variants of a product no longer have to be created multiple times. Your products will be better presented and workarounds are avoided. You reduce costs and at the same time increase product quality.
