Product Related Entries

Product Related Entries
	Chapter 2. Data Entries for the CRM System

Products

The CRM allows you to link product information with your sales process. To enter a new product, click the plus icon at the Inventory > Products menu for the full set of options. A new window will open as shown in figure: New Product - Edit View Master Data.

Figure 2.39. New Product - Edit View Master Data

You may enter the following product or service information.

Product Information

Table 2.12. List of default master data entry fields for product information

Product Name:	You have to give each service or product an unique name.
Product Code:	You should give each product an unique order code. This could be a combination of letters and numbers. Customers should use this code with their orders.
Product:	You may select a product from your existing product catalogue.
Active:	By marking this check box, a product becomes active and is available for purchase.
Product Category:	Here you may select a category for your product. Note that your CRM administrator can modify the selection list.
Sales Start/End Date:	You may select a time frame in which your company sells this product.
Support Start/Expiry Date:	You may select a time frame in which this product is maintained.
Leads/Accounts/Potentials:	You may refer this product with a special lead, account or potential. Note that you cannot enter a reference directly. You have to pick a reference from existing CRM data.
Contact Name:	You may pick a referencing contact. That could be, for instance, a person which you can contact for further product information.
Website:	You may enter a website with more product information.
Vendor Name:	If you sell third party products, you may select a vendor here.
Part No:	If each of your products have their own part numbers, you may enter it here.
Vendor Part No:	If you vendor has provided you with a part number for ordering the product, you may enter it here.
Serial No:	If each of your products have a special serial number, you may enter it here.
Product Sheet:	You may enter a name of a product data sheet that is available form other resources.
GL Account:	This entry refers to a General Ledger Account and could be useful if you were importing/exporting items from your accounting program. Each account in your General Ledge usually has a number for reference.

Pricing Information

Table 2.13. List of default master data entry fields for product pricing information

Unit Price:	You should enter a price per unit. This price may be the list price you pay when you purchase this product from a third party. Note that the selling price can be different as defined in you price lists (see section: PriceBooks).
Commission Rate:	You may enter your commission in %.
Tax Class:	You may enter a tax in % that applies to a product. Note that your CRM administrator configures the tax types and rates as explained in section: Tax Calculations. Only tax types defined by the administrator will be displayed. You may change the tax amount but not the tax type if necessary.

Stock Information

The CRM supports you in maintaining a stock of goods. You may specify stock information and assign someone responsible for maintaining the stock.

Table 2.14. List of default master data entry fields for product stock information

Usage Unit:	You may enter the type of units of goods in your stock. Note that this list can be modified by your CRM administrator.
Qty/Unit:	You may enter a number of goods per unit (e.g. 15 pieces of goods in each unit).
Qty in Stock:	You may enter the quantity in stock. This information is used by the CRM when making quotes, orders or invoices. Whenever you make a quote etc. the quantity in stock is displayed and reduced automatically if you sell a product.
Handler:	You should assign a responsible person for maintaining the stock. This person will automatically be informed by the CRM system if goods are sold.
Reorder Level:	Here you may enter the minimum quantity of goods you want to keep in stock. If the CRM system detects that during the sales process the actual quantity in stock gets close to the minimum amount, the person in charge of the stock will be notified by e-mail.
Qty. in Demand:	Here you may note the quantity of goods you usually buy.

Product Image Information:

You may add up to 6 product images to your product. The image must be in .jpg, .gif or .png format.

	Warning
	Do not use file extensions with capital letters (JPG, GIF, PNG).

You should keep the image size as small as possible to avoid time consuming downloads every time you display this CRM page. If you add more than one image, your images will be displayed as rotating cube as shown in the next figure:

Figure 2.40. Display of multiple images for products

Description Information

Here you have a space for further product information if required.

Click [Save] to transfer your product information to the CRM system. After saving, the detail view of your product opens. You will see the master data you have just entered.

Figure 2.41. Product - Edit View More Information

If you click the [More Information] tab have the possibility to enter additional information or to work with the product as displayed in figure: Product - Edit View More Information.

Table 2.15. List of default master data entry fields for more information to products

Trouble Tickets:	Here you will find all product related tickets. These tickets may be based on customer complains, product bugs, or other customer related after-sales events. You may find further information about tickets at section: Trouble Tickets.
Attachments and Notes:	Here you may add attachments or notes to a product. That can be data sheets, additional product images or others.
Quotes:	The CRM lists all quotes which contain this product. You may also create a new quote here.
Purchase Orders:	The CRM lists all purchase orders which contain this product. You may also create a new order here.
Sales Orders:	The CRM lists all sales orders which contain this product. You may also create a new order here.
Invoice:	The CRM lists all invoices which contain this product. You may also create a new invoice here.
Price Books:	The CRM lists all price books which contain this product. You may also create a new price book here.
Leads:	The CRM lists all leads which contain this product. You cannot create a lead here.
Accounts:	The CRM lists all accounts which contain this product.
Contacts:	The CRM lists all contacts which contain this product.
Potentials:	The CRM lists all potential which contain this product.

PriceBooks

The CRM allows you to work with an unlimited number of different price lists, called price books. This is very helpful, for instance, if your company has different customer types which require a different pricing. You may use special retail, distribution, end customer price lists or others.

Create Price Books

To create a new price book, click the [plus icon] at the Inventory > PriceBooks menu. A new window will open as shown in figure: New Price Book - Edit View.

Figure 2.42. New Price Book - Edit View

You have to give this Price Book an unique name. You may add a description for future reference. Mark the check box [Active] if you want to have this price book available for quotes, orders and invoices.

Click [Save] to create this new Price Book at your CRM system. The detail view of this new price book opens as displayed in figure: Pricebook - Detail View.

Figure 2.43. Pricebook - Detail View

Edit Pricebooks

To add a product to your price book, click the More Information tab displayed at figure: Pricebook - Detail View. You may add a product or service to your price book by clicking the [Select Product] button.

The new window which opens as shown in figure: Price Book - Product Selection List, lists all the products stored in the CRM. You may pick the products you want to add to this price book by selecting the corresponding check box. You should also set a list price for the product. The entered list price is only valid for this price book. The unit price as set in the product catalogue is shown as a reference. Click [Add To PriceBook] to save your selections.

	Important
	Only activated products are available for selection. If you do not see a product in the selection list, you may check the product status by opening the detail view of this product.

Figure 2.44. Price Book - Product Selection List

Vendors

The CRM allows you to enter an unlimited number of vendors which provide goods or services to your company or to your customers. Such vendors are stored separately and not part of the contacts or accounts lists.

To enter a new vendor click the [plus icon] at the Inventory > Vendors menu. A new window as shown in figure: New Vendor - Edit View will open.

Figure 2.45. New Vendor - Edit View

You may add the following basic information:

Table 2.16. List of default master data entry fields for vendor information

Vendor Name:	You should use the vendors corporate name for any name entry.
Phone:	You may enter the phone number of your vendor.
Email:	You may enter the e-mail address of your vendor contact.
Website:	You may enter the vendors website.
GL Account:	This entry refers to a General Ledger Account. Each vendor in your General Ledger usually has a number for a reference.
Category:	You may enter a category if required.

After clicking the [More Information] tab, you may complete the vendor information by adding the mailing address and a description.

	Note
	You CRM system administrator may customize the vendor master data sheet.

Click [Save] to transfer your vendor information to the CRM. You may view, browse and search your entire vendor list at the Inventory > Vendors menu.

Product Import and Export

By the export and import functions you can exchange data between the CRM software and a large number of programs on your computer. All product data can be exported or imported.

For starting to import or export, click the Inventory > Products menu at the navigation area of your CRM system. The list view of your products will then be shown. Use the icons on top of the list to start the import or export.

	Note
	The icons are only functional if you have the permission to use them. These privileges are set by your CRM system administrator.

Please refer to section: Export and Import of Leads, Contacts, Accounts and Vendors for further export and import instructions. Use the description of the import procedure accordingly for contacts. You can find sample import data in section: Data Format for Imports. Use the data format described in this section accordingly for your product files.