Configuring Variant Products

Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to create variations of a base product that differ according to attributes such as color and size.

Basic Product Variants

In the apparel industry, for example, product variants are identical in design and functionality but differ in size and color.

Let’s be more specific:

A base product "T-shirt" has several color variants: black, red, and white. Each colored T-shirt in turn is offered in different size variants: large, medium, or small.

Note, customers can see the colored T-shirts in the storefront, but they can only buy colored T-shirts in a specific size.

Let’s see how this is done:

First, you need to create a base product, a T-shirt in our example, to hold common properties and indicate that it varies by color, by referencing the type ApparelStyleVariant. Based on that structure, you can create variant products in different colors based on the same T-shirt. Each color variant needs to reference the type ApparelSizeVariant, and do the same for the different colors in different sizes.

This is demonstrated in the example below.

Basic Variant Product Model - Customer Perception on the Storefront

  • The base product shown below is a men’s short sleeve shirt (non-purchasable, non-viewable, holds common properties like brand or material).
  • The intermediate style variant is red (viewable, but still non-purchasable).
  • The final variant is size: small (purchasable item – small, red shirt).
A diagram showing how the VariantProduct. Named Men’s short sleeve shirt, includes a baseProduct property. It is extended by an ApparelStyleVairantProduct, whose style property is Red. The red shirt is then itself extended by an ApparelSizeVariantProduct whose size property is Small. Beside the diagram, a screenshot shows the product detail page, where a large red t-shirt image is flanked by the shirt’s description and price, along with a selector panel offering the colors red (selected), green, and black. Below the color selector is a drop-down labelled Size, currently showing an S, for size Small. Above these selectors, we can see a large Add To Cart button.

Basic Variant Products in B2C Accelerator - Structure

Let us look at this example in a little more detail.

As shown in the following diagram, the base product named 1 has its variantType property set to the StyleVariantProduct type. This property tells the system to add a style property to any StyleVariantProduct, used to identify the color. The variants property links to two actual products to which this applies, A and B, with the colors red and green, respectively.

But, we are not done yet.

Both StyleVariantProducts tell the system that they reference further variants. The variantType property states that items of the type SizeVariantProduct are referenced.

Diagram showing Product 1, which references StyleVariantProducts A and B.

If we look at StyleVariantProduct B, we see that it refers to three SizeVariantProduct items, labelled F, G, and H.

All three products have their variantType property set to the SizeVariantProducts type. This property tells the system to add a size property to any SizeVariantProduct, in our example, Small, Medium, and Large.

Since, as we saw in the previous diagram, SizeVariantProduct is referenced by StyleVariantProduct, products F, G, and H also gain the style property Blue.

In summary, SizeVariantProducts F, G, and H have a size, and they are referenced by StyleVariantProduct B, which gives them the color blue. Because StyleVariantProduct in turn is referenced by baseProduct 1, our three SizeVariantProducts, F, G, and H, also gain all properties defined for baseProduct 1 (for example, material and brand).

But how does the system know that F, G, and H are actually purchasable products?

Their variantType property is not set, indicating they are the last tier of the variance structure and thus represent purchasable "complete" items. That is, they represent the actual Stock-Keeping Units (SKUs).

Only SKUs are assigned individual pricing and stock info.

Diagram showing Product 1, which references StyleVariantProducts A and B. StyleVariantProduct B references SizeVariantProducts F, G, and H.

Base and Variant Products in the Backoffice

The following image displays Base and Variant product information in the Product view of the Product Cockpit:

The highlighted box icon below the left image indicates that it is a Base Product: the T-shirt Men Playboard Logo, with identifier M35364, located in the Staged catalog version. The image displayed is a red T-shirt for illustration purposes, since this base product isn’t red. In fact, it has no color.

The highlighted factory icon below the right image indicates it is a Variant Product: the T-shirt Men Playboard Logo Red, with identifier M35364_R, located in the Staged Catalog Version.

Note

The variant product’s article number, M35364_R, denotes that it’s the red variant of base product M35664. This is merely an example of the kind of naming convention you may wish to use and has no functional effect on the relationship between base and variant products.

The icon on the left indicates this is a Base Product - A staged catalog Base Product red T-Shirt with identifier M35364. The icon on the right indicates this is a Variant Product - A staged catalog Variant red T-Shirt with identifier M35364_R to indicate this is red.

Quick Start Guide to Create Apparel Variant Products in Backoffice

  1. Create or select your product with basic information in the Product view of the Product Cockpit.
  2. Select the Variants tab and choose your product variants type from the dropdown (for example, Apparel Style Variant) and save it. Screenshot of a fragment of the edit product page in the Product Cockpit showing the Product variants type dropdown. The choices include Apparel Size Variant, Apparel Style Variant, Electronics Color Variant, Generic Variant Product, and Variant Product.
  3. Click on + Create Apparel Style Variant, and provide all required data. The product you defined in step 1 is already pre-selected as the Base Product. Repeat this step for each style that you want to create. If your product only varies by style (which is to say, color), you are done. Otherwise, perform step 4.
  4. Repeat steps 1–3 for each style variant product, but this time, select Apparel Size Variant.
Screenshots showing the link between the base product (M35364, not purchasable, and not associated with a SKU) and its RED Style Product Variant (M35364_R, also no purchasable with no SKU). One of the RED Style Product Variant product variants is the RED S Size Variant Product (300052678), which corresponds to a SKU and can be purchased.

Summary

  • Only the final variant type in a variant product setup is purchaseable. Intermediate types are viewable, but not purchaseable. Base products can’t even be seen on the storefront.
  • The variantType property of a product indicates whether it references a further variant, or, if it is empty, there are no further references, and this product is of the final variation type.
  • Variant products can be set up in the Products view of the Backoffice Product Cockpit. Choose Variant Product from the drop-down menu next to the create button.

Learning

SAP FacebookSAP YoutubeSAP LinkedIn