stock control

[pinbrook]

can anyone tell me if there is stock control on components and attributes.

eg
I sell teeshirts I have red, blue and green ones, in small, medium and large

will catalog take care of the eventuallity that I may run out of small ones in green if i structure the product as a teeshirt with 2 drop down boxes?

[Jan]

Yes, providing that you link each combination with an a product with stock control enabled - the out of stock message is only displayed after a sold-out combination has been selected.

Regards,

[pinbrook]

Can you explain this please Jan...

I've got a product set up with stock control enabled. Then a component, then an attribute for size and an attribute for colour. I can't find how to get stock control to tell me when a certain comination is out of stock...

thanks

[Jan]

You now need to set up permutations in the component details for each valid combination of choices. The create a hidden product with stock control for each permutation and associate the permutation with the appropriate hidden product.

Give me a call if that doesn't make sense.

Regards,

[cdicken]

The 'The combination you have selected is out of stock' message appears when the customer tries to add the permutation (associated with the out of stock hidden product) to the shopping cart.

[pinbrook]

AHHH! light dawns....

Its abit of an amateurish solution isn't it?

It means setting each item up twice, with 2 reference numbers - if i understand correctly!

couldn't stock control be added to the components table, if you can use this table to set each combination of attributes to a different price, wouldn't it be easier (on the catalog user) to add a stock control level there?

[cdicken]

Jo

I have added your request to the wish list.

One note: Having stock monitoring only available through products means that stock levels for permutations (associated with these products) can be updated via link to an external file in Actinic Business, or can be updated via a flat-file import. Also, if it is only ever products that people go out of stock of - not 'permutation combinations'.

[pinbrook]

Thanks for the comments Chris,

Yes I guess it is a valid point re updating stock levels through Business, but this is not a business site, just a site selling direct to the public.

The site is selling clothing, many sizes, many colours, several thousand combinations, thus having 2 products for each one product is doulbing the work and increasing confusion and the possibility of error when managed by a client (or a £4 a hour clerk!)