Re: Need for ProductRole

Posted by David E Jones-2 on Jul 10, 2006; 8:07pm
URL: http://ofbiz.116.s1.nabble.com/Need-for-ProductRole-tp169561p169577.html


Yeah, ProductCategoryRole might be a good model for multiple manufacturers as well, but in a way it would be nice if it were more directly associated with a Product... so I can see that being a possible way to go as well. I guess it depends on how it would actually be used by the people and the automated processes... Is this something that anyone actually has a need and scenarios for right now?

-David


Adrian Crum wrote:

> I'm looking over David's suggestion of using ProductCategoryRole.
> Multiple manufacturers could be handled that way - then just ignore the
> manufacturer field in Product.
>
> So, we could have a Product Category called "XYZ Manufacturing Products"
> then the products they manufacture could be linked to that category. The
> company itself can be linked to the category through the party ID in the
> role of manufacturer.
>
> Manufacturers and Suppliers are different parties, btw. A supplier could
> provide the same part from several manufacturers.
>
>
>
> Chris Howe wrote:
>
>> Technically, I would think you should make them two
>> separate products and then relate the two products as
>> equivelents.  But of course that depends on how
>> detailed the company wants to be.  Aside from making
>> them two seperate products, you could treat the
>> manufacturers as seperate suppliers for the same
>> generic product.
>>
>> However, I can think of an example where the current
>> structure is limiting.  When the manufacturer or
>> product line is acquired by another company.
>>
>> --- Adrian Crum <[hidden email]> wrote:
>>
>>
>>> There are many examples of standard products that
>>> can come from multiple manufacturers. If I have a hardware store and
>>> I sell
>>> 3/4 inch galvanized pipe tees, they could come from three or four
>>> different
>>> manufacturers. Should I have a separate 3/4 inch galvanized tee
>>> product for each
>>> manufacturer? I hope not! I used the example of electronic components
>>> the last
>>> time this was discussed - the same holds true there.
>>>
>>> It IS a limitation. It will come up again, and when
>>> it does, I'll continue to make the same suggestion.
>>>
>>>
>>> Chris Howe wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>> why would you have more than one manufacturer for
>>>
>>> the
>>>
>>>> same product?  wouldn't that make it a different
>>>> product?  I agree that it would be better for a
>>>
>>> more
>>>
>>>> generic product role setup, but if all the roles
>>>
>>> are
>>>
>>>> addressed AND it's not limiting, why go through
>>>
>>> the
>>>
>>>> trouble of refactoring?
>>>>
>>>> --- Adrian Crum <[hidden email]> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> I know about the manufacturer field in the Product
>>>>> entity. What do you do if there is more than one manufacturer for a
>>>>> product?
>>>>> That's the limitation that brought forth my original suggestion.
>>>>>
>>>>> Why have a dozen different entities linking
>>>
>>> products
>>>
>>>>> to a dozen different party roles? We could have one entity that links
>>>
>>> products
>>>
>>>>> to any party - regardless of their role.
>>>>>
>>>>> So, one entity could link a product to one or more
>>>>> suppliers, one or more manufacturers, one or more product managers,
>>>>> etc.
>>>
>>> It
>>>
>>>>> seems more flexible to me.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Chris Howe wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> The manufacturer is desribed in the Product
>>>>>
>>>>> entity.
>>>>>
>>>>>> The only other relationship to a product that I
>>>>>
>>>>> can
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> think of is the supplier and that is desribed in
>>>>>
>>>>> the
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> SupplierProduct entity.  Having a product
>>>
>>> manager,
>>>
>>>>>> again is probably managed easiest by putting the
>>>>>> product into a productCategory and managing the
>>>>>> productCategoryRoles on that. Outside of those
>>>>>> relationships, can you think of another that
>>>
>>> would
>>>
>>>>>> have to do with a product?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> --- Adrian Crum <[hidden email]> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I had suggested some time ago a
>>>>>
>>>>> ProductRelationship
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>> entity - where a product can be related to a party, such as a
>>>>>>> manufacturer.
>>>>>
>>>>> Would
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>> something like that meet your needs?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Al Byers wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I think I have a need for a ProductRole that
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> mirrors the ContentRole
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> entity. I want to associate a manager with a
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> product. Is there another
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> way to do this? If not, should I just create
>>>
>>> such
>>>
>>>>>>> an entity for this
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> custom use or should it be something to propose
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> for general use?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> -Al
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>
>>
>>