Operate > WebSphere Commerce Accelerator > Product Management tools > Work with catalog entries > SKUs
Create a SKU
For a product to be orderable, create a SKU even if the product does not contain defining attributes.
Procedure
- Find the product that will contain the new SKU.
- Select a field in the product row. The background for the selected field is highlighted.
- From the Actions menu, click Show SKUs.
- If you have already generated SKUs, a list of available SKUs will display. From the Actions menu, click New SKU. The General page displays. Add the following information:
- In the SKU Code field, type the code for the SKU, which uniquely identifies the SKU within the WebSphere Commerce system.
- In the Name field, type the name of the SKU, such as "Leather coat".
- In the Announcement Date field, add the year, month, and day that the product becomes available to customers. This field is for the interpretation and information. WebSphere Commerce does not perform any actions based on this date.
- In the Withdrawal Date field, add the year, month, and day that the product is removed from the catalog and is unavailable for customers to purchase. This field is for the interpretation and information only. WebSphere Commerce does not perform any actions based on this date.
- In the Availability Date field, add the year, month and day that the product is available to customers for purchase. This field is for the interpretation and information. WebSphere Commerce does not perform any actions based on this date.
- In the Last Order Date field, add the final year, month and day that the product is available for order. This is the latest date a customer can order the product. For example, a manufacturer can discontinue a product, but because stock still exists, the product is still available for order for one month. This field is for the interpretation and information only. WebSphere Commerce does not perform any actions based on this date.
- In the End Of Service Date field, add the year, month and day when the product is no longer in service. For example, this date can be the date that a software manufacturer stops providing upgrades for a version of their product. This field is for the interpretation and information. WebSphere Commerce does not perform any actions based on this date.
- In the Discontinue Date field, add the year, month and day when the product is discontinued. For example, this date can be the date the manufacturer stops producing the product, or the date the store stops selling the product. IBM recommends that this field be used consistently to avoid confusion. This field is for the interpretation and information only. WebSphere Commerce does not perform any actions based on this date.
- Select the Display to customers check box to ensure that the SKU is available for viewing in the catalog. Note that this check box is only applicable to SKUs that do not have attributes, such as a CD.
- Select the For purchase check box to specify that customers can include the SKU in their shopping carts and order the SKU. If the SKU is on auction, this check box will be read-only and cannot be cleared.
- Click Next. The Description page displays. Add the following information:
- In the Short description field, type a brief description of the SKU, such as "Women's long leather coat".
- In the Long description 1 scroll box, type a detailed description of the SKU, such as "Women's long leather coat. This black genuine leather trench has a removable lining so that it can be worn throughout the year. Matching buttons, a sleek belt, and tapered seams gives this coat a classic look."
- In the Long description 2 scroll box, type a second detailed description of the SKU, if applicable.
- In the Long description 3 scroll box, type a third detailed description of the SKU, if applicable.
- Click Next. The Attribute page displays. Select the attributes for the SKU. If the product has no defining attributes, click Next to skip this step.
- Click Next. The Category page displays. Select the appropriate parent category for the SKU.
- Click Next. The Images page displays. All SKU image files should be placed in the store's defined image directory. Enter the image paths and file names for full and thumbnail size images. If the images are on a remote server, enter the image's URL, for example, http:// host_name /images/leathercoat_full.gif. If the images are on the WebSphere Commerce Server, enter a path relative to the store's root directory. For example, the ConsumerDirect starter store would use the following relative paths:
- SKU images are stored in WC_EAR /Stores.war/ConsumerDirect/images/catalog. In the Full size image file and location field, type /images/catalog/leathercoat_full.gif. In the Thumbnail size image file and location field, type /images/catalog/leathercoat_tn.gif.
- SKU images are stored in WCDE_INSTALL \workspace\Stores\Web Content\ConsumerDirect\images\catalog. In the Full size image file and location field, type \images\catalog\leathercoat_full.gif. In the Thumbnail size image file and location field, type \images\catalog\leathercoat_tn.gif.
- Click Next. The Manufacturer Information page displays. Add the following information:
- In the Manufacturer Part Number field, type the part number that the manufacturer uses to uniquely identify the SKU.
- In the Manufacturer Name field, type the name of the manufacturer or company for the SKU.
- Click Next. The Discounts page displays. Do the following:
- Select the discount name from the Available discounts list, and click Add. This page is only enabled when using schema-based discounts, which is maintained for compatibility with earlier versions.
- Click Next. The Sales Tax page displays. Do the following:
- Select the tax name from the Available taxes list, and click Add.
- Click Next. The Shipping Tax page displays. Do the following:
- Select the tax name from the Available taxes list, and click Add.
- Click Next. The Units of Measure for Shipping page displays. Do the following:
- In the Weight field, type the product weight.
- In the Weight Measure field, select a unit of measure for the weight.
- In the Sold in multiples of this amount field, type the multiple that the product is sold in.
- In the Number of items per package field, type the number of items per shipping package.
- In the Unit of Measure field, select the unit of measure used for the product.
- Click Next. The Advanced page displays. Add the following information:
- In the URL field, type the URL where customers can download the product (in the case of software) or more information about the product. Verify the URL does not contain blank spaces.
- Click Finish to save the product.
What to do next
If the changes to the catalog data do not display in the store, the Site Administrator might need to disable caching or remove the currently cached JSP pages.
Related concepts
Related tasks