SAP NetWeaver MDM Product Catalog

This function or procedure is available with SAP CRM or SAP ERP as the back end connected to SAP Web Channel Experience Management. Note that if you use SAP CRM as the back end, a system connection between SAP CRM and SAP ERP might be required.

This function allows SAP ERP or SAP CRM product master data to be used by a Web shop. The master data is stored in SAP NetWeaver Master Data Management (SAP NetWeaver MDM) repositories and then assembled into product catalogs. Product catalogs contain product details, for example a description, images, and pricing information that can be tailored to meet a vendor's needs.

 Example

You can create four seasonal product catalogs, each containing apparel, and accessories that are limited to winter, spring, summer, or fall.

Master Data Broker Architecture

Integration

The product catalog is integrated with the functions in the following table:

Function	Description	More Information
Product proposals	You can use different product proposal types to interest Web shop customers and encourage further purchasing.	Product Proposals
Campaign determination	You can enable manual campaign code entry on product catalog pages and automatic campaign determination support for product catalog levels to determine special pricing within a Web shop.	Campaign Determination
Product ratings and reviews	You can enable ratings and reviews in the product catalog to allow customers to share opinions about the products they have purchased.	Customer Interaction
Shopping cart	Customers can add products to, change product quantities in, and remove products from the shopping cart.	Shopping Cart
Product registration	Customers can register a product to notify a vendor of their purchase.	Product Registration
Complaints and returns	Customers can file complaints and initiate product returns.	Complaints and Returns
Service and information requests	Customers can create service requests and information requests.	Service Requests and Information Requests
Free goods	Customers can receive inclusive or exclusive bonus quantity products free of charge.	Free Goods
Wish lists and shopping templates	Customers can add products to their wish list or shopping templates and access them at any time if they are logged on.	Wish Lists Shopping Templates
Generic articles	Customers can create orders with variants of generic articles by selecting characteristic values (for example, a large red shirt).	Trade: Generic Articles
In-store pickup	Customers can order products (that is, variants) in the Web shop for pickup in conventional retail stores.	In-Store Pickup

Prerequisites

• You have performed the following SAP NetWeaver MDM related tasks:
  • Imported the schema
    For more information, see Creating an SAP NetWeaver MDM Repository.
  • Uploaded product master data from the back-end system to SAP NetWeaver MDM
    For more information, see Replicating Product Catalog Content (SAP ERP to SAP MDM) or Replicating Product Catalog Content (SAP CRM to SAP MDM).
  • Created the product catalog in the SAP NetWeaver MDM authoring tool
    For more information, see Creating an SAP NetWeaver MDM Product Catalog.
• You have made the necessary settings in the Product Catalog module of Web Channel Builder.
   Note

  All references in this document made to settings in Web Channel Builder pertain to the Product Catalogmodule.

Features

• Product views
  Customers see only the products that are available to them when they log on, or when they select identifying information such as their country of residence. For more information, see Product Views.
• Catalog list price constraint
  By activating the Enable Catalog List Price Constraint setting in the Product Catalog module of Web Channel Builder, only the products that have a valid list price in the SAP NetWeaver MDM repository are displayed in the Web shop. All of the condition records exported from the back end to SAP NetWeaver MDM are filtered by the condition type and condition table settings maintained in the Product Catalog module of Web Channel Builder.
   Note

  The catalog list price constraint requires that you maintain the settings for condition types and condition tables in the Product Catalog module of Web Channel Builder.
• Navigation
  Customers use the left-hand navigation area to browse and shop for products in one of the following navigation modes:
  • Area
  • Category
  • Combined
  For more information, see Navigation Modes.
• Multiple views
  Customers can browse for products in the Web shop using list view or block view. In Web Channel Builder, you set which views are available in the Web shop, and which one is used by default.
• Product comparison
  Customers can choose up to 4 products to compare in a side-by-side view to identify differences or similarities. For more information, see Product Comparison.
• Pricing methods
  Customers can determine the prices of products. Depending on the Web Channel Builder configuration, product prices can either reflect the list price or the dynamic pricing information using the Pricing Engine (formerly Internet Pricing and Configurator (IPC)). For more information, see Pricing in the Product Catalog.
• Product availability
  Customers can determine if the products they want to purchase are in stock. Depending on the Web Channel Builder configuration, the Web shop can display rough or precise stock information. For more information, seeProduct Availability.
• Product details
  Customers can view product details. You can use the plug-in concept in the Product Catalog module of Web Channel Builder to extend the page and provide custom content to certain areas of the product details page. You can do the following:
  • Add, remove, and rearrange the tabs at the bottom of the page
  • Modify the layout and information displayed for product availability
  For information about the plug-in concept, see the section on module interface plug-ins in the Development and Extension Guide for SAP Web Channel Experience Management on SAP Service Marketplace athttp://service.sap.com/wec-inst.
• Sort
  Customers can sort products in the Web shop (including custom search and navigation results) by the following:
  • Product ID
  • Price
  • Product Ratings (SAP CRM back end only)
  • Product Name
• Filter by price and product ratings
  Customers can filter products by selecting from predefined product rating ranges (SAP CRM back end only) and also by providing values to define a price range.
   Note

  You must make the necessary settings in the Customer Interaction module of Web Channel Builder to filter by product ratings. For more information, see Customer Interaction.
• Search
  Customers can search for products in the Web shop using either of the following:
  • Advanced search
    Enables customers to search using product ID and product name criteria.
  • Simple search
    Enables customers to search by entering product data, either whole or partial, which the system then uses to retrieve relevant results using the following product data entities:
    • Product ID
    • Product name
    • Product description long text
    • Product attributes (called product characteristics in SAP CRM and SAP ERP)
    • Product areas