Using BTO - Convert standard item to bto

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Convert standard item to bto

Printed From: ProductCart E-Commerce Solutions
Category: ProductCart Build To Order
Forum Name: Using BTO
Forum Description: Exchange message with other users of ProductCart Build To Order
URL: https://forum.productcart.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=5106
Printed Date: 24-November-2024 at 2:07am
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Topic: Convert standard item to bto

Posted By: GreggS
Subject: Convert standard item to bto
Date Posted: 20-April-2012 at 11:43am

On our current site (not ProductCart) we sell products (espresso machines) where you can build your own bundle package. Some you can add other items until you reach a certain dollar amount (up to $80). Others you can choose between certain types of an item (different style cups/pitchers).

We want to try to build this into our new site using BTO. The first thing we would have to do is convert the standard products into BTO products. I don't see that option anywhere to do that. I'm assuming I'm going to have to clone and make new items. The problem with that is we have ProductCart synced with Quickbooks. In our testing phase when an order comes in Quickbooks it makes a new item.

Is there a way(easy or hard) to convert standard products into BTO products?

Replies:

Posted By: Hamish
Date Posted: 20-April-2012 at 1:26pm

Hi, Just to confrm, I think you are talking about "BTO Items" - these are the components that are configurable in a BTO Product. The BTO Items would be the different cups/pitchers. The configurable items in a BTO Product can be EITHER standard products, or BTO Items. The key difference being that BTO Items can only be sold as part of a BTO Product and not on their own. See http://wiki.earlyimpact.com/bto/assign" rel="nofollow - http://wiki.earlyimpact.com/bto/assign

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Posted By: GreggS
Date Posted: 20-April-2012 at 2:53pm

I titled the topic wrong. I should've said Convert Standard Product to BTO Product.

All the products we currently have are Standard products. What I wanted to do is convert some of them to BTO products (espresso machines, grinders). That way we can get into customizing the BTO part. I couldn't find where to do that. On the modify product page its in the upper right and says Type: Standard but its grayed out. I figured out a way to convert it by exporting a file of all the products and changing the Product Type of the ones we want to BTO.

Just to give you an idea of one type of sale we wanted to build into BTO. We have a line of espresso machines that if you purchase one, you will get to build a package of stuff (accessories, coffee, etc.) that equals 3% the price of the espresso machine. If it amounts to more than 3% they just pay the difference.

example:

-Espresso machine=$1,499 --> 3%=$44 (we round down)

-They build a package of extra items

--if the package amounts to $34, the package is free and they lose out on the $10

--if the package amounts to $44, the package is free (ideal)

--if the package amounts to $54, the package is $10

I didn't see anything in the BTO configuration about what we wanted to do above. The workaround we were thinking of doing is increasing the amount of points they would get to equal 3%. Only part that stinks (which could live with for now) is that the customer would have to place a second order once the points go through.

Posted By: Hamish
Date Posted: 20-April-2012 at 3:27pm

Hi,
Your right in that you cannot convert a Standard Product to a BTO Product. There are good technical reasons why not, but I dont recall them off-hand (sure it will be to do with database fields and/or existing orders).

To achieve the pricing model you want would need custom coding. I would urge caution though as the "less scrupulous customers" are always looking for ways to manipulate the prices, so we have validation in several stages of the checkout to block these attempts and that would probably need adjusting as well if customization like this is done. Personally I would look at alternatives that stay within what's possible with ProductCart. There's quite a few options documented in the WIKI.
One approach is to look at the configurable items and adjust their prices downwards a bit and/or make certain bto item selections the default & set them as requiring an item to be selected.

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Posted By: ProductCart
Date Posted: 20-April-2012 at 6:30pm

To follow up on Hamish's reply... there is actually an esoteric way to change a Standard Product to a BTO Product - and that is through the "Global Changes" feature. You would enter the SKU # in the top section and use the filter "Change Product Type" in the bottom section (to "BTO"). At that point, you will need to 'Configure' the product in order for everything to function properly in the Storefront. Still, from a reporting standpoint and "keeping things straight", it might make more sense to create a new BTO Product from scratch with its own SKU #.

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Posted By: GreggS
Date Posted: 23-April-2012 at 5:07pm

My boss prefers if we use the current SKUs for Quickbooks. Inventory levels would be an issue and we have so many SKUs already.

I found a way to convert by exporting the SKUs I need, change the Product Type from Standard to BTO in Excel, and then import.

I wouldn't be doing the entire database. What specifically would happen if I do this? Would my database get corrupted? Our site isn't live yet but if I do make a change like this while the site is live will it affect something? Or does it affect the data of that particular SKU?

Posted By: ProductCart
Date Posted: 23-April-2012 at 6:59pm

No - changing the Product Type from "Standard" to "BTO" will not corrupt your database or negatively affect the functionality of the store in any way, even if the store is live.

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