Create a knowledge base

The product knowledge base contains product characteristics or attributes. Defining the knowledge base creates a product configuration page used to personalize a product or solution.

The knowledge base:

• Defines the layout of the product configuration page.
• Establishes conditions needed to show or hide product characteristics on a configuration page.
• May define input and calculated fields that appear on the configuration page.
• Can be connected to a bill of materials (BOM).

Use one of the following procedures to define a knowledge base:

• Create a knowledge base from the UI
• Create a knowledge base from an Excel spreadsheet

Create a knowledge base from the UI

1. From the application left navigation area, select Products.
2. Select a product.
3. From the top navigation bar, select Knowledge Base.
4. Select .
5. On the Create New KnowledgeBase dialog, enter information or make selections:
   • Name—Enter a name for the knowledge base.
   • Valid From—Select a date from which the knowledge base will be active.
   • Uses BOM—Select the BOM to link to this knowledge base. This step is optional if the product doesn't have related products and has BOM explosion rules.
6. Select Create.

Create a knowledge base from an Excel spreadsheet

To create a knowledge base from an Excel spreadsheet:

1. From the application left navigation area, select Products.
2. Select a product.
3. From the top navigation bar, select Knowledge Base.
4. Select to download the knowledge base Excel template.
5. On the Download Options dialog, select the needed rule types, then select Download to download the template.
6. In the downloaded template, on the ATTRIBUTES sheet:
   • Enter a unique name for the knowledge base.
   • Enter valid from date in the DD-MM-YYYY format.
   • (Optional.) Add attributes.
     For details on the knowledge base Excel spreadsheet and how to fill it out, read the section below.
7. In Zilliant CPQ, select and then select a file to upload. When uploaded, the system checks the file for errors. If it finds errors, you will see an error message. Check and correct errors, and then upload the file again.
8. Confirm the upload.

Excel knowledge base spreadsheet components

Learn about the knowledge base spreadsheet, its separate sheets, and how to define them.

The product knowledge base spreadsheet contains the following sheets:

• _ MasterData—Lists data validation that is referenced by another sheet.

• _ ProductMasterData—Lists data validation needed for the PRODUCT sheet.

• _ ConditionalTriggerMasterData—Highlights valid arguments that can be assigned for each ACTION TYPE.

• _ ExistingProducts—Lists all products in the system.

• _ ExistingAttributes—Lists all attributes in Zilliant CPQ that a user can use in the ATTRIBUTES and RULE sheets. To learn more about attributes, download the ATTRIBUTES sheet separately.

• _ ATTRIBUTE_TABLE—Lists attributes that can be used in the SIMPLIFIED CONDITIONAL TRIGGER sheet.

• PRODUCT—Use this sheet to update the PRODUCT properties, including:

  • NAME
  • ERP ID
  • CRM ID
  • CLASSIFIED PRODUCT
  • EXPORT To CRM
  • EXPORT To ERP
  • OPTIONAL PRODUCT
  • PRODUCT STATUS
  • PRODUCT TYPE
  • UNIT OF MEASURE (ERP ID)
  • PRODUCT CATEGORY
  • LABEL_EN
  • COMMENT_EN
  Notes

  • You must mark the MAIN PRODUCT as Y for the product you are modeling.
  • For all other products that are used in PRODUCT BOM, enter N.
  • You do not have to define all products in PRODUCT BOM inside the PRODUCT sheet.
  • You can add columns for LABEL_ and COMMENT_ for localization, such as LABEL_DE and COMMENT_DE. If you do, make sure that you have defined the language master data.

• PRODUCT BOM—Define the BOM for the main product. Usually, those are classified products. You can also add a configurable product as a subcomponent. In this case, define the knowledge base of that configurable product in a separate sheet.

• ATTRIBUTES—Defines the product's attributes. You can list existing attributes by searching through the _ ExistingAttributes sheet or enter a new attribute.

  Notes

  • If using an existing attribute, enter the attribute name in the Attribute Name column.
  • Sequence ID, Attribute Name, Attribute Type and Data Type are mandatory.
  • Do not define Precision, Min Range, Max Range if the attribute is not of Numeric data type.

• ATTRIBUTES_RANGE—Defines a range for attributes marked as enumerable.

  Notes

  • Do not define range for existing attributes unless you add a new Range value. To check Range in existing attributes, download a separate Attributes spreadsheet that contains all Attributes and Range values.
  • Define Range for new attributes.
  • Do not enter a string value for attributes with Numeric data type.
  • For attributes with DATE, CURRENCY, and BOOLEAN data type Range is not supported.

• GROUP—Group the attributes listed in ATTRIBUTES sheet. You can also configure localization for GROUP and SUB GROUP.

  Notes

  • There should be at least one GROUP and SUB GROUP for a configurable PRODUCT.
  • All attributes in the ATTRIBUTES sheet must be grouped within at least one subgroup.

• QUOTE_ATTRIBUTE—Defines the attribute within a quote or sales item to use in BOM explosion logic or RANGE restriction logic.

• RULE_###—Defines the BOM explosion logic, RANGE restriction logic and CONDITIONAL trigger logic. The following values must be defined in the sheet:

  • NAME
  • SEQUENCE ID
  • TYPE (BOM, BOM_AND_RANGE, RANGE, CONDITIONAL)