|
alindsey
Starting Member
14 Posts |
 Posted - May 10 2005 : 09:18:17
|
I posted this question (with less detail) yesterday in the general help-me topic but thought it prudent to put it here as well...
Is there a way to have VPASP dynamically create grouped or bundled items (from individual items in the product table) and display them with the rest of the items in a category - and then, if the group or set is selected for ordering, to insert all the appropriate individual items into the shopping cart, along with a group discount?
What I'd like to do is have VPASP generate the bundled items dynamically (from some kind of "group" or "set" table that would identify the grouped items and their constituent parts and quantities) and display them with the individual products in category searches.
So far we've had to force it by creating another item that is the set or bundled "item". For a small number of bundled items, this isn't too bad, but we're to the place now where we need to have many of these bundles for the various (over 300) items we sell. In addition, that makes the inventory management difficult at best and inaccurate at worst.
more detail:
In our accounting software (Quickbooks) I manage all the inventory for our business. There are some 300 individual products in that database. Many of those products are generally sold in sets or bundles, so Quickbooks allows a type of product they call a "group", which is just what it sounds like - a group of individual products. Naturally, the group can accommodate multiple quantities of individual products.
A couple examples:
1. Moody Science Classics Set - this is a set of 20 individual titles of the Moody Science Classics series. Each of these titles is available individually at $7.95 each, but they are also bundled in this set "product", which is no product at all, but rather a conglomeration of many separate titles. Were you to buy all the titles individually, they would cost $159, but buying them in the set, which is priced at $119, you save $40.
2. Shiloh Swing - this "product" is actually a group of several individual components: the wood seat ($279), 18 feet of chain ($1.50 per foot), 2 quick links ($2 each), and 2 springs ($18.95/pair). The seat, chain, links and springs are all sold separately, but are combined with various quantities in this Shiloh Swing "product". The individual products purchased separately would cost $328.95, but we sell the bundled swing package for $299, a savings of almost 10%.
3. TASCAM CD-GT1 Package - The example below; this item is a bundle of three individual products - a power supply ($11.95), a CD-GT1 guitar trainer unit ($149), and a carry case with speakers ($32). Individually they cost $192.95, but the "set" costs $179, a savings of 13.95.
Now, we're about to add a line of 70 individual books. These books can be bundled in many different ways (by any of 14 sets, by any of 20 character themes, by any of 7 historical time periods, by gender and age appropriateness, etc.)
Rather than track another 50 "products" that just combine the books different ways. I'd much rather the software know that certain items exist as combinations of individual items and display accordingly.
For instance, each of the grouped sets can still have a category associated with them, and when you do a category search, you show the bundles of individual products first, then the individual items from the products table.
The user can check a bundled "item" and the shopping cart would be filled with the specifies quantities of individual products, along with a "discount" line that accomodates the difference in price.
This way, the vpasp inventory feature would work as it should, since it will automatically track components rather than forcing merchants to finagle it.
I would be glad to work with someone on creating this functionality such that it works for merchants and makes the VPASP product even better.
regards to all,
Alan
|
|
All Forums
Grouped or bundled sets of individual products
New Topic
Printer Friendly
Topic 
TrustGuard - PCI Security Scanner
