Products

Sales Force Automation application > Workspace > Products

Products are any item or service that an organization sells.

About Products

The Products tab displays products you have imported into the platform from an external database, or products that you have added manually.

The default fields included in the Products tab identify the product by name, status (active or inactive), standard price, minimum number of units that can be ordered, the product code, category, and the date the product was made available through the platform.

As with other objects in the platform, you can create a variety of different views into the Products object to restrict the number of records that are visible at one time.

You can also change the default fields that appear in the Products tab - see Objects for more information on customizing objects. Since product databases tend to be quite large, you can use the alphabet links to locate a product quickly and easily.

Note: Products can be organized into Price Books that can be tailored to individual Opportunities.

Working with Products

Since product information is typically quite dynamic and change over time, you can keep the listings up to date by re-importing the data from an external source, or by manually adding and deleting product entries, or modifying product-specific information (pricing, quantities, discounts, etc.).

Import Products

The products must be imported as a CSV (comma-separate value) file.

To import Products:

1. Click Settings > Data Management > Import Data
2. From the list of objects, choose Products
3. In the Upload CSV File tab, click the [Browse] button to locate the product file you want to upload
4. If you have created a Mapping Profile previously, select it from the Mapping Profile list.
   (A Mapping Profile maps the columns in the imported file to the fields in product records.)
5. Click [Next].
   If you selected a Mapping Profile, it automatically maps the columns in the selected file to fields in the product record, and displays the association in the Map Columns tab.
6. If your file contains additional columns that you can map to existing fields, select them
7. Click [Next].
8. Click [OK] to confirm that the mapping options you selected are correct
9. In the Set Attributes tab, select the option to merge the new record with an existing record if you are updating your database and don't want to create duplicate records
10. To save the profile under a new name, enter the Mapping Profile Name and enter a new Mapping Profile Description
11. Click the [Start] button to import the data into the platform.
12. Alternatively, click [Save] to save this mapping profile for later use.

Once the import starts, progress can be monitored in the Import Queue.

Add a New Product

1. Click the Products tab
2. Click the [New Record] button
3. Complete the fields in the New Product page.
   You can modify the retail price (as well as offer a discount), and define the minimum number of units that must be purchased when you add a product to a price book.
4. Click [Save].
   You can now add this product to one or more price books or add it to individual opportunity records.

Add a Product to a Price Book

1. From the Workspace, click Price Books.
2. Click on the Price Book to which you want to add the new product.
3. In the Related Information section of the record, click [Add Products] to add this product to the Products List.
4. In the Add Products to a Price Book page, under Product Information, select the product you want to add.
   You can also search for the product by entering the Product Name, selecting a Category, and/or entering the Product Code.
5. When you have located the product, click [Save] to add it to the current price book.
   The product appears in the Products List for that price book.

Manage Products in a Price Book

1. From the Workspace, click Price Books.
2. Open the Price Book you want to modify.
   If you have numerous price books and an extensive list of products, you can create a view for a specific price book to restrict the number of products displayed.
3. Under Related Information, click the [Manage Products] button.
4. In the Manage Product in a Price Book page, modify the Units and/or List Price fields to reflect the values you want to use for these products in this particular price book.
   You can create numerous price books containing the same products and customize each one to reflect different minimum purchases and retail prices. For example, you may offer discounts based on seasonal sales, the volume purchased, trade show offerings, or close outs for discontinued items.
5. Click [Save].
   The Products List for that price book is updated to reflect the changes. The minimum number of units that must be purchased for that product stays the same, but the minimum number required for that price book changes.

Add a Product to an Opportunity

1. In the Opportunities tab, click on the opportunity to which you want to add products.
2. Click the [Manage Products] button under Related Information.
   The Manage Products for Opportunity page opens, which reflects the opportunity name and the account or prospect with which it is associated.
3. In the Products Information section, select the Price Book and Product you want to add.
   The Description, Price, Units (minimum number of units required in this price book), and the Amount fields are populated automatically
4. Click [Save].
   The product is added to the list of Products appearing in the record for that opportunity.

Delete a Product

Deleting a Product can involve Price Books and other Related Information.

See this section in the Recycle Bin article for more information: What Related Information is Deleted?