Overview
This guide will provide information regarding the Custom Group functionality which will be available on FAS 21.2.0 and later versions. This guide will demonstrate how to create Custom Groups, different configuration options and how to make use of them.
Custom Groups is an enhancement to Fredhopper's existing group functionality. It enables merchandisers to create 'handpicked' groups within the Visual Merchandiser using product IDs. Users will be able to rename their groups, include or replace current items based on their product IDs, modify the order of products within the group and specify (using rules, triggers or otherwise) the order of the products within the group. Ultimately, the main purpose of this feature is to allow merchandisers more control within the Visual Merchandiser and to increase their overall efficiency.
Creating Groups
With FAS versions 21.2.0 and later users are able to create two types of groups: Custom Groups and Rule-Based Groups. To create a group, you first need to navigate to the Visual Merchandiser and either create or open an existing Result Modification:
Within the Visual Merchandiser, you will need to unlock the location so you're able to make changes to the modification. Once the location is unlocked, you'll be able to move products around within the Visual Merchandiser and have the ability to create groups.
To create Rule-Based Groups, you can select a facet on the left-hand side, which will enable you to create a group. Once you select 'Create Group', the group creation panel will be shown and you'll be able to apply additional filters and sorting rules to that group.
To create Custom Groups, you'll first need to select the products that you want to be included in that group. You can do this by selecting the checkbox on the upper left-hand side of each product image. Please note, that in order to see this check box you must hover your mouse over the product for it to appear. Once you have products selected (minimum of 2), you can create the group by selecting the cog icon and then selecting 'Create group from this selection'. This will open the Custom Group creation panel.
Handpicked Items
The most notable difference between Rule-Based Groups and Custom Groups is the text field labelled 'Handpicked items'. The field allows you to enter product IDs freely into a group without the need to select them manually. There is no limit on how many products you can add to a group and no limits on the number of groups.
The text field is extremely useful if you have a large list of products that you want to add to a group. Simply enter each product ID and separate them by a comma. When creating a Custom Group, the order shown in the handpicked items field will be the order the products were selected in, rather than their position in the location. For example, if you select products in the first, fourth, and second positions, the order they will be shown in the handpicked items field will be first, fourth, second (ID).
Figure 7. Handpicked Items
FAS 21.2.0
Adding an invalid product ID to the handpicked items list will not have an effect on the group. Invalid product IDs will not appear and your group will only show those products with a valid ID. For example, a group that contains 3 valid product IDs and 1 invalid ID, will only show the 3 products.
Adding product IDs outside of the specified location will also cause the irrelevant product IDs not to appear in the group. For example, if the location has been set to Women's products and a men's product ID is added, the men's product won't appear in the group.
Sorting a Custom Group
Once a Custom Group has been created, you will be able to sort the group based on their item order, group ranking (based on the product's current position on the grid), or specific group ranking (based on the filters specified in the group). This allows you to have the freedom to decide how you want the group to be ordered.
Item Order
Sorting by item order will keep the group in the order that is specified in the handpicked items text field. This is particularly useful if you've pasted an already sorted list and want to keep that order. This will be the option that is set by default.
Group Ranking
Sorting by group ranking will order the group based on their positional ranking before they were added to the group. This is particularly useful if your products have already been sorted and you're entering the product IDs manually.
Group-Specific Ranking
Sorting by group-specific ranking will allow the group to be sorted by additional criteria. Selecting this option will allow you to apply filters to define how you want to sort your group. For example, you can select to sort by price (ascending or descending) or stock quantities. This allows you to customize each group's order based on each group's specific needs.
Quantity
The quantity section of the group creation panel allows you to specify how many products you want to be shown in your group. The three different options here are:
- Add all
- Show a specific number of items
- Populate an entire row of products.
The first option, 'add all items', is the default option and will show all of the products in the group. Once the group has been created, you can remove products from the group and the group will get smaller down to a minimum of 2 products.
The second option allows you to specify the number of products that you would like shown in the group. For example, if your group contained 10 products but you select to display 5 then only the first 5 products will be shown (depending on your sorting option). After the group has been created, if you begin to remove products from that group it will always show 5 products unless there is less than 5 products left in the group.
The third option will populate the entire row with products from the group, this can change depending on your row size. With this option, you can also set the trigger as 'current date' which will show the products in the order of their 'online from' attribute.
Visual Merchandiser
Once groups are created, you'll be able to view them on the Visual Merchandiser. There are no limits to the number of groups that you can have. Once they're created, you'll be able to drag and drop them into the desired position. Furthermore, the cog icon also allows you to quickly move the group/products to the top or bottom of the grid. There is also an option to specify product/group position on this view instead of dragging and dropping it into the desired position.
Converting a group into handpicked items is another option available once a group has been created. This will essentially disband the group with the products now being placed into the same position/order where the group was placed.
Furthermore, you can also block a group that will hide the products within it. Those products will still be available in the catalog but will be hidden from view. To retrieve these products, you can select the modification button in the top right and disband the blocked group which will return the products to the Visual Merchandiser.
Lastly, you can disband a group that will remove the group entirely returning the products back to their original position within the Visual Merchandiser.
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