How Do You Use Variations?

jlinc · June 9, 2020, 12:00am

Does anyone know where there's a training video or easy to understand instructions on how to use the new Variations functionality?

We have tried using Variations many times, but the only help article we can find is all text and pretty confusing here: https://docs.cs-cart.com/latest/user_guide/manage_products/products/product_variations.html

Variations seems a lot more difficult to use and not very intuitive compared to Inventory Amounts to individual Options. Does anyone else feel this way?

saltwater · June 10, 2020, 12:00am

Hi

I am currently on it and Yes ,VERY confusing, I feel like you !! sorry I cant be of help for now

jlinc · June 10, 2020, 12:00am

Thanks saltwater. Variations seem unusable to me. Our marketplace has custom handmade sellers. The items they make are "made to order" with many options to choose from. So, one product could have hundreds of combinations depending how the buyer wants to configure the product.

The options capability works perfectly fine, but there's no longer a way to track inventory per option variant. Our sellers aren't happy that they no longer can track inventory for each option on a product. I was told by CS-Cart that we need to offer them Variations, but we can't figure out how to get variations to work.

saltwater · June 10, 2020, 12:00am

That sounds very frustrating , and I may encounter the exact same problem as yours at some point.

I dont undestand the variations doc neither , it lacks of clarity .

If anything I will let you know

good luck

takestock · June 10, 2020, 12:00am

One you get your head around the Variation, it is quite easy to use

First this to do is to setup your features Product/Features

Once in Features you will see Feature Groups in the top right. Set them up first, They are like containers which keep related features together.

Click back to the Features tab and click + to add a Feature. Colors add the variants, Blue, Black etc. and depending on what you want select

Variations as separate products, This will make all variant show as separate products in store, also add the categories that you want the features available in, if none added the feature will apply to all.

Add the feature to a group.

Repeat for Sizes

So you could have,

Group colors

Colors Hoodies

Colors Jumpers

Group sizes

Sizes Hoodies
Sizes Jumpers

Now, go to product, and add a product as normal. save

go to features tab.

Select the features to be applied to that product. save

Go to the variation tab

Add Variant

Greate new product.

You will see all the options you can add. tick them and save, all the product will be added

I have two short videos on this if anyone wants to PM me

Alan

takestock · June 10, 2020, 12:00am

Thanks saltwater. Variations seem unusable to me. Our marketplace has custom handmade sellers. The items they make are "made to order" with many options to choose from. So, one product could have hundreds of combinations depending how the buyer wants to configure the product.

The options capability works perfectly fine, but there's no longer a way to track inventory per option variant. Our sellers aren't happy that they no longer can track inventory for each option on a product. I was told by CS-Cart that we need to offer them Variations, but we can't figure out how to get variations to work.

As per my other answer

In this case when setting up the features you might need to select "show variation as one product in storefront." but all will be available in admin to edit for stock tracking etc.

Alan

saltwater · June 10, 2020, 12:00am

Hi alan ,

Thanks for your message !

Thats what I am doing , but I must missing a point somewhere , because it does not work for me

I will PM you now

Thank you

kaltersia · June 12, 2020, 12:00am

it is still a bit complicated. but its ok

saltwater · June 17, 2020, 12:00am

Well, as a multivendor platforms , I am worrie my vendors wont get around this easiy , I dont even get it myself !

jlinc · June 18, 2020, 12:00am

Saltwater

This is exactly why we aren't going to use variations. It's super confusing. I've been building software on other platforms like SalesForce for years. The variations function isn't intuitive and (even worse) there is no video training materials on it. I'm somewhat surprised they deprecated functionality with the Options functionality.

We currently have over 1,000 vendors on our marketplace selling handmade items. They are artists and not tech savvy. If I can't figure out how variations works or why they should use it over options I guarantee our vendors won't. We already have a tough time teaching them how to do shipping in CS-Cart....don't want to add more frustration into the mix for them.

saltwater · June 18, 2020, 12:00am

Hi Jlinc

I think I got it around tonight (I mean who knows ! next phase, I may realize that it was all just smoke

Quoting you

" The items they make are "made to order" with many options to choose from. So, one product could have hundreds of combinations depending how the buyer wants to configure the product."

Ok you may well want to go without variation..but that means you would keep working with options ?

On my side , I have completely ignored options (for now) and I am a bit worrie this comes back as a problem later on .

So it took me almost 10 days to understand variations (not sure though) takestock advice were actually very good. From there i have just gotten new problems, but in the end, I did find a way

I have wrote each steps on a paper (that was not smart)

I Will copy it on my computer anyway and will send it , for you to look at

You may as well, not be impressed , but we never know !

I Have created severals precise groups to apply directly to categories.

instances :

group

Frame size :

- 6*5

- 10*15

-15*25

-40*40