Tài liệu Module 3: Organizing Product Information docx

Explain to students the benefits of using a master content source, and how it enables the design and creation of custom electronic catalogs for trading partners.. To simplify the process

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After completing this module, students will be able to:

! Describe a master content source and explain its benefits

! Design a master content source

! Establish a data migration process

To teach this module, you need Microsoft® PowerPoint® file 2420A_03.ppt

To prepare for this module:

! Read all of the materials for this module

! Complete the practices and lab

How to Teach This Module

This section contains information that will help you teach this module

Lesson: Introduction to Master Content Sources

This lesson introduces the concept of a master content source as a single electronic repository for product information Explain to students the benefits of using a master content source, and how it enables the design and creation of custom electronic catalogs for trading partners Ensure that students understand that the primary purpose of a master content source is to create catalogs The following information is specific to individual pages in this lesson

This page is not intended to be a comprehensive or definitive source on what information to include in a master content source The type of information that

an organization includes in the master content source depends completely on the organization’s business needs

Spend about 10 minutes on each practice in the module The answers that are provided for each practice are suggested answers only Students may develop their own reasons for including or excluding attributes from their design Encourage class discussion, and feel free to change the practice parameters to increase discussion

Lesson: Selecting a Master Content Source Design

Students must choose a storage method for their master content source Discuss the capabilities of the examples provided and the considerations for choosing a storage method

The following information is specific to individual pages in this lesson

This page merely presents examples of storage methods Do not spend time discussing which method to choose; save that discussion for the next page Emphasize that because a master content source is a new entity, students must ensure that, as part of their design, they determine how it will be managed

Lesson: Establishing a Data Migration Process

When designing a plan to implement a master content source, students must define a data migration process Even in medium-size environments, the process can be very complicated, often involving aggregation, synchronization, and restructuring of data Avoid a lengthy discussion of specific migration methods unless it is appropriate

The following information is specific to individual pages in this lesson

This summary page highlights the main design elements of the module It is meant as a simple module review and a tool to help students prepare for the final module and lab, where they analyze a new scenario and create a B2B integration design plan

Guidelines for Including

Lab: Organizing Product Information

In this design lab, students study how Adventure Works maintains product information and creates catalogs for trading partners Students answer design questions about the creation of a master content source and the migration of product data to it

If students consider Microsoft Excel to be a requirement in the scenario, remind them that, if possible, the sales team wants to continue using only Excel because the team is already trained and familiar with the product However, because of the security requirements of the project, Excel may not be a viable option Students should include training on the new method of updating product information in their overall design

The design lab is scheduled for 45 minutes Divide students into pairs or small teams, and ask them to spend 20 minutes reading and discussing the scenario Then, have each pair or team present its answers to the class

Although the lab scenario provides a clear path to certain design decisions, it contains enough ambiguity to encourage student discussion and debate

Students may disagree with the answers that are provided in the Delivery Guide and the Student Materials compact disc Disagreement is acceptable if students can provide adequate business or technical justification To increase student involvement, ask a representative of each team to present the team’s answers to the class and then defend the design

Customization Information

This section identifies the lab setup requirements for a module and the configuration changes that occur on student computers during the labs This information is provided to assist you in replicating or customizing Microsoft Official Curriculum (MOC) courseware

This module contains a single paper-based design lab There are no hands-on labs in this module, and as a result, there are no lab setup requirements or configuration changes that affect replication or customization

Timing

Discussion

Overview

! Introduction to Master Content Sources

! Selecting a Master Content Source Design

! Establishing a Data Migration Process

Supplier

Master Content Source

Master Content Source

Product Information Product

Information

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Your organization maintains content that describes your products Content includes product attributes that help describe a product, such as color, dimension, and price These attributes are often useful to a trading partner You use electronic catalogs to list products and their descriptions for trading partners Because trading partners often have different needs and require catalogs in different formats, it may be necessary to create a separate catalog for each trading partner To simplify the process of creating and maintaining multiple catalogs, you can collect your product information in a single location, called a master content source, and then use this single source as a staging area for catalog creation

Before you create a master content source, collect the product information that you use in your catalogs from the various locations where the information resides Next, choose a storage method, such as a Microsoft®

SQL Server™ 2000 database After you create your master content source, migrate your content to it Ensure that you establish management procedures and create update schedules for your master content source so that content remains current and accurate

After completing this module, you will be able to:

! Describe a master content source and explain its benefits

! Design a master content source

! Establish a data migration process

Introduction

Objectives

Lesson: Introduction to Master Content Sources

! Where Is Information Currently Stored?

! What Is a Master Content Source?

! Reasons to Use a Master Content Source

! Guidelines for Including Information in a Master Content Source

! Practice: Choosing Information to Include in a Master Content Source

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Catalogs include products and their descriptions Because product information often exists in several locations, creating an electronic catalog can be difficult Also, not all trading partners require or want the same type of information You can use a master content source to create a custom catalog for each of your trading partners from the same central data source

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

! Identify the locations of content

! Describe a master content source

! Explain the reasons to use a master content source

! Determine the types of information to include in a master content source

Introduction

Lesson objectives

Where Is Information Currently Stored?

ERP System

Paper Catalog

SQL Server Database

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Before you collect your product information in a central source, identify the location of all relevant information

For each product that you offer in a catalog, you must locate all of the information that describes it For example, your main office may update product description and sales information, which your regional office uses But your regional office may maintain specific production information that only your trading partners in that region require

Even within a single geographic location, separate databases or business systems may store information about a product For example, a Material Resource Planning (MRP) system may contain ordering information, but an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system may contain the pricing data

It is possible that you also store information in one or more electronic formats, such as:

digital video discs, and tapes

Excel XP spreadsheets, and comma-separated value (CSV) files

SQL Server 2000

Your organization may also store information in nonelectronic or nontraditional formats, such as paper catalogs, or in more informal places, such as paper newsletters, electronic mail archives, or the memories of individuals

What Is a Master Content Source?

A master content source provides:

" A staging area for catalog information

" A consistent source for information

" Easy access to information

price model SKU warranty weight height

139.99 M-990 23654 23654 1 2.5 9.0139.99 M-990+ 23656 23656 1 2.5 9.0 139.99 M-998 23657 23657 1 2.75 8.5 159.99 N-800 23658 23658 2 1.8 6.0 169.99 N-880 23659 23659 1 1.8 6.0 169.99 N-880+ 23660 23660 1 1.9 6.0 179.99 N-900 23661 23661 2 2.0 5.5

Master Content Source

Existing Product Information

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Creating a master content source can solve problems that are associated with the maintenance of product information in many locations

A master content source is a single electronic source for product information

You use a master content source as an electronic staging area to create catalogs and as a single source for centralizing product information

A master content source separates product information from catalog creation This separation helps ensure that product data is accurate in all of your catalogs For example, if multiple catalogs reference the same product, and you do not use a master content source, you must update each catalog whenever a product attribute changes However, if you collect product information in a master content source, you update the information in a single location

Centralizing product information enables you to create catalogs from a consistent, complete, and reliable source Discrepancies can occur if you pull product information from its original location into a catalog, especially when you maintain the same information in multiple locations If you do not synchronize information among all locations, you may inadvertently pull outdated information into a catalog

By including all of the information that you require for your electronic catalogs

in a master content source, you and others in your organization can gain easy access to the information and update it

Reasons to Use a Master Content Source

Use a master content source to:

"Enable the design of customized catalogs

"Enable the rapid creation of catalogs

"Ensure consistent attribute values

price model SKU warranty weight height

139.99 M-990 M-990 23654 1 2.5 9.0139.99 M-990+ 23656 1 2.5 9.0 139.99 M-998 M-998 23657 1 2.75 8.5 159.99 N-800 23658 2 1.8 6.0 169.99 N-880 23659 1 1.8 6.0 169.99 N-880+ 23660 1 1.9 6.0 179.99 N-900 23661 2 2.0 5.5

Master Content Source Electronic Catalog

for Trading Partner 1

Electronic Catalog for Trading Partner 2

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A master content source provides several benefits to catalog creation

You can create catalogs that are tailored to the specific needs of your trading partners For example, a supplier creates two catalogs: one catalog for an industrial company and another catalog for a marketplace The catalog for the industrial company excludes products that it does not use; it also excludes prices, which the supplier negotiates with the company directly The catalog for the marketplace includes more products and lists prices, but it excludes other attributes that the marketplace does not permit

An organization must be able to create catalogs rapidly to respond to changes in market conditions and trading partner requirements By storing all product information in a single location, you can make changes faster and ensure that your catalogs promptly reflect those changes

Creating catalogs from multiple data locations can lead to inconsistencies in how you describe products to trading partners A master content source eliminates inconsistency by ensuring that all of the attributes for a product are described in a similar way

Suppose an automobile company maintains data about a specific car engine in both a spreadsheet and a database The sales contact for one trading partner creates his catalog from the spreadsheet, but the contact for a second trading partner creates her catalog from the database If the spreadsheet and database do not describe the engine exactly the same way, one of the trading partners may receive different or even outdated information

Guidelines for Including Information in a Master Content Source

Is not related to catalog creation

# Warehouse bin number

Benefits the buyer

# Customer part number

# Internal part number

# Cost center

# Internal part number

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The information that you choose to include in your master content source depends on its usefulness to your trading partners and to your organization Your trading partners use the information in your electronic catalog to purchase products that best suit their needs Therefore, include attributes that describe products accurately and that are relevant to your trading partners Also include specific information that your trading partners may require, such as part numbers or reference codes that the trading partner uses internally, or industry codes that they use to identify parts You can also include information that trading partners are not asking for specifically but that help differentiate products, such as graphics

As a supplier, you may decide to store product information in the master content source that serves your business purposes but that is not intended for catalog content For example, you can include internal billing information about

a specific product Before you include extra information, however, identify who will have access to the master content source and determine whether including the information will duplicate maintenance efforts elsewhere

Because you will use the master content source primarily to create catalogs, it is generally recommended that you restrict its contents to product-specific

information Exclude other information, such as names and contact information

of sales representatives, accounting costs, and warehouse bin location numbers, that your organization maintains elsewhere or that has little to do with catalog creation

Practice: Choosing Information to Include in a Master Content

Source

1 Read the scenario

2 Analyze the products and associated information

3 Choose what information to include

in your master content source

4 Discuss your decisions

1 Read the scenario

2 Analyze the products and associated information

3 Choose what information to include

in your master content source

4 Discuss your decisionsDiscussion

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This practice presents a company that is designing a master content source for online business Read the scenario, answer the questions, and then briefly discuss your answers with your classmates

A lumber company offers products to general contractors and large construction companies The lumber company wants to expand its sales to overseas markets The company recently purchased a Customer Resource Management (CRM) application to maintain sales information for product listings

Complete the following table, and then answer the questions

Grade X Weight X

Internal accounting reference number

1 What product attributes would you consider including in the master content source, and who would benefit from the attributes?

Include attributes that directly benefit buyers, which include all attributes in the CRM except for the warehouse bin number, processing plant, internal accounting reference number, and sales contact

information All of the other attributes are related to the product or may be useful to buyers For example, shipping hubs may be useful for buyers if the location affects shipping costs

2 What attributes would you choose not to include, and why?

Warehouse bin number and sales contact information This information

is irrelevant to buyers, is tracked elsewhere, and is likely to change frequently

The internal accounting reference number and the location or name of the processing plant benefit the supplier, but are not directly related to catalog creation You could include these attributes, but they are likely

to be maintained elsewhere

Questions

Lesson: Selecting a Master Content Source Design

! Types of Storage Methods

! Considerations for Choosing a Storage Method

! Guidelines for Describing Product Information

! Considerations for Managing a Master Content Source

! Practice: Choosing a Storage Method

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After you decide to create a master content source and determine what data to include, you can select the design elements of your master content source Design elements include the storage method and the guidelines that you will use

to describe product information You must also consider how you will manage your master content source to ensure that product updates are entered regularly and correctly

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

! Describe the types of storage methods that you can use

! Choose a storage method

! List guidelines for describing product information

! Plan management requirements for a master content source

Introduction

Lesson objectives

Types of Storage Methods

Robust Simple Examples of Storage Methods

! Format options include:

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You can use one of several types of electronic storage methods for a master content source Almost any electronic format will suffice, as long as you can import data from it to your catalog

Common storage methods include:

amounts of data Flat files, such as a Word file, enable rapid import and export of data, and they require data input and data management tools The flat file format limits the number of users that can modify data at any given time, and the format does not scale well when you manage large amounts of data

can use to enter and manage data It also supports Extensible Markup Language (XML) Excel can contain medium-size databases, but it limits the number of users that modify data at any given time

manipulation To use XML formats, you must write custom code to build a tool set that enables you to enter and manage data You can build XML formats for a Web interface

Access includes extensive data entry and data management tools and supports XML The advanced database structure in Access also permits multiple user access to the database

large organizations SQL Server is a robust solution that supports atomic transactions, but it requires database design SQL Server can be made fault tolerant, scales to large organizations, and supports concurrency, or multiple user access to the database SQL Server 2000 natively supports XML data

Introduction

Examples of storage

methods

Considerations for Choosing a Storage Method

When choosing a storage method, consider the:

" Complexity and amount of product data

" Number of people who manage content

" Frequency of updates to product information

" Catalog format requirements

" Aggregation of product data from multiple sources

Robust Simple Examples of Storage Methods

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The storage method that you choose for your master content source depends on several criteria, including the number of products that you offer and the amount

of information that you maintain about the products

When choosing a storage method, consider the following issues:

your products can range from simple fields for short product descriptions to

a complex, hierarchical structure You can use a simple file-based solution for basic product descriptions and small numbers of items Complex product organization structures and multiple levels of hierarchies may require a database solution

information, your need for record locking, version control, and backups is simple If multiple teams work on product lines, you require robust capabilities, such as versioning, record locking, load balancing, and fault tolerance, that a database can provide

single person can make the changes fairly easily in a spreadsheet or a flat file If your product information changes constantly, your master content source must support rapid and continual updates A robust database, with transactional and batch updates, can support constant and continual change

with a short description for each item, your master content source can also

be simple Advanced catalog requirements, such as graphics, sounds, and the ability to query a long product description to create a short description, necessitate a more complex and robust solution

from similar formats, such as Excel spreadsheets exclusively, you can use a simple storage method However, if you gather large amounts of data from multiple locations in different formats, consider a more robust choice

Introduction

Choosing a storage

method

Guidelines for Describing Product Information

!Add existing industry standards when possible:

!Be consistent:

!Be specific:

Dimensions 2” x 8’ x ¾”

Metal vs steel Aqua vs blue Grey vs gray

Metal vs steel Aqua vs blue Grey vs gray

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If your organization stores product information in more than one location, it is likely that you have product descriptions that describe the same product in different ways Use the following guidelines to ensure that you describe all products in a similar and consistent way for your trading partners

Multiple attributes are often combined in a single attribute in a product description—for example, the dimensions of a steel beam Organizing attributes

in groups may seem intuitive, but the order may be inconsistent or the descriptions may not be uniform By separating specific values, you can describe products more precisely For example, instead of using the term dimension, separate the attributes into length, width, and thickness Or, consider

a 200-word paragraph that describes a product Different writers may describe the product in widely varying ways and styles Instead of a long paragraph, you can break the description into shorter paragraphs for description, uses, and recommendations

When you collect product information from multiple sources, you increase the chance that your product attributes contain inconsistencies For example, attributes may contain different degrees of specificity, such as metal versus aluminum, steel, and high-carbon steel Equivalent but dissimilar terms may exist, such as blue and synonyms for blue, like azure, ocean, or turquoise By standardizing values, you can achieve consistency across catalogs and compare products within a catalog more easily Standardizing values also reduces the likelihood of you or your coworkers entering errors on a new product

Products that seem fully described to you may lack the international or industry codes that large trading partners use Industry standards, such as the Universal Standard Products and Services Classification (UNSPSC) code, are recognized internationally They may be useful to your trading partners and to future domestic and international trading partners