AX Specific

Product Categories

Applies to Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012.

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 allows to classify products using item groups and product categories. Item groups or product categories can be imported into Sana Admin to build webshop navigation. By default Sana Commerce uses item groups. Item groups allow to create single-level navigation, unlike product categories that can be used to create multilevel navigation. Item groups are required, as they are needed when you create products.

Also if you use customer assortment rules, they can be configured per individual products and item groups. But additionally you can use product categories in AX and import them as navigation items instead of the item groups. To be able to use product categories you should create a category hierarchy and assign products to this category. Then you should enable product categories and select category hierarchy on the Webshops form. The selected on the Webshops form category hierarchy can be imported into Sana Admin as navigation items for your webshop.

For more information, see 'ERP Integration'.

To create a product category in Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012:

Step 1: Click: Product information Management > Setup > Categories > Category hierarchies.

Step 2: On the action pane, click Category hierarchy and enter a unique name to create a category hierarchy.

Step 3: Use the Category hierarchy form to create category hierarchy to classify products by categories.

Category Hierarchy

The following fields are required:

The category hierarchy should be active. On the action pane you can activate/inactivate the category hierarchy or any category node.

You can also associate category hierarchy with a Procurement category hierarchy type. If a category hierarchy is of the Procurement category hierarchy type, then you can add product attributes to the product category that can be used for products filtering in the webshop using facets. In AX it is possible to create only one product category of the Procurement category hierarchy type. For more information about how to use product attributes in Microsoft Dynamics AX, see 'Product Attributes'.

Step 4: When the category hierarchy is created you should assign products to a certain category node. To do this in the Released products list select a product and click Product categories on the action pane to associate a product with a certain category. In the Product categories window select category hierarchy and category that a product should be associated with. This way you can associate any product with a certain category.

Associate a Product with a Product Category

Step 5: When a product category is created and all products are associated with the product category click: Webshop > Common > Webshops.

Step 6: On the Webshops form enable product categories and select category hierarchy that you have created.

Enable Product Categories

By default product categories are disabled and item groups are used. If you enable product categories this will require product reindexing. You should open Sana Admin, click Tools > Scheduled tasks and run the Product import task.

When all above steps are completed you can import the product categories into Sana Admin to build the webshop navigation based on the product categories created in Microsoft Dynamics AX and selected on the Webshops form.

For more information about webshop navigation, see 'Navigation'.