Sterling Omni-Configurator integration

The Sterling Omni-Configurator integration for HCL Commerce enables your storefront to sell complex, configurable products, otherwise know as dynamic kits.

The lightweight Omni-Configurator can cater to the configuration needs for all channels across various devices simultaneously. Omni-Configurator is an independent, deployable module that exposes JSON/XML-based REST APIs for all the configuration services. This module can be deployed, managed, and scaled independently. For more information, see Modularized Omni-Configurator.

Dynamic kits

In HCL Commerce, a dynamic kit is a group of products that are ordered as a unit and fulfilled together, such as a computer system that consists of a computer, monitor, and keyboard. The information about the products is controlled by an external configurator, and supplied at order entry time.

The HCL Commerce catalog subsystem uses dynamic kit catalog entry types to represent configurable products. Similar to other supported kit types, the components of a dynamic kit need to be dynamically configured by shoppers before purchase. Typically, the configuration of the components within the dynamic kit needs to comply with complex business rules, which are often managed with an external configurator.

In this integration, the external configurator is Sterling Omni-Configurator. Typically, the definition of the products in the kit is not known until the kit is configured, hence the name dynamic kit. For example, you create a computer dynamic kit that consists of different CUP, memory, monitor, keyboard, and so on. Shoppers then select from the individual components for the computer system and add the kit to the shopping cart.

Predefined dynamic kits

Predefined dynamic kits are dynamic kits that are preconfigured by business users. Shoppers can add predefined dynamic kits directly to the shopping cart without needing to configure the components of the kit. For example, a dynamic kit consists of multiple monitors, processors, and keyboards. You select components in the dynamic kit to configure a predefined dynamic kit, like a gaming computer system. Shoppers add the computer system directly to the shopping cart without needing to define a monitor, processor, and keyboard.

You can define multiple predefined dynamic kits for a dynamic kit. This functionality enables you to offer specialized configurations to shoppers based on the needs of the storefront. In the computer system example, you could configure multiple computer systems that are specialized for different customers, such as a student computer system or a computer system for professionals.

End-to-end authoring flow: business users and dynamic kits

Single sign-on allows business users to start Sterling Visual Modeler and the Omni-Configurator from the Management Center Catalogs tool in HCL Commerce. The following diagram shows the Configurator tab in the Management Center Catalogs tool where content is served from Sterling Visual Modeler and Omni-Configurator.


Diagram showing Management Center integration with Sterling Omni-Configurator Visual Modeler and Configurator

Using the Management Center, business users perform these authoring tasks:
  • Manage dynamic kits, such as creating, viewing, and deleting kits
  • Browse or search models that reside in Omni-Configurator
  • Assign models to dynamic kits
  • Manage predefined dynamic kits, such as creating, viewing, listing, and deleting predefined dynamic kits
  • Configure or reconfigure components for predefined dynamic kits
For more information about creating dynamic kits, see Creating dynamic kits.

For more information about creating predefined dynamic kits, see Creating predefined dynamic kits.

Using Sterling Visual Modeler, business users perform these authoring tasks:
  • Define models

    Business users browse or search the HCL Commerce catalog for option items (SKUs) that can be added to a model. No other catalog entry type can be added to models. Business users define rules for the model and save the model to the Omni-Configurator server's file system. Model data is stored and managed in Sterling Visual Modeler.

  • Apply price-locking to models, option groups, and option items

End-to-end shopping flow: shoppers and dynamic kits

Shoppers launch the Omni-Configurator from a starter store. The following diagram illustrates a store page where the configurable content (dynamic kit) is served from Omni-Configurator.
Diagram showing store page that is connected to Sterling Configurator.
Using Omni-Configurator, shoppers perform these tasks:
  • Configure dynamic kits
  • Reconfigure predefined dynamic kits
In the storefront, shoppers view dynamic kits in these places:
  • Catalog pages
  • e-Marketing Spots
  • Merchandising associations
  • Category page
  • Dynamic Kit display page (only dynamic kits)
  • Predefined Dynamic Kit display page (only predefined dynamic kits)
  • Search results
  • Shopping cart page
For more information about site flows for dynamic kits, see Dynamic kit pages.

Dynamic kit configuration integration features

Dynamic kit configuration with Omni-Configurator offers the following benefits:
  • Account managers can set contract pricing on dynamic kits so that customers can see a negotiated price.
  • Product Managers can create configurable products so that customers can configure their own products.
  • Shoppers can configure products to build a customized product from the available choices.

Pricing

When you use this integration, HCL Commerce is the system of record for all prices. When a shopper configures a dynamic kit, the kit component prices that are shown to the shopper include price rules and contracts for components. However, the Configuration page does not display:
  • Price adjustments on the dynamic kit itself created with price rules
  • Price adjustments that are created with promotions
The Configuration page displays a message that indicates that there might be price adjustments. The shopping cart page displays the total price, including any price rules or promotions.

The following table describes lists possible pricing scenarios.

HCL Commerce controls pricing on the storefront. Several factors influence pricing, such as price locks and adjustments. The following table describes possible pricing scenarios.
Price adjustment displayed on Category and Product pages Price adjustment displayed on Configuration page Price adjustment displayed on shopping cart page Price adjustment displayed on Search results page
Price rule on Dynamic kit branch. For example, 10% markdown on all dynamic kits. Yes No Yes No
Price rule on component contained within a dynamic kit. For example, 10% markdown on all processors. Yes Yes Yes No
Promotion discount on dynamic kit. For example, 10% markdown on all dynamic kits. No No Yes No
Promotion discount on component. For example, 10% markdown on all processors. No No Yes No
Contract pricing on dynamic kit. Yes No Yes Yes
Contract pricing on dynamic kit. Yes Yes Yes Yes
Price locked on dynamic kit. Yes Yes Yes Yes
Price locked on dynamic kit with promotion. No No Yes No

Limitations

  • Non-ATP inventory systems cannot support component level inventory for Dynamic Kits. Alternatively, you can choose to use a no-inventory or DOM inventory system if you want to use the component level inventory function.