Manage content externally for use in Commerce Lab

If content management capabilities other than the functionality that is provided by default with Commerce+ is required, Commerce+ can be integrated with IBM Web Content Manager. If Commerce+ is integrated with IBM Web Content Manager, you can use content from IBM Web Content Manager content libraries with Commerce Lab objects.

By default, you can use Commerce Lab to upload and manage files, create meta-tags for content, and associate content with business objects. Content can be associated as attachments, images, text information, and HTML. In this integration, Commerce Lab is changed to include a punch-out window to IBM Web Content Manager. You can use the punch-out window to IBM Web Content Manager to retrieve or edit content that is created within IBM Web Content Manager.

When you select content through the punch-out window for an object, a link to the content in IBM Web Content Manager is associated with the object in Commerce Lab. The content is retrieved when the storefront must display the content. The content can be pre-rendered or rendered live when the storefront retrieves the content for display. IBM Web Content Manager provides users with rich text editing tools, multilingual support, content pre-rendering, extensive user personalization support, and more content management capabilities that can be used to create and manage content. IBM Web Content Manager users can create content within IBM Web Content Manager and assign the content to a content library that is approved for use in Commerce+. If you have access to work in all Commerce Lab tools, you can select or edit IBM Web Content Manager content for any type of Commerce Lab object that can have content associated with it. For more information about IBM Web Content Manager, see IBM Web Content Manager 8 Product Documentation.

After content is created in IBM Web Content Manager, you can open IBM Web Content Manager through the punch-out window from Commerce Lab to immediately select or edit the content. You do not have to wait for the content from to be loaded into Commerce+ before you can associate the content with an object. If Commerce+ is integrated with IBM Web Content Manager through the web feed utility integration that was introduced in Commerce+, content has to be loaded into Commerce+ before you can associate the content with an object. The punch-out integration removes the need for the web feed load, and gives Commerce Lab users the control of content retrieval from IBM Web Content Manager for use in Commerce Lab.

You can retrieve content from IBM Web Content Manager for the following Commerce Lab objects.
Commerce Lab tool Commerce Lab object
Catalogs tool Category
SKU
Product
Bundle
Kit
Sales catalog
Sales category
Attribute
Marketing tool Marketing content
Attachments tool Attachments

When Commerce Lab is integrated with IBM Web Content Manager, you can access the application through a window that opens from Commerce Lab. The process is illustrated within the following image.

Process flow for content management integration with IBM Web Content Manager.

Before you can open IBM Web Content Manager to retrieve or edit content, IBM Web Content Manager users must create the content within IBM Web Content Manager. Commerce Lab users cannot create content when IBM Web Content Manager is opened through the punch-out window from Commerce Lab. With content created, you can select or edit content in IBM Web Content Manager for use in Commerce Lab. The process to select or edit content in IBM Web Content Manager is illustrated in the preceding diagram.
  • 1 When you are working within the properties view for a Commerce Lab object, you can click the edit icon that displays next to any field that specifies content for the object. Clicking the edit icon opens a punch-out window to IBM Web Content Manager. The Commerce Lab user is automatically logged in to IBM Web Content Manager.
  • 2 If no content is specified in the field for the Commerce Lab object, the punch-out window automatically opens for selecting content to associate with the object. If a URL to IBM Web Content Manager content exists in the field, the punch-out gives you the option to select a new piece of content to associate with the object, or edit the content that is associated with the object. If you choose to select a new piece of content to associate with the object, the punch-out window opens to allow you to select the content.
  • 3 If you select to edit the content that is associated with the object, the punch-out window opens and displays the properties for the content. You can edit any of the properties that you are authorized to edit within IBM Web Content Manager.
  • 4 When you save the content that you selected or edited, the punch-out window closes. The URL to the selected or edited content displays in the field for the Commerce Lab object. If the content that you selected or edited is translated into multiple languages, and the IBM Web Content Manager Multilingual Solution is enabled for the integration, multiple URLs are returned.

For information about using IBM Web Content Manager, see the product help that is available when you are working within IBM Web Content Manager.

Benefits and capabilities

With an integration between Commerce+ and IBM Web Content Manager, users can gain the following capabilities:
  • Commerce Lab users can launch IBM Web Content Manager in a window to select content to associate the content with a Commerce Lab object
  • Commerce Lab users can launch IBM Web Content Manager in a window to edit content that is associated with a Commerce Lab object
  • IBM Web Content Manager users can create and manage content libraries specifically for the content that Commerce Lab users can access through the integration.
  • IBM Web Content Manager users can specify content libraries for a specific Commerce+ store to limit the content that Commerce Lab users can select or edit.
  • All content necessary for Commerce+ stores can be created and managed with a single application (IBM Web Content Manager).
  • If the IBM Web Content Manager multilingual solution is enabled, users can retrieve or edit content for multiple languages.
  • If an administrator enabled single sign-on for the integration, users can launch IBM Web Content Manager and begin working within the application without having to log in to the application.
  • Commerce Lab users that are working in IBM Web Content Manager through the window can preview the content that is being selected or edited before the user returns to working within Commerce Lab.
  • Commerce Lab users can preview the selected or edited content within Commerce Lab with store preview. Image content from IBM Web Content Manager can also display for Commerce Lab objects in list or properties views.

Considerations

While this integration provides users with a greater number of options for creating and managing content, there are some limitations and considerations:
  • Users must launch IBM Web Content Manager directly to create content. By launching the application through Commerce Lab, you can only select or edit content for an object.
  • Content approval processes in each application are not connected. IBM Web Content Manager users and administrators must ensure that the content that is available when a user launches the application through Commerce Lab is already approved.
  • A user that is working within IBM Web Content Manager can edit or delete content that is used on an Commerce+ store page.
  • The content that is managed and retrieved from IBM Web Content Manager is not enabled for workspaces. The workflow processes in each application are independent. When you are in a workspace, content in IBM Web Content Manager that is associated with a Commerce Lab object is not locked when you lock the object to make changes. Users in IBM Web Content Manager can still edit the content that is associated with the Commerce Lab object. If you open IBM Web Content Manager through the window while you are in a workspace, any changes you make are saved for the content. The content changes for all objects that use the content while you are still working in the workspace.
  • The content that is retrieved from IBM Web Content Manager is not incrementally indexed by Commerce+ search. An administrator must index the content by using the web crawler utility for Commerce+ search.

Your site administrators can also integrate Commerce Lab with a content management systems other than IBM Web Content Manager.