Using the Item Variation Worksheet

The standard process flow of the item variations functionality is as follows:

• You begin with a top-level parent item
• The item variations framework is used to define variation SKUs based on configurable attribute values
• New items or item variants are built from these variation

It may be, however, that both the parent and child records already exist in Business Central. In such a scenario, it is necessary to establish an item variations framework that links these existing records together in a parent/child relationship.

The item variations module includes a worksheet that can be used to link existing records together as part of an item variation. This worksheet can also be used as an alternative way to create variation SKUs for new configurable variations.

To use the item variation worksheet:

1. Search Business Central for Item Variation Worksheet, and then choose the related link
2. In the Batch Name field, enter the worksheet batch in which you want to work.

The item variation worksheet uses standard Business Central journal batch functionality. You can create multiple batches if you want to segregate your worksheet activities.

• In the Worksheet Visible Fields field, select the column view you want to see.
  • Normal: this is a view of the standard information that is typically entered across three configurable options.
  • Required option views: by default, the item variations functionality supports up to three configurable options for a given item. The required option view selections allow you to present only those columns that are required for the number of attributes with which you are working.  For example, if you are entering worksheet 

    lines for a series of items that only use a single configurable attribute, you could choose the Required – 1 Option selection. This would result in all columns for options 2 and 3 being removed from the worksheet. 

  •  All: all setup fields are presented on the worksheet. This selection presents columns for three configurable options and includes fields for optional information such as common, brand, and industry values. 

• On the first available line, enter the Business Central item for which you are defining the item variation SKU in the Item No. field.
• By default, the item variation worksheet will create/establish variation SKUs as variants of the parent item.  If you want these variation SKUs to exist for other Business Central items, enter a value of Items in the SKU Explode Method field.
• In the Option 1 Code field, enter the unique code for the configurable option you are assigning to the item variation SKU.
• In the Option 1 Value field, enter the option value that you are assigning to the item variation SKU.
• In the Option 1 Key Segment Value 1 field, enter the value that will be used to represent the option value when it is included as part of a key segment, if desired. If this field is left blank, Business Central will attempt to use the entry in the Option 1 Value field as the key segment value.
• Fill in other, optional, fields, as desired. 
• If necessary, repeat above steps for additional configuration options.
• In the SKU field, enter a value that will identify the variation SKU as a unique record. 
• Depending on how you want the item variation worksheet to generate records, populate the SKU Item and SKU Variant Code fields:
  • If you are creating a variation SKU for an existing Business Central item or item variant, enter these values.
  • If you are creating a variation SKU for configurable variants that do not yet exist as records in Business Central, leave these fields blank.
• Repeat this process for additional variation SKUs.

Every variable configuration of an item must be entered as a separate worksheet line. For example, if we offered a product in multiple colors and were setting up an item variation to reflect this variable characteristic, we would create separate worksheet lines for red, blue, and yellow.

• Select the worksheet lines for which you want to create variation SKUs, then choose the Process Selected Lines action.

The item variation worksheet will attempt to create new variation SKUs for the item that is assigned as the worksheet line’s parent item; the Line Status field on each line will indicate whether this was successful. In addition, the Status Message field will contain information about the processing activity. This is especially useful if the line failed to process, as information about the nature of the failure can assist in correcting the underlying issue. Lines will typically fail to process due to validation issues. For example, if you entered a SKU item number for an item that doesn’t exist in Business Central, the validation would fail and a message would be presented to the user indicating that the item variation worksheet was unable to find the specified item.

If an item variation record did not exist for a parent item at the line of line processing, a new one will automatically be created based on the settings and values that were entered on the worksheet line. The manner in which key segment information is determined for these newly created item variations is dependent on worksheet line values:

• If key segment values are assigned on item variation worksheet lines, they will also be assigned as key segment values for the newly created item variation’s option values.  However, if key segment values are not specified on item variation worksheet lines, the option value will be assigned as the key segment value for the newly created

  item variation’s option values.

  For example, if we created an item variation worksheet line with an option code of COLOR, an option value of Yellow, and a blank key segment value, the system would assign a key segment value of Yellow to the newly created item variation’s option value. If in that same scenario we assigned YLW as the key segment value on the worksheet line, the system would use this as the key segment value for the newly created item variation’s option value.

• The maximum length for an item variation option’s key segment is determined by the longest value that is used to create item variations for that option from the item variation worksheet.

For example, if we created three item variation worksheet lines with an option code of COLOR and option values of Red, Blue, and Yellow, the maximum key segment length for the newly created item variation option COLOR would be 6, based on the number of characters in Yellow.

If an item variation worksheet line is used to create a variation SKU for a record (either item or variant) that does not yet exist in Business Central, please be aware that it is still necessary to explode these variation SKUs from the related item variation card. This process will not be automatically performed as part of the item variation worksheet processing actions.

Processed lines are not automatically removed from the item variation worksheet. You can choose the Delete Processed Lines action to remove any successfully processed line from the worksheet.

Note: the steps described above assume the manual entry of values in worksheet lines. In scenarios where you are working with a large volume of records, it is also possible to populate worksheet lines via a RapidStart configuration package or other import process.