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  • 1.  TMF622 OrderTerm vs ProductTerm

    TM Forum Member
    Posted Aug 26, 2021 17:26
    Hello,

    TMF622 describes two term objects:
    orderItem/itemTerm
    orderItem/product/productTerm
    Are there conventions for when each is used? The spec doesn't say much. There is no "role" or other discriminator in these blocks.



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    Alasdair MacLeod
    BT Group plc
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  • 2.  RE: TMF622 OrderTerm vs ProductTerm

    TM Forum Member
    Posted Aug 27, 2021 05:05
    Hello Alasdair,
    As you probably noticed, we have the complete Product representation with ProductOrder.ProductOrderItem. This pattern allows to describe the 'future' product as product order requester wants it. So, the orderItem/product/productTerm is the term has it will be/is represented in the inventory.  There is no convention, but probably good to have a recommendation in your organization because this could be a bit confusing. In my organization, we recommend in the product order to manage the 'ordered' term at orderItem level (and not in orderItem/product/productTerm). Then, of course, we find it in product/productTerm in the inventory.
    Hope it helps
    Ludovic

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    Ludovic Robert
    Orange
    My answer are my own & don't represent necessarily my company or the TMF
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  • 3.  RE: TMF622 OrderTerm vs ProductTerm

    TM Forum Member
    Posted Aug 27, 2021 07:22
    Ludovic,

    Thanks for this, useful to know the situation. I can see pros and cons with each approach, consistency with the "show to-be" approach used elsewhere in the payload vs. a very explicit separation of as-is from to-be. One for some internal discussion and pondering.

    I think it would be useful to include your commentary in the spec, so implementers are aware there is a choice to be made.

    Thanks, Alasdair

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    Alasdair MacLeod
    BT Group plc
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  • 4.  RE: TMF622 OrderTerm vs ProductTerm

    TM Forum Member
    Posted Aug 30, 2021 03:22
    The conventions for this are not imposed by TMF in the current state of the openAPI.

    This is my take on this:
    • orderItem/itemTerm: used for terms that are relevant for the fulfillment process only e.g. expectCustomsClearanceDelay
    • orderItem/product/productTerm: used for terms that have a lasting effect on the product: minimumContractDuration, terminationNoticePeriod.
    But any other convention could be as good as mine.

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    Koen Peeters
    Ciminko Luxembourg
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  • 5.  RE: TMF622 OrderTerm vs ProductTerm

    TM Forum Member
    Posted Nov 27, 2021 17:36
    (Just picking up this thread again)
    Yes, that would make sense too.

    I can see two main strategies:
    1. Use OrderItem level fields to represent to-be state and product-level for data recorded on the current product-instance.
    2. Use OrderItem level fields to represent transient, order-time, data and product-level for to-be product state.
    There are flaws in implementing both - you can't model to-be product characteristic values in (1) and you can't model order-time/transient characteristics in (2).

    What others strategies are followed?

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    Alasdair MacLeod
    BT Group plc
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