I would have made same answer as Bostjan.
And at the bottom of this document you'll find a diagram showing components relationship : ODA Component Inventory v11.0.0 (IG1242) – TM Forum. (this diagram will be updated to take into acount new TMF760 API) :
Original Message:
Sent: Jan 22, 2024 13:20
From: Roy Kucukates
Subject: TMF 622 Product Ordering API v5 - How to specify Characteristic Values for the Product Offerings referred by ProductOrderItem
Hi
Bostjan,
Thanks for your reply. It looks like we will be moving in this direction (using the Product Configuration for only helping the Front End channels, and persisting the selections of the end user in the Product Order -> Product Order Item > Product). Though there are many small gaps in the model, but as per previous comments/feedbacks the TMF model is not an implementation but rather a recommendation to get inspired from. So, we will get inspired from that :)
It looks like there will be many updates on these APIs as improvements. Thanks to those who have spent their valuable time to build what we have as of today.
Thanks,
Roy Kucukates
Original Message:
Sent: 1/22/2024 4:30:00 AM
From: Boštjan Keber
Subject: RE: TMF 622 Product Ordering API v5 - How to specify Characteristic Values for the Product Offerings referred by ProductOrderItem
Hi Roy,
the intended use of product configuration API is very close to what you wrote:
>I believe the best solution is: 1) to have the Product Configurator used to step by step build a configuration during the user interaction; 2) Copying the ultimate >configuration of the user to the Product Order on a Product Offering sub-resource with all characteristics and values.
The product configuration API assists users using various engagement channels (UX-es) to correctly configure and re-configure products. The same business rules (contained in both, product catalog and policy rules) have to be enforced regardless of the channel. When business rules change, you only have to implement changes in the configurator instead of in different applications supporting various channels.
In our implementation, the product configurator is a microservice exposing an API consumed by quoting and ordering microservices. For omnichannel use, the same API may be consumed by external ordering applications e.g. e-comemrce or mobile apps.
The product configurator does not persist configurations or characteristic values. It assists users while configuring products (e.g. setting or limiting characteristic values based on other characteristic values, re-calculating prices etc.). It is the POCV that persists characteristic values. As Jonathan suggested, ProductRefOrValue -> Product -> Characteristic should be used for this purpose. Use product value in case you are building a new product (and not referencing an existing one in the product inventory).
You can also have a look at this thread: https://engage.tmforum.org/discussion/tmf760-product-configurator-api.
BR,
Bostjan
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Boštjan Keber
Marand, software ltd
Original Message:
Sent: Jan 18, 2024 08:40
From: Roy Kucukates
Subject: TMF 622 Product Ordering API v5 - How to specify Characteristic Values for the Product Offerings referred by ProductOrderItem
Jonathan,
To me it makes more sense to have all order related information (order quantities, selected characteristic values, references to the product offerings or products, parties, etc.) contained in the Product Order so that the component can work without dependencies on other components. Having the Product Configuration (that is directly related with the Product Order) on another component creates lots of dependencies and results in multiple calls between these components. So, to me, it doesn't sound like a nice solution.
On the other hand, I wouldn't like to put the Product Offering configuration details of a new purchase into the Product sub-resource of ProductOrderItem, because by the time the order is created it is not a Product yet. I believe the best solution is: 1) to have the Product Configurator used to step by step build a configuration during the user interaction; 2) Copying the ultimate configuration of the user to the Product Order on a Product Offering sub-resource with all characteristics and values. But, anyways, just a personal opinion.
Original Message:
Sent: 1/18/2024 1:56:00 AM
From: Jonathan Goldberg
Subject: RE: TMF 622 Product Ordering API v5 - How to specify Characteristic Values for the Product Offerings referred by ProductOrderItem
I think you'll find that there is a reference from configuration to order. But the idea is that presumably the consumer will copy the configured product from a configuration structure into the order item structure when POSTing the product order.
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Jonathan Goldberg
Amdocs Management Limited
Any opinions and statements made by me on this forum are purely personal, and do not necessarily reflect the position of the TM Forum or my employer.
Original Message:
Sent: Jan 17, 2024 16:59
From: Roy Kucukates
Subject: TMF 622 Product Ordering API v5 - How to specify Characteristic Values for the Product Offerings referred by ProductOrderItem
Hi Jag,
Thanks for the feedback. I understand the benefits of the Product Configuration. But, that configuration is not referred by ProductOrderItem by any means. It looks like this Product Configuration API needs lots of work. Good part is that we at LotusFlare will work on that and do some extensions to support the minimum requirements. Let's see where we will land.
Thanks again,
Original Message:
Sent: 1/17/2024 8:36:00 AM
From: Sri-Jagadish (Jag) Baddukonda
Subject: RE: TMF 622 Product Ordering API v5 - How to specify Characteristic Values for the Product Offerings referred by ProductOrderItem
Hi Roy,
The product Configuration is the right way to do this. It enables the configuration during the Quote / Sales Order process and also 'specifies / maintains" those attribute / Char values that were selected by the user.
Regards,
Jag
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Sri-Jagadish (Jag) Baddukonda
Bell Canada
Original Message:
Sent: Jan 16, 2024 16:09
From: Roy Kucukates
Subject: TMF 622 Product Ordering API v5 - How to specify Characteristic Values for the Product Offerings referred by ProductOrderItem
Hi Jonathan,
Thanks for the reply.
I was thinking that the Product sub-entity is for the already purchased products (i.e. already instantiated products in the Product Inventory) so that the order can make modifications on them. Having a ProductRefOrValue entity referring to the Product or a ProductRef that points to an instantiated product gave me that impression.
On the other hand, the Product Configuration is a nice solution. But, again in this case, I was thinking that the Product Configuration would give me only the configuration possibilities during the order capture, and not the "selected" values. I will double check the Product Configuration option.
Thanks,
Original Message:
Sent: 1/16/2024 3:45:00 PM
From: Jonathan Goldberg
Subject: RE: TMF 622 Product Ordering API v5 - How to specify Characteristic Values for the Product Offerings referred by ProductOrderItem
Hi Roy
You would out the characteristic values in the Product sub-entity that is contained in the ProductOrderItem.
Please note that you can also use a new API in v5, Product Configuration, which gives you an easier way as a consumer for initializing a product tree structure from a product offering, as part of the sales and ordering process. Of course some back-end would have to implement this API, but for a commerce consumer the API makes things easier.
Hope it helps
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Jonathan Goldberg
Amdocs Management Limited
Any opinions and statements made by me on this forum are purely personal, and do not necessarily reflect the position of the TM Forum or my employer.
Original Message:
Sent: Jan 16, 2024 12:02
From: Roy Kucukates
Subject: TMF 622 Product Ordering API v5 - How to specify Characteristic Values for the Product Offerings referred by ProductOrderItem
Hi,
I have a question about how to specify the selected Characteristic Values of a Product Offering that has been referred by a ProductOrderItem (through ProductOfferingRef sub entity). When the user selects a Product Offering from the catalog we want them to specify the characteristic values they have selected. And then we put the selected Product Offering into the Product Order as a new Product Order Item. The ProductOrderItem entity has a ProductOfferingRef sub entity that points to the Product Offering however it is not possible to write the Characteristic Values selected by the user using this structure because there is no place we can write them on the below resource model. Does anybody has a solution to this requirement?
Thanks,
Roy
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Roy Kucukates
LotusFlare
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