Hey Everyone! I'm now updating the details from our SCC basic store to the new and improved SCC Pro. While adding inventory totals, I couldn't seem to figure out a way to add inventory numbers to an item if it had "options".

For example, if I had a gray t-shirt - with 24 Adult Smalls; 36 Adult Mediums and 12 Adult Larges, how could I add that inventory control for each size?

My "fix" was to create an item for each size, but thought the smarter ones on this site might be able to help me!

Thanks.

Mark
SCC Pro Full Version
Win 7, 64 Bit

Right now there is no way to do that. We tried to implement that in the first build but it required quite a bit of extensive restructuring of the software. We do plan on implementing that in a later update.

Got it. Thanks for the quick response. I can still use inventory with the 'single item at-a-time' function! Thanks for getting the program out and listening to us all whine!

Have a good weekend.

Mark

Very few carts have a practical solution to the option inventory issue Mark. You have to take into account things like an option also needing to use more than one of the core product, or needing to utilise other stock items.

For example, option three = 3 off listing product plus fixing kits. Option four = 3 off listing product plus product from another listing. Option three would have to deplete the stock count by three. Option four would additionally have to deplete the stock count of another item too.

What at first seems a simple problem is actually a very complex problem. Would be a huge task for the programmers to come up with something that is going to work in all business scenarios. Sadly there is no such thing as a standard business need. The solution needs to be deployable across a wide diversity of business types.

Will brings up a really good point about the complicated issues of an order inventory system. While developing sites for clients, I had not considered a "required accessory" or "required additional item" that would be added to the product purchase. (Thanks to Will for making me expand my development thinking)

You would expect to have a system in place that depletes the inventory count when an item is added to a shopping cart and then purchased. You would need to set a cookie timer to return the item to inventory if the order is not completed during the browsing session or a predefined amount of time.

To get the most benefit out of this type of system, you would also need to track how many times products were selected but not purchased. That type of reporting alerts you to a potential problem in the purchasing process. Whether it is pricing, lack of shipping details, demanding personal info before providing a total cost, or confusing purchase/return terms, you need to be able to track problems during the purchase process in order to resolve issues and increase conversions.

If Shopping Cart Creator Standard and/or Pro are able to add this feature sometime in the (near) future, this will be an incredibly robust product.