Objective: To learn how to create and use variant groups and assemblies. At Duro, we use the term Variant and Deviation interchangeably.
Difficulty: Intermediate
In this article:
- Understanding variants
- How to create and reclassify variants
- The Variants tab
- How to remove a variant
- Variant groups
- Variant suffixes
- Active variants
Variants / Deviations are powerful tools that empower manufacturers to select from various options to fulfill the production requirement, granting you flexibility and your customers with options. This is a handy feature that helps identify related products, auto-generate comparison reports, aggregate procurement requirements, and make changes in bulk across the product line.
Understanding variants
A variant is a product or component that is a minor variation of an existing product or component. The criteria that classify a component or product as a variant have to do with the three F's: form, fit, and function. Although it must share enough features for it to be considered in the same "family" of design, a variant deviates from the original in at least one of these three categories. Swapping a variant within an assembly is a context-specific action that directly influences and transforms the assembly itself. Creating and setting variants allows you to simultaneously customize assemblies to user preferences and simplify the process of fulfilling production requirements.
How to create and reclassify variants
There are two primary methods of variant generation: the first method involves constructing a variant by (a) replicating an existing part and subsequently (b) introducing subtle modifications to distinguish the variant from the original. The second method entails a simple re-classification of an existing part as a variant of another; this process only necessitates establishing a link between the intended variant and the intended original. Both methods utilize the Component/Product Variant Icon, which is found in the Toolbar of any component or product page.
Note: This is not to be confused with the Duplicate a Product/Component Icon which creates a duplicate rather than a variant part.
First method: creating new variants
To create a new variant, please follow the steps below.
- Log into your Duro account.
- Navigate to the component or product page of the item in your library from which you intend to create a variant.
- Click on the Variants icon in the toolbar. The icon is comprised of two overlapping squares faced diagonally.
- Select Create New Variant.
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Duro then automatically creates a carbon copy of that item with an updated unique title and CPN value. Make the appropriate changes to the copy, reflecting the differences found within the variant product or component.
- Other than the specific criteria that alter this component or product from the original, here is a list of possible actions to take for your new variant:
- Add new documents to the Documents tab
- Add a new product image
- Rename the product to have a unique name as opposed to just "Copy of ___"
- When you have completed entering the new changes, click Save at the top of the screen. This action will save your changes and take you from edit mode to the product/component page view.
Second method: reclassifying existing parts as variants
Listing an existing part as a variant of another is also possible. Rather than having to generate a new variant based on the original, Duronauts have the option to reclassify it accordingly. This process involves adding the intended variant item to the Variants table of the original.
To re-classify a part as a variant of another, follow the directions below:
- Log into your Duro account.
- Navigate to the component or product page of the item in your library that you desire to list as the original item.
- Click on the Variants icon in the toolbar. The icon is comprised of two overlapping squares faced diagonally.
- In the search bar of the Variant table, enter the CPN of the intended variant.
- Select the item from the list.
- Click Save to add the variant to the table.
Now the variant will populate in the Variant table of the original item.
The Variants tab
Once the new variant is saved, a new tab titled Variants will populate on the bottom half of the original product page. The table shows the flattened assembly for each component and easily identifies what is common across components and where the variation occurs. If you navigate back to your dashboard and identify the original product, a blue icon will appear on its tile, showing how many variants there are for that product. Selecting this icon opens the modal displaying the full list of existing variants, allowing you to continue to add more.
How to remove a variant
To remove a variant, follow the below steps. If you are continuing from the previous section, skip to Step 3 below.
- If you want to create a product or component variant, click on Products or Components in the left navigation.
- Find the item in your library from which you will create a variant. Click on it to go to the product/component page view.
- Click on the Variants icon in the toolbar.
- On the far right side of the Component/Product Variants table that populates, click on the green "X" of the line item you want to remove.
- Click SAVE.
Variant groups
Your options aren't limited to creating standalone variant products and variant components. With Duro, you're also able to create groups of variants. Variant groups are families of related products or components. The benefits of creating variants groups are organizational and relational: it's helpful to associate related variants for simplicity of categorization. Additionally, related variants often share support and technical documentation; grouping these will help users find the information they need faster.
Please follow the directions listed below to take advantage of this feature.
- Navigate to the component or product page of one of the variants you would like to group.
- Click on the Variants icon to view existing variants associated with the component or product in question.
- Go to the Variants tab to see which variants are currently associated with the product or component.
- Search for the variants you would like to be grouped with the original using the Component/Product Variants table search function. Select them using the radio button; it will turn green when selected.
- Click on Save to upload to the original product or component.
- Go to the Assembly tab. This table shows all the possible variants associated with the assembly.
- Expand the first column (Name/CPN).
- A Variant icon is directly to the right of the first item in the list. Click on this icon to open up the Component/Product Variants table.
This is where you can tell the system that a particular component can function as an alternate within this particular assembly. Navigate into each individual assembly and update accordingly.
Swapping variants in an assembly
Another feature that Duro has enabled for our users is the assembly swap capability. Using this tool, you can interchange variants directly within the variant group. If a component in an assembly is unavailable, whether due to shipping delays or sourcing complications, you can quickly access alternate options as well as alert manufacturers of additional substitutes that would function within the assembly, providing them with immediate permission to use a variant. This is extremely beneficial if you're already in production and require operations to continue smoothly.
To utilize this tool, please follow the steps below.
- Navigate to the product or component page of the assembly in question.
- Click on the Assembly tab. This table shows all possible variants associated with the assembly.
- Click the Pencil icon at the bottom left-hand corner of the assembly table to edit the data within.
- Expand the first column (Name/CPN).
- A Variant icon is directly to the right of the first item in the list. Click on this icon to open up the Component/Product Variants table.
- Swap variants by clicking on the three horizontal dots and setting as the primary.
- Click Save.
Creating variant assemblies in a spreadsheet
Variant assemblies are identical to variant components in composition and creation; the difference is that a variant assembly comprises two or more components. To create a unique variant assembly with a spreadsheet, you will combine a variety of processes we have already covered. Read more about it below.
- Import a component assembly from a third-party integration or from a file.
- Create a new variant based on the imported component assembly. This action blindly copies all the children from the imported component into the variant assembly.
- Click on the Export icon in the toolbar. This will populate the Export settings window to the right of the component page.
- Upload the spreadsheet containing your variant assembly data.
- Select Customize fields. Ensure that Level, CPN, Name, EID, and Quantity are selected.
- Make any other preferred adjustments to your export. For more information on exporting settings, visit our Export article.
- Ensure that Download is selected under the export options section, not Email.
- Click Save.
- Click Export.
- Navigate back to the variant component assembly we created at the beginning of this process.
- Click on the Assembly tab.
- Click on File, located in the heading of the Assembly table.
- Choose Existing Components.
- Click on browse and upload the spreadsheet we just exported in Step 9.
- In the Map, Your Fields to Duro window generated when you upload a spreadsheet ensures that only the CPN and Quantity fields are selected. For more information, visit our Import From File article.
- Click on Continue.
- Ensure that all CPN values are valid on the Review Your Imports page.
- Go back to the component page of the variant assembly.
- Click on the Variants icon in the toolbar and select Create New Variant.
- Rename and save the assembly.
Variant suffixes
Duro's default variant schema feature enhances component management for company accounts by assigning a unique 2-digit suffix to each variant (e.g., -01, -02, -03), with the original component marked as -00. This system proves highly effective for organizations dealing with numerous variants, facilitating easy identification and differentiation.
Upon activation, all library items initially carry a “00” suffix. New variants, however, receive distinct numbers other than “00” in their creation order. This method simplifies the tracking and categorization of variants and offers flexibility in handling them. The schema can be tailored to display the suffix only for items with variants, ensuring neater and more relevant component labeling.
This schema maintains a consistent category and counter, ideal for companies that either frequently generate variants or manage extensive variant libraries. Only the suffix changes for new variants, promoting a smooth integration process and upholding the integrity of the component categorization system.
To configure, please open a new ticket with Duro and specify your request for variant CPN configuration.
Active variants
Please visit our article on Active Variants for more information on how to activate variants in an assembly.
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