This article will explain how you can search and pull product information from the Product Library found in the DotActiv software. This article further explains how to download images from the Product Library.
Applicable Products: DotActiv Lite, DotActiv Pro, DotActiv Enterprise
Understanding the Product Library and Information Storage
The Product Library in DotActiv is a centralised collection of all products, including their associated images where applicable, that users have utilised in planograms. This library serves as a vital resource for users to search, access, and manage product information efficiently.
How the Product Library Works
When users work with products in their planograms, specific product information is automatically uploaded to DotActiv’s Activ8 platform in the background. This process ensures that the product data is continuously synchronised and updated, making the latest information readily available within the Product Library.
The Product Library is designed to streamline the process of searching for and pulling product information into the application. Users can perform both general and advanced searches to filter products based on various criteria, such as barcodes, descriptions, or other product attributes. Once the desired products are found, they can be viewed in either grid or tile views, allowing for easy access to detailed information and associated images.
Where the Information is Stored
All product information in the Product Library is collated and stored in a centralised cloud-based database. This means that the data is not tied to any specific local database or system, but instead, it is hosted on the cloud, and accessible to users from anywhere with an internet connection. This centralised storage ensures that all users have access to the same up-to-date product information and images, regardless of their location.
Since the Product Library is cloud-based, it does require an active internet connection for access. In the event of no internet access, users will receive an error message and will be unable to retrieve information from the library until the connection is restored.
Finding The Product Library
As seen below, you can find the ‘Product Library’ icon under the ‘Data’ tab under the ‘Show’ section.
Clicking on the ‘Product Library’ icon, you can choose to do a ‘General Search’ or an ‘Advanced Search’.
A general search allows you to search against a single field or all fields. An advanced search allows you to search against multiple fields.
General Search
Clicking on the ‘General Search’ option opens a setup window where you can add filters to find products.
Use the field drop-down list to select the field you’d like to filter. Then check the ‘Contains’ box and select a field from the drop-down list that you’d like to include. In this case, we are selecting ‘Barcode’.
In the ‘Value’ box click ‘Add’ and paste the barcodes of the product you want to find.
If you are looking for images, tick the ‘Include Images’ box.
If you want to search for products from the database directly, tick the ‘Include Non-Validated Records’ box.
Using the ‘Add’ and ‘Remove’ buttons on the right, you can add or remove as many products as you like.
After entering all the products you want to search for, click ‘OK’. This will open a grid view of all the products that comply with the search values added.
Advanced Search
Navigate the ‘Product Library’ icon and select ‘Advanced Search’ from the drop-down list.
Doing so opens a setup window where you can add filters to find products.
Adding Filters
Click on ‘Add’ to open the ‘Filter Setup’ window as seen below.
Use the field drop-down list to select the field you which you’d like to filter. Then check the ‘Contains’ box.
In the ‘Value’ box insert the value of the specified products you want to find.
For example, if you select ‘Description’ in the field drop-down list, go to the ‘Value’ box, click on ‘Add’ and type in the desired descriptive word.
You can also add or remove as many fields as you would like, using the ‘Add’ or ‘Remove’ buttons.
Now click on ‘Create’. Doing so shows all the filters you have created.
Adding Additional Filters
When you add a second filter, the ‘Type’ section will become available and you choose ‘Or’ or ‘And’.
- ‘Or’ will look for products that have either of the applied filters in them. For example, flavoured or berry.
- ‘And’ will look for products that include both applied filters. For example, berry and flavoured.
You can also edit a field by clicking on the desired field and then clicking on ‘Edit’ or ‘Remove’ to remove the field.
Next, you can decide how you want to view the results.
You can view the results in a grid view – select the ‘Grid’ box or in a tile view – select the ‘Tile’ box. We discuss both below.
Lastly, you can select whether you want to include or exclude images by selecting the “Include Images” box.
If you want to search for products from the database directly, tick the “Include Non-Validated Records” box. Then click ‘OK’.
Viewing Results In A Grid View
This opens the Product Library grid. This includes populated columns such as ‘Barcode’, ‘Product Code’, ‘Supplier’, ‘Description’ etc.
You should use this view if you are searching for an image because you can review the images beforehand.
If you ticked the ‘Images’ box, the grid view will include front, side and top images of products.
You can also further refine your search by selecting specific products in the selected columns.
Viewing Results In A Tile View
This opens the ‘Tile View’ page. At the top left-hand side, there is a home button. When selected, it will bring you to the ‘Supplier View’ page.
You should use this view if you are searching for dimensions or product details.
The Tile has the name of the Supplier on the top left and the bottom left, it shows you that you are in the Supplier view.
The number in the bottom right tile indicates the number of distinct values in the next level—for example, the number of brands found under this supplier.
You can drill into each tile by clicking on them.
When clicking on the tile in this example, it opens all the brands found under this supplier. Each tile shows the specific brand and how many SKUs fall under each one.
When clicked again, it will go to the Categories, Sub-Categories and Product View.
Product view
You can right-click on any product to view more information. This includes the ‘Item Detail’, ‘Dimensions’, and ‘Display Structure’ information.
You can right-click on any tile and select it to jump to a view of all the SKUs included in the selected tile.
The ‘Back’ button takes you to the previous tile view.
Importing Information To A Planogram
The function of importing information from the Database to an open planogram addresses the challenge of mismatched product codes and barcodes between the Database and the planogram.
Importing information from the Database to an open planogram can be accessed through the ‘Import’ option in the left-top corner of the product information grid as seen in the image below.
Select ‘Import’ and the ‘Importing X Products’ window will appear as shown below. The window will indicate in the name/heading the amount of product that will be imported/updated from the database.
The window includes the ‘Target’ sources. This will depend on which file should be updated with the information from the product library.
You have the option to update the following files
- A specific planogram on your device
- A directory of planograms on your device
- The planogram open on your software
The window also allows you to select whether you want to ‘Insert’, ‘Update’ or ‘Insert and Update’ the product information. You can hover over the information icon next to each selection to review the differences.
The ‘Key Field’ allows you to determine what key field is used by the Database and which key field is being used by the target file selected above. Here you will select the relevant key field for each source.
In the case where your ‘Target’ is ‘Open Planogram(s)’ you will be able to select ‘Use Manual Mapping’ to manually map the product from the product library to the correct product on the planogram. This will enable you to insert, update or insert and update single products visible within the open planogram(s).
Start manually mapping by selecting ‘Map Products’ and the relevant window will populate. You are able to drag and drop the product from the left to the right side or make use of the arrow functions to map the products as seen in the GIF below.
After mapping all of the relevant products ensure to select ‘OK’.
Please ensure that all relevant boxes under ‘Import Images’ are checked to enable image importing directly to the open planogram(s).
If you only want to update the product information including images you can select ‘OK’ on the ‘Importing X Products’ window. Otherwise please continue to the next section of the article to extract images.
After selecting ‘OK’ all the information and image views selected should be visible on your planogram.
How To Download/Extract Images From The Product Library
All images in the Product Library are accessed from a central cloud-based database. This is what makes the Product Library so beneficial to all users as all product information is stored on one central point – available to everyone.
Step 1: If you should find a product image in the Product Library that you do not have currently and want to extract, simply select the product(s) in the Product Library by ticking it, and then click on ‘Import Products’. Please see the image below.
Step 2: You can then select which images to extract:
This function will only need to focus on all relevant selections under ‘Import Images’. You can select the desired image views (Front, Side, and Top) for extracting.
Upon selecting ‘Extract Selected Images’, a pop-up notification will be displayed, allowing you to choose the desired directory to extract the selected images. Select the relevant directory from your device and select ‘OK’
The images will be extracted from the database to the relevant file and updated on your planogram.
Note:
It is important to remember to turn the images on and refresh each time new images are inserted or updated to a planogram.
How Are Images Captured In The Product Library?
Images are captured in Front, Side, and Top columns on the Product Library to allow users to easily see which of the three images are available on the Library for the respective products.
Product Library Accessibility
The Product Library is cloud-based as it can be accessed from anywhere if your computer is connected to the internet. It is not linked to a specific database that you need to be connected to.
Please note that because the Product Library is cloud-based, you will not be able to access it offline. If there is no internet access, you will get an error message. You do, however, not need to be connected to a database to access the Product Library.
Should the above steps not work for you, please create a support ticket and DotActiv support will assist you in uncovering the issue.