More details about using variable with fittings
Custom fittings - If working with custom products and using product variables to define the variable aspects of the products it may also be necessary to use custom fittings.
For example, some fittings may not be needed for some sizes of products or the quantity of fittings may vary. Use variables and formula for fitting when setting up the product details in the Product library.
Accessories - Larger items that are not optimised can also be defined, for example, a cooker hood or extractor fan, as Accessories rather than fittings. An accessory is a composite item which does not contain parts. Typical examples are:-
- Refrigerator
- Cooker Hood
- Extractor Fan
It may be helpful to enter an accessory when working with larger units, such as a kitchen, or where the product contains both parts which can be optimised and an accessory. The product requirements calculation would then produce a fittings list which would include the number of accessories required for a job.
To some extent there is an arbitrary distinction between a fitting and an accessory, and the choice depends upon the mix of products that you have, and the way you have organised the product library. A good guide to follow is that an accessory is a bought-in product, whereas a fitting is a bought-in part. Therefore you can view the product requirement list as containing both manufactured products and bought-in products (accessories). In the same way a manufactured product can contain both manufactured parts and bought-in parts (fittings).
The accessories are added to the fittings list, as they are not used in the optimisation. Enter an accessory as a Product in the Product Library. The procedure is the same for an ordinary product except that the material code should begin with the character +. This identifies the Product as an accessory, for example +FRIDGE. There is no need to enter any other information, or to enter part information where this is not relevant.
