Configure Product Types

Product type is a high-level classification of assets to categorize products based on functionality or characteristics. Product types are arranged in parent-child hierarchy.

In ServiceDesk Plus Cloud, All Assets serves as the parent product type for Assets and Components.

By default, the following product types are available for the IT Help Desk instance:

Access point
Computer
Workstation
Server
Router
Printer
Switch
Cisco Router
Cisco Switch
Cisco Catos Switch
Virtual Machine
Virtual Host
Mobile
Smartphone
Tablet

Terminologies

Product Type: High-level categorization in grouping products.
Type: Subdivision of product types that are classified into Assets, Components, Consumables, and Software.
Category: Common attribute of Product Types and Types.

Use Cases

The HP Inkjet Printer and its related items can be categorized as,

Assets	Product Type	Type	Category
HP Inkjet Printer	Printer	Assets	IT
Ink Cartridge Clamps	Printer cartridge	Components	Non-IT
Inkjet Cartridge	Printer Cartridges	Consumables	IT
A4 Papers	Paper	Consumables	Non-IT

Add Product Types

Go to Setup > Customization > Asset Management. The Product Type tab is displayed by default.
Click New Product Type.
The New Product Type form contains two tabs: Details and Fields.

Details

On the Details tab, fill out the following details.

Field Name	Explanation
Product Type*	Provide a name for the product type.
Image	Select an icon as the representative image of the product. You can also import images less than 2 MB.
API Name*	Auto-populated based on the name of the product type, with the prefix 'custom_asset'. However, you can change the API name if required. API names should be in lower case, separated by an underscore. The API name of the default product types contains the prefix 'asset_'.
Parent Product Type*	Select a parent product type from the drop-down. After selecting a parent product type, Category and Type fields are auto-populated and cannot be edited. (This is not applicable for All Assets parent type)
Category*	Select a category for the product: IT or Non-IT
Type*	Select a type from the drop-down: Asset, Component, or Consumable. For consumables, API Name and Parent Product Type fields are not applicable.
Description	Provide a brief description of the product type.

*Mandatory fields

After providing all the details, click Save. You will be directed to the Fields tab.

Fields

The Fields tab allows you to customize the layout of an asset form based on the product type. It contains two sections: Canvas and Fields List.

The product type and parent product type details are displayed at the top of the right panel.

Canvas

The canvas is where you build a template. It contains two sections: Parent Fields and Child Fields.

Parent Fields

Click to expand and view the section. Fields in this section are displayed based on the Parent Product Type.
You cannot add, edit, or delete fields/sections.
Enable the Show Parent Fields after Child Fields check box to display child fields before the parent fields in the asset form.

The product type Computer contains predefined sections. Fields can neither be added nor removed from the predefined section.

Child Fields

Customize the Child Fields section by adding fields and sections from the Fields List to the canvas using a simple drag-and-drop method.

By default, the Child Fields section is named the same as the product type name. You can rename them by clicking on the section header and typing in the relevant section name.
To add existing fields, drag them from the right pane to the canvas.
To add new fields, drag a field type to the canvas and add the required details. Know more.
Additional fields can be edited or deleted from the canvas. Hover over an additional field and click to edit and to remove the field.

To add new sections, drag the New Section element from the right pane into the canvas and group the fields within the section. Hover over a section and click to set the section properties.
Rearrange the fields and sections by using a simple drag-and-drop method.
Hover over a field and use or on either sides of a field to resize the field length.

Fields List

The field list on the right pane contains two tabs: Available Fields and New Fields.

The Available Fields tab contains additional fields configured in the application that are not used in the canvas. Drag any field from this list to the canvas.
The New Fields tab contains various field types that you can use to create additional fields for the product type. To create a new field, drag a field type to the canvas and add the required details.

Based on the selected field type, the field properties vary. Refer to this admin page to know how to configure different field types.
You can also add sections to the template from the right pane. Use the New Section element to add sections to the canvas and group the fields within the section.

After configuring the fields, click Save. The fields configured here are reflected in the Asset form.

Screenshot showing child fields configured and the show parent fields after child fields option enabled

Screenshot showing the fields configured in the child section in the New Asset form

List View Actions

The list view is a tree structure that displays product types in a hierarchy. On the product type list view, you can perform the following actions.

Edit Product Types

Click beside a product type and select Edit to modify its details.

Only the Product Type, Image, and Description fields can be edited for default product types.
For custom product types, the Parent Product Type field can be edited only if the parent is All Assets.
The API Name field is non-editable for all product types.

Delete Product Types

Click beside a product type and select Delete.

Default product types cannot be deleted.
A product type containing a child or associated with an asset or a product cannot be deleted.

Custom Product Type

Default Product Type

Create Child Product Type

A child product type inherits the parent product type.

Click beside a product type and select Create Child Product Type.
Fill out the displayed form.
The Category and Type fields are auto-populated and cannot be edited.

Expand/Collapse Tree

Toggle the list view between expanded and collapsed views using the Expand/Collapse Tree button. Click the icons and to view and hide the child product types, respectively.

Search

Click the icon on the top-right of the toolbar to search through the columns displayed in the list view. Search results are displayed in the parent-child hierarchy.