Products Library
Overview
Products library helps you organize your overarching products and link samples from tests to those products for comprehensive data analysis. The Products library is also a space where you can have custom fields for both products and samples. Custom filed are useful to better define your products and samples, and for data segregation when running analysis, if so desired. Example custom fields would be: Batch #, Plant Location, etc...
Please contact Compusense Support Team if you would like to add custom fields to your Products library.
If samples of a product are used in more than one test, or on regular
bases, we recommend setting up and maintaining the product in the Products library. Each overarching (overall) product must have their own unique Product code in order to avoid duplicates. Their samples can then be added into individual tests for evaluation. Samples on the other hand should never be stored in the Products library.
The Products library is available in the full version of the software.
Making Sense Of Terminology
Throughout Compusense software you will notice that we use terms "products" and "samples". These two terms represent two different things. Let's learn the difference between the two terms so that you can have full understanding while you read the documentation and use the software.
- Product is an article or substance that is manufactured or refined for sale/consumption. Example products are: chocolate, bread, shampoo, etc... In Compusense, the overarching products reside in the Products library.
- Sample is a representation of a product. For example, a chocolate sample produced at the plant XYZ, or a bread sample produced on May 31st, or shampoo sample from the supplier ABC, etc. In Compusense, samples reside in tests.
Within the Products library similar products can be organized in Product Groups and subgroups. Subgroups
are useful if you have a large number of overarching products that can
be grouped together based on their similar nature.
For example, a grocery retailer might want to have a product group named Chocolate and subgroups named Dark Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, and White Chocolate.
These three subgroups examples can have their own subgroups if necessary. For example, the Dark Chocolate subgroup could have the following subgroups: 90% cacao, 75% cacao, etc.
In this workflow you will learn how to create a product group, how to import products, manually add products, update existing products, and run analysis over time.
To locate the Products library and follow all the remaining steps on this page, from the Dashboard, click Libraries > Products.
Use the Column picker to customize the view in the Products library.
Add/Delete/Rename a Product Group
Products in your Products library need to exist in at least one product group. Find out how to manage product groups.
Import Products
In order to link samples to products, the products fist need to exist in the Products library.
There are two ways to import products from a file:
- Import products from a .csv file. This is useful for product import in English and languages with similar alphabet (without 'special' characters).
- Import products from a .dat file. This is useful for importing product with 'special' characters (languages that use characters not found in English language).
Add Products Manually
Update Product Information
Product information can be updated in two ways:
- Manually. Ideal for individual product updates.
- From a file. Ideal for updating more than a few products.
Search for Products
You may search for products:
Manage Product Group Membership
Delete Products
Run Reports
There are various reports you can generate directly in the Products library if you collected results on samples linked to products. Choose from the list below:
- Products over time
- PowerPoint report
- Summary report
- Top box report
- Panelist summary report
- Raw data export (all in one file)
- Questionnaire and raw data export
- Test and product search report
Workflows coming soon!
Related Articles
Add Products Manually to the Products Library
Overview Products can be imported from a file or manually added into the Products library. This workflow outlines the steps for manually adding a few products, one at a time. If you need to add more than a few products, we recommend importing them ...Delete Products
Overview When a product is no longer needed in the Products library, you can delete its record. Product deletion can only take place from the Products library. Once deleted, products will no longer be available to you in the list of active products. ...Update Products Manually
Overview Products can be updated in the Products library from a file or manually. This workflow outlines the steps for manually updating a few products, one at a time. If you need to update more than a few products, we recommend reviewing our ...Products: Attribute Limits
Overview If you are currently using, or are planning on using the Products library, and would like to incorporate into your reporting various attributes with their limits and targets relevant to specific products, you can set those attributes up in ...Products Over Time Graphs
Overview For routine sensory test data collected on the same product in multiple tests over time, you can use the Products Over Time reporting feature to generate a comprehensive report (graphs or tables) within minutes. The report can provide an ...