Technically, I would think you should make them two separate products and then relate the two products as equivelents. But of course that depends on how detailed the company wants to be. Aside from making them two seperate products, you could treat the manufacturers as seperate suppliers for the same generic product.
However, I can think of an example where the current structure is limiting. When the manufacturer or product line is acquired by another company. --- Adrian Crum <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > There are many examples of standard products that > can come from multiple > manufacturers. If I have a hardware store and I sell > 3/4 inch galvanized pipe > tees, they could come from three or four different > manufacturers. Should I have > a separate 3/4 inch galvanized tee product for each > manufacturer? I hope not! I > used the example of electronic components the last > time this was discussed - the > same holds true there. > > It IS a limitation. It will come up again, and when > it does, I'll continue to > make the same suggestion. > > > Chris Howe wrote: > > > why would you have more than one manufacturer for > the > > same product? wouldn't that make it a different > > product? I agree that it would be better for a > more > > generic product role setup, but if all the roles > are > > addressed AND it's not limiting, why go through > the > > trouble of refactoring? > > > > --- Adrian Crum <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > >>I know about the manufacturer field in the Product > >>entity. What do you do if > >>there is more than one manufacturer for a product? > >>That's the limitation that > >>brought forth my original suggestion. > >> > >>Why have a dozen different entities linking > products > >>to a dozen different party > >>roles? We could have one entity that links > products > >>to any party - regardless of > >>their role. > >> > >>So, one entity could link a product to one or more > >>suppliers, one or more > >>manufacturers, one or more product managers, etc. > It > >>seems more flexible to me. > >> > >> > >>Chris Howe wrote: > >> > >> > >>>The manufacturer is desribed in the Product > >> > >>entity. > >> > >>>The only other relationship to a product that I > >> > >>can > >> > >>>think of is the supplier and that is desribed in > >> > >>the > >> > >>>SupplierProduct entity. Having a product > manager, > >>>again is probably managed easiest by putting the > >>>product into a productCategory and managing the > >>>productCategoryRoles on that. Outside of those > >>>relationships, can you think of another that > would > >>>have to do with a product? > >>> > >>>--- Adrian Crum <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>>>I had suggested some time ago a > >> > >>ProductRelationship > >> > >>>>entity - where a product can > >>>>be related to a party, such as a manufacturer. > >> > >>Would > >> > >>>>something like that meet > >>>>your needs? > >>>> > >>>> > >>>>Al Byers wrote: > >>>> > >>>> > >>>>>I think I have a need for a ProductRole that > >>>> > >>>>mirrors the ContentRole > >>>> > >>>> > >>>>>entity. I want to associate a manager with a > >>>> > >>>>product. Is there another > >>>> > >>>> > >>>>>way to do this? If not, should I just create > such > >>>> > >>>>an entity for this > >>>> > >>>> > >>>>>custom use or should it be something to propose > >>>> > >>>>for general use? > >>>> > >>>> > >>>>>-Al > >>>>> > >>>> > >>> > > > > >
