A Matrix item is a way of grouping together standard or serialised items which are all alike apart from particular variations, for example, the size of the item.

The items are grouped together under one Matrix 'parent' to allow faster item creation.  This also groups the items together on your eCommerce platform, so all sizes are visible on one product page.

Items grouped together within a matrix are referred to as 'Child Items' or 'component items'.

Example:

Matrix Parent:  Red Jacket

Child Items:  Red Jacket - Small, Red Jacket - Medium, Red Jacket - Large

It's important to understand that the Matrix parent itself doesn't physically exist as a product; it is just a way to group together alike items which do physically exist as products.

Creating a Matrix Parent

1) From the main menu in the Back Office, expand the Items heading, then click on Items.

2) Click on New in the top left, then select Matrix Parent at the top:

3) Here, you will create the Matrix Parent.  This is the 'umbrella' item that groups the child items together.

For ease of identification, the description and item lookup code of the matrix parent should use terms that are applicable to all of the items within the matrix.  

In the example below, we have given the matrix parent a Description and Matrix ILC which makes sense in the context of the names and codes of the items which will be contained in the matrix:
 

4) Populate the remaining fields with the relevant details of the items.

NOTE:  All child items within the matrix will be created using the details entered here, but you can make individual adjustments afterwards, if needed.

5) Once complete, click Create.

Creating the Child Items

1) To create the child items, click on the Child Items tab in the top left.

2) In the Matrix Dimension table, enter the name of the dimension. The 'Dimension' is the differentiating characteristic, such as size or fitting. In the below example, we have used Size. This is just an example, but please note that this name is required if you list your products on eBay using the eBay integration.

NOTE:  You can create a template for frequently used dimensions.  Details on how to do this are at the bottom of this article. 

3) Click on the blue + icon and enter your first attribute, then press the Enter key on your keyboard. When you have created the first attribute, you will need to click the blue + icon to create the next attribute, and so on. To remove an attribute, click on the red cross next to it.

IMPORTANT NOTE:  A matrix item can only have up to 70 child items.  If your attribute combinations will result in more than 70 child items, be aware that not all child items will be created.

Using the 'Short Sleeve T-shirt Green' product example we referenced above, you would complete the attributes as below:    

4) You can now move on to add more dimensions, if needed. It is recommended to mention the colour as a dimension, if you have space to do so, because this will be searchable in the Back Office and Point of Sale later (for example, you would be able to look for any child item with the colour 'green'). It also makes the presentation of your items clearer to customers online if you're using the Citrus-Lime Ecommerce platform. However, it is not recommended to have multiple colour dimensions in a matrix, as this causes problems when activating items for Ecommerce. Please speak to the Support Team if you'd like some further guidance on this.

For our green t-shirt, therefore, we have just listed a single colour in Dimension 2, like this:

5) Once you have filled in the dimension details, click Add Attribute(s). You will now be presented with a popup screen with a preview of all the child items that will be created. There will be a child item for each unique combination of attributes. The Item Lookup Codes will be formed by joining the matrix parent code with part of the attribute name. Similarly, the Descriptions will be formed by joining the Style Name with the attribute names. Here is the example for the green t-shirts:

This provides an opportunity to review the items and ensure that they will be created as you intended. For example, in the image above, the word ‘Green’ is repeated in the item Descriptions, and the Item Lookup Codes could probably be shortened to just use “S” for small and “GRN” for green, for example. You can click directly into these fields to make amendments.

Additionally, if you know that a particular child item doesn't exist as a physical product (if the manufacturer doesn't make the item with a certain combination of attributes), then you can untick the tickbox on the left and that item will not be created.

6) Click Save Child Item(s) once you're happy.

7)  The result will be a collection of items with a combination of the above details:

You have now created your matrix parent and child items.  

9)  A recommended next step is to use the barcode icon to set an Alias for each child item.  This enables you to assign a manufacturer's barcode (EAN/UPC) against each item within the matrix.

10) When you click the Set Alias barcode icon, a pop-out box will appear that gives you the ability to add one or more barcodes against the product by clicking on New:

Converting all child items to serialised items

If the child items in your matrix need to be serialised — for example, if the child items are bikes — you can do this in bulk by clicking Convert All To Serial.

Edit Reorder & Restock Points (minimum and maximum levels)

You can set Min / Max Levels after creating your items.  Click on the Edit Reorder & Restock Points button as shown below:

This opens a pop-out that gives the ability to enter Min and Max Levels and Bin Locations for all of the items you have just created, at all of your store locations. 

In the example below, we have given the two stores different Min / Max levels and also different Bin Locations to account for the differences in the stores:

Any changes you make in this grid will autosave, so make sure you double check any changes you've made!

Saving templates for frequently used dimensions

1) In the main menu in the Back Office, expand the Items heading, then click on Matrix Templates:

2) Click on New in the top left:

3)  Give the template a name and click Save.

4) Click on the template you just created in the grid. A Template Components grid will appear either below the Templates grid, or to the right of it (depending on the size and shape of your screen).

5) Click on New in the top left and populate the first attribute and code fields, then click on Save.

When you have created the first attribute and code, you will need to click New to create the next attribute, and so on.

6) To apply a template, go to the Child Items tab on the item record and click the Apply Template button next to the dimension you want to apply it to.  Find the required template in the drop-down list, then click Apply Template.  If the wrong template has been selected, you can remove it by clicking on the red rubbish icon next to it.

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