Smart CPQ provides in standard a Parts Quoting module. This module allows displaying exploded views of a given Standard Item of the catalog. This view includes a diagram of the item and an associated Bill-Of-Material containing the whole hierarchy of Spare Parts structuring this item. The BOM contains items linked to the product by one or several levels of product links of type “sparePart” or “replacement”.

The link between the diagram and the BOM is materialized by clickable area, called Hotspots, identified by a number. These Hotspot numbers are then associated to items in the BOM so that interacting with the view impacts the BOM and vice versa.

Reference: For more details about this module, please refer to the SellingPRO Designer guide and CPQ Customization guide.

In order to use the Parts Quoting module, the views and BOMs first have to be designed in CPQ Designer. This is where the links between a product and its parts are defined, as well as replacement links between parts, Hotspots area are created and associated to items in the BOM, etc.

This phase represents the Design phase.

Once designed, the solution can then be used by CPQ end-users manipulating parts in the Catalog module. This phase where end-users can navigate in the BOMs and views and add elements in a quote is the Runtime phase.

The Parts Quoting module can manage several levels of hierarchy in the BOM. In specific contexts, a given part could be present at different levels of this hierarchy. In that case, we say that this part has different paths within this hierarchy.

In parallel, the association of a Hotspot number with a given part present at several levels is done at Design at a given level of the hierarchy. There is no inheritance of this Hotspot number at Design at the other levels of the hierarchy for this part. In fact, by design limitation, 1 Hotspot Id corresponds to only 1 spare part breadcrumb (and vice versa).

However, in some specific cases, this Hotspot number could be inherited at Runtime at other levels of the hierarchy for the same part: as soon as a Hotspot ID is associated to a product, if it has not been overridden at a deeper level on another breadcrumb, then it is inherited.