Re: [SL] ASSEMBLY

[Stroller <lin...@my...>]

On 29 Oct 2006, at 19:27, RYAN M. vAN GINNEKEN wrote:
>
> Is there a was to list the individual items on the invoice for  
> assemblies?  Example i built an assembly called basic system 1 it  
> includes the following parts;
> case, mainboard, cpu, ram, harddisk, dvdrw
>
> When I email the invoice i only get basic system 1 and no listing  
> of the individual parts i wish to have a listing of the individual  
> parts and want to be able to modify the discription ie for CPU  
> INTEL P4 CORE DAUL as basic parts do not change but models seem to  
> change almost daily.
>
> Am i going about this the wrong way is there a better way?

Just a quick note - I don't know that I can be immensely helpful to  
you, but seeing as no-one else has replied...

I don't think assemblies are really intended to be used this way -  
they way they seem to work is that they're more useful for a  
manufacturer to manage a stock of parts which should be invisible to  
the user.

For example, if you're selling an action man figure then it might  
consist of 2 x leg, 2 x arm, 1 x body, 1 x male head, 1 x cropped  
hair; a barbie doll would consist of 2 x leg, 2 x arm, 1 x body, 1 x  
female head, 1 x blonde wig; assuming the body parts are the same for  
both male and female figures (eg Lego) then the manufacturer will  
know stock from the number of units assembled. If an Aliens product  
range featuring a Sigourney Weaver action figure is added to the  
range then the female head can be used with the cropped hair - stock  
is managed appropriately but is not of interest to the customer, who  
just wants the doll.

Assuming that SL will always hide the components of assemblies on the  
invoice (as I think it must, because an assembly is a new item) there  
seem to be two possible approaches when assembling PCs:
- build the assembly and give the basic system a descriptive name: eg  
the ComputerKing 64. At the end of the day many customers buying a  
computer just want something that works, and don't care about the  
specific components within it. If they did then they'd build it  
themselves.
- sell the user individual components and charge an "assembly fee"  
for building the computer for them. If the user really needs to know  
the exact model of the graphics card & the size of the RAM then  
they're able to make comparison pricing of those parts, anyway, and  
work out what you're effectively charging them for building them.

Sorry if this isn't immensely helpful - I think that this feature  
isn't intended to work the way that suits you, and I can see why.  
Really, the assembly is no longer a collection of parts but a whole  
new item; this makes particular sense when building (for instance) an  
electronic circuit-board - after they have been soldered to the board  
& their legs clipped off resistors cannot not be returned to stock  
and sold separately.

Stroller.