Views structure the workspace into layers and display content in the form defined by the user. Various basic views are integrated in the marketing manager system, in which a variety of functions are embedded. Which functions are available depends on the view mode, which the Marketingmanager system determines automatically, or which is done by assigning an individual view template. View templates can be used to configure and visualise workflow processes for each task.
Task planning and management is used to automate the system. Any number of tasks can be defined in the Marketingmanager system. A task always consists of a trigger and an action. Data and file changes can be used as triggers as well as time control. Among the actions, the execution of import and export channels is available.
In related element lists, elements are linked to other matching elements from the network of relations of the workspace and displayed in a detailed view. Related element lists are based on definitions of how other elements relate to the reference element. For example, search queries can be used to determine and visualise the matching marketing materials and/or accessory items in related element lists for an item.
File versioning is used to archive replaced files. Any number of strategies can be defined and applied to the different folders.
In the data model, the internal data structure is used to define,
In this way, the set of properties available for a particular data area is sensibly limited and read/write access is regulated. The definition of the data model influences the use of the network of relations.
Approval definitions are used to manually control process steps and uses of product information. They contain defined prerequisites that must be fulfilled before an approval definition can be issued. This approval definition can only be done manually by a qualified user.
Global filters dynamically complement the execution of other search queries in defined workspaces. They are defined in search queries and are then available as buttons in the desired views. Global filters provide greater clarity in limited workspaces with the same structures.
Example
A large number of products follow the same structures (product group, collection, etc.) and differ only in one point: the plant where they were produced. With a global filter on the production location, views can be limited to the location-dependent products.
Properties describe all typical and used characteristics of an element in order to clearly characterise the element. These can be element properties (“Item” element, “Price” property: “49 €”) as well as meta-information (“Item” element, “Approval definition” property: “Product management”).
As soon as a data source is connected in the Marketingmanager, the source data is available in the import channel for mapping. In the process, the properties to which the table values are to be transferred are assigned in the columns of the source data table.
Naming rules determine which properties or combinations of properties are used as unique IDs (UIDs) in the different areas. For the area “Master data” the property “Item number” is already predefined by default.
Search queries are used in the Marketingmanager to select the desired elements from the entire data content based on their properties. The search queries correspond – technically speaking – to SQL queries and can be compiled with UI tools.
Verifier definitions are used to define conditions for elements that the elements must comply with. Likewise, the reaction to a violation of these rules is defined (warning, manual confirmation, error). A check against the verifier definitions is usually used for data import and manual entries.
Virtual properties are a special form of properties where the values are always the result of a “calculation”. These properties do not contain values in the usual sense, but “processing rules” with which the return values are derived from existing properties (e.g. conversion of centimetres into inches).
By means of tagging rules, the set of rules is defined that is applied to the corresponding elements in the course of rule processing. In this way, the existing information is enriched and/or linked with each other.