Product Structure
A product consists of:- Product - The model or catalog item (e.g., “iPhone 16 Pro 256GB”)
- Variants - Different configurations (e.g., “Black”, “Natural Titanium”)
- Pricing - Monthly rates by contract length (6, 12, 24, 36 months)
FlexPortal supports subscriptions for any physical product type.
Creating a New Product
FlexPortal supports subscriptions for any physical product - electronics, furniture, mobility, baby gear, appliances, medical equipment, and more.- Navigate to Products in the left sidebar
- Click New Product in the top right
- Fill in the product details:
- Name - Product model name (e.g., “MacBook Air 13”)
- SKU - Stock keeping unit for internal tracking
- Category - Product category (Electronics, Furniture, etc.)
- Brand - Manufacturer or brand name
- Specification - Technical details or key features
- Click Save
Use clear, descriptive names. Customers will see these when browsing your catalog.
Adding Product Variants
Variants represent different configurations of the same product, like color, storage size, or condition grade.- Open the product you want to add variants to
- Scroll to the Variants section
- Click Add Variant
- Enter variant details:
- Variant name - Descriptive name (e.g., “512GB Space Gray”)
- Grade - Condition rating (A, B, C for refurbished products)
- Click Save
Setting Pricing for Contract Lengths
Each variant can have different pricing for different contract lengths. Shorter contracts typically have higher monthly rates.- Open a product variant
- Scroll to the Pricing section
- Click Add Pricing Tier
- Configure the pricing:
- Contract length - Duration in months (6, 12, 24, 36)
- Monthly price - Amount customer pays per month
- Repeat for additional contract lengths
- Click Save
Pricing Strategy
Common pricing structures across different industries: Electronics (MacBook Pro 14”):| Contract Length | Monthly Price | Total Collected |
|---|---|---|
| 6 months | $149 | $894 |
| 12 months | $89 | $1,068 |
| 24 months | $49 | $1,176 |
| Contract Length | Monthly Price | Total Collected |
|---|---|---|
| 6 months | €99 | €594 |
| 12 months | €59 | €708 |
| 24 months | €35 | €840 |
| Contract Length | Monthly Price | Total Collected |
|---|---|---|
| 6 months | €49 | €294 |
| 12 months | €29 | €348 |
| 24 months | €19 | €456 |
Product SKUs and Organization
SKUs help you organize and track products internally. While customers don’t see SKUs, they’re essential for inventory management and reporting.SKU Best Practices
- Use consistent naming patterns (e.g.,
MBP-14-M3-512-SGfor MacBook Pro 14” M3 512GB Space Gray) - Include key attributes in the SKU
- Keep SKUs short but descriptive
- Use hyphens or underscores for readability
Example SKU Structure
Managing Product Status
Products can be active (available for new subscriptions) or discontinued (hidden from new orders while existing subscriptions continue).Making a Product Active
- Open the product
- Toggle Status to Active
- Click Save
Discontinuing a Product
- Open the product
- Toggle Status to Discontinued
- Click Save
Discontinued products remain in the system and existing subscriptions continue running. You can reactivate discontinued products at any time.
Editing Existing Products
- Navigate to Products
- Click on the product you want to edit
- Make your changes to:
- Product details (name, SKU, brand, specifications)
- Variants
- Pricing tiers
- Click Save
Product Details and Specifications
Add detailed specifications to help customers make informed decisions. This appears in order confirmations and subscription details. Include details like:- Physical dimensions and weight
- Technical specifications
- What’s included in the box
- Special features or capabilities
- Warranty information
Deleting Products
Products with existing subscriptions cannot be deleted. Instead, set them to Discontinued status. For products with no subscriptions:- Open the product
- Scroll to the bottom
- Click Delete Product
- Confirm deletion
Product Search and Filtering
Use the search bar at the top of the Products page to find products by:- Product name
- SKU
- Brand
- Category
- Status - Active or Discontinued
- Category - Electronics, Furniture, etc.
- Brand - Manufacturer
Best Practices
Naming Conventions
- Use clear, customer-facing names for products
- Include key differentiators in the product name
- Keep variant names concise
Pricing Guidelines
- Set pricing that achieves cost recovery within the contract period
- Offer multiple contract lengths to give customers flexibility
- Consider seasonal pricing adjustments for certain products
Product Organization
- Group related products by category
- Use consistent SKU formats
- Add detailed specifications for complex products
- Keep product count manageable by using variants instead of creating duplicate products
Common Scenarios
Launching a New Product Line
- Create the base product with all core details
- Add variants for each configuration (color, storage, etc.)
- Set pricing tiers for each variant
- Set status to Active
- Test by creating a sample order
Updating Prices for Existing Products
- Open the product
- Navigate to the variant
- Edit the pricing tier
- Save changes
Managing Seasonal Products
For products available only during certain times of year:- Set to Active during the season
- Set to Discontinued when out of season
- Reactivate when the season returns