Working with Product Models in a TeamDynamix asset application

This how-to article will help admins and technicians to create and manage Product Models using the Assets/CIs application.

Overview

In an Assets/CIs Application, a product model refers to the exact identifying information about the asset or configuration item (CI) that allows you to know precisely what kind of item you are interacting with. Consider the example of a printer. The manufacturer might be HP and the product model might be LaserJet Pro 3. Product models are tied directly to manufacturers and product types to classify what sort of item this asset/CI is, and which company or brand makes it.

Creating Product Models

To create a product model:

1. In TDNext, go to your Assets/CI Application.
2. Click the +New button and select Product Model from the dropdown.
3. Fill in the required and optional fields in the New Product Model window.
4. Click the Active checkbox.
5. Click the Save button.

Editing Product Models

To edit a product model:

1. In TDNext, go to your Assets/CI Application > Product Models
2. In the Product Model column, click the Name link of the product model you’d like to edit.
3. In the Product Model Detail window, click the Edit button.
4. Change the required and optional details as desired.
5. Click the Save button.

Importing Product Models

1. Navigate to the asset application for which you'd like to add a product model.

2. Click on Import

3. Select Product Model Import

4. The resulting Product Model Import Step 1 screen will ask you to upload an Excel (.xlsx) file. If you do not already have an appropriately formatted file, you should download an import template by clicking on the " download an example import template" link below the heading. Downloading the template is recommended. Failing to correctly format your file before import will result in errors or undesired results, which may need to be resolved manually one at a time. 

5. Click the "Browse" button and locate your import file. Click the "Next" button in the upper right when ready. 

6. The resulting Product Model Import Step 2 will ask you to select the sheet that stores the Product Model information. This refers to a tab on an Excel file. If you are using the template as directed above, there will only be one to choose from, and it will be selected for you automatically. Make sure that, if your sheet has headers, you check the box indicating this. Click the "Next" button in the upper right when ready. 

7. The resulting Product Model Import Step 3 will ask you to map each column on your Excel worksheet with a field in the Product Model record (e.g. Name, Product Type, Manufacturer, etc.). Click the "Next" button in the upper right when ready.   

   • Name is a required field and must contain a value.
   • Product Types must be added before attempting an import. This is a manual process. See Working with product types in TeamDynamix asset applications 
   • Manufacturer is a required field. See Adding Vendors to TeamDynamix Asset Applications for details on working with vendors and manufacturers. 
   • Active is also a true/false field and refers to whether a product model is still relevant. Generally, this will always be true unless you plan on importing historical data.
   • Any fields that do not have a value can remain unchanged, or you can select Skip in the map to column. If you are updating records with your import, select Skip, or else your values will be overwritten with whatever is in your worksheet, which may be nothing.

8. The resulting Product Model Import Step 4 will show you a preview of what will be imported. The Preview section at the top of the page will tell you if something new is being imported or if something already exists in the system and will be updated. Review this page carefully before hitting the import button. If there are errors in your data or formatting, you will be informed at this point. 

9. Once you have reviewed the list of imports and clicked the import button, you will be met with a message stating, "Once you begin the import process, you will not be able to modify any of the options you have configured. This process may take a while to complete" Click OK to proceed. 

10. The resulting Product Model Import Step 5 will show you the results of the import. You can click the links provided to view individual models or download the results and the import configuration separately. Click Finish when done. 

Deleting Product Models

Product models need to be deleted one-by-one.

To delete a product model:

1. In TDAdmin, go to Applications > Assets/CI Application > Product Models
2. In the Product Model column, click the Name link of the product model you’d like to delete.
3. In the Product Model Detail window, click the Delete button.
4. In the window that opens, click OK.

Gotchas & Pitfalls

• Product Models cannot be deleted if there are assets or discovered mapping associated with it.
• If you are planning on syncing your asset data with an external system, such as SCCM or Jamf, it is recommended that you match the product models that you create to the ones that exist in the external system.