Concepts

Like variables, modifiers record information about a product. The primary advantage that modifiers have over variables is that modifiers are self-contained. They have their own pricing and can add their own parts, whereas pricing and parts for variables are associated with the product.

Screens

Modifier entry consists of several different tab sheets. You can turn off individual tab sheets and access those not normally displayed on the advanced tab.

Modifier (General) Tab

Main Menu | Setup | Pricing Setup | Modifier Setup | Modifier Tab

The Modifier tab is for general information about the modifier and the type of information it will hold.
The examples shown are for two different categories and parts.
Figure 5 1 Modifier Tab- Category: Colors
Figure 5 2 Modifier Tab- Category: Finishing Options
|| Any references that refer to the modifier by its name (such as in Pricing Forms or Product Layouts) will have to be manually changed if you rename a modifier. ||

Modifier Code Enter the price modifier code, or name. The modifier code is used only in the pricing set up and is not seen by the operator or customer when quoting.
It is recommended that you name the modifier in a way that conveys meaning and purpose about its charge.
To rename a modifier after it has been created, click on the Rename button.
Active Check this box off if you want to designate this modifier as active. If the modifier is not active, you will no longer see it in the modifiers selection list to associate it with products and parts.
Category Select the category you want to assign for this modifier.
Print As Enter the text used to describe this modifier on the printed order or estimate. The printing of modifiers on invoices, estimates, and work orders is dependant on the report template used in the printing process.
Question All modifiers can be displayed in list form on the “All Options” pricing form. Enter the question the operator will see on this form. This question should be simple and descriptive enough for a new employee to understand.
Sort Level When viewing all modifiers on the “All Options” pricing form, the sort order determines which modifiers are at the top and which are towards the bottom. Enter a number between one and 99 for the sort level. Control will order the modifiers from lowest sort level (at the top) to highest sort number (at the bottom).
Save Extra Transaction Variable Records For Reporting Normally, information about the modifier is captured in the product layouts for presentation on the invoice, estimate, or work-order. If you check this box, Control will create a separate record in the database for each modifier. This is used to enable additional reporting on the modifiers.
Saving the additional records for modifiers comes at the expense of increasing the time to save orders and estimates. Unless you have a specific need for this information, it is recommended that you leave this box unchecked.

Modifiers may be numeric or text based. Numeric modifiers can use a checkbox by default or a number edit. Text modifiers allow for a selection list, though it is not required to have one.
|| Check Box || Select this option if the modifier has a yes/no answer format. If the checkbox is not checked, the modifier is not evaluated. The default value for the modifier is unchecked. ||

Numeric Spinner Select this option if the modifier should have an answer that is a number. If the value of the modifier is zero, the modifier is not evaluated. The default value for the modifier is zero.
Drop Down List Select this option if the modifier should have a selection list of options from which to choose.
Fill With (Applied to List Modifiers Only.) Select the default selection list for this modifier. (It is the default because it may be overridden in a specific product.)
Limit to List (Applied to List Modifiers Only.) Check this box if the operator should not be allowed to enter any value other than one in this list. If this box is not checked, the operator can type in an alternate value as an answer to this modifier.
Default Part Consumption Formulas (Applied to List Modifiers Only.) For selection lists that link to parts, the consumption formula is normally entered in the selection list itself. Alternately, the selection list can lookup the consumption formula in the variable or modifier using it. In this case, you will need to enter the consumption formula for these lists here by clicking on the Add button. If the necessary consumption formulas are in the selection list itself, leave these fields blank.

Pricing Tab
|| Main Menu | Setup | Pricing Setup | Modifier Setup | Pricing Tab || Modifiers can have their own pricing, which may be based on the answer, their parts, the information in the product, or any combination of these. The Pricing tab is where you enter the pricing for the modifier.
Figure 5 3 Pricing Tab
|| Price || Enter the modifier's price or price formula. To select a saved formula from the formula templates box, click inside the Price box and double-click on the desired template. You may also use the formula builder by clicking on the fx Builder button to the right of the formula entry box. ||

Products that use cost-plus pricing can be configured to include the modifier parts with their own parts when determining pricing. In these cases, the pricing established in the Price field for the modifier is ignored.
Notes Enter any notes that will help someone to understand the pricing a few months later. When you change pricing, it is also helpful to record such changes here for reference.
Formula Templates Create and select a saved formula by using the Formula Template box. If this box is not visible, click and drag on the size bar to reveal it. To create your own saved formula, select the Add button at the bottom of the box. Inside the New Pricing Formula screen, you may either write your own formula or select the formula builder button to create your own formula.
Advanced Button Click on the advanced button to open the Advanced Modifier Dialog.
Figure 5 4 Advanced Modifier Window
Minimum Enter a minimum price or formula for this modifier.

Products Tab
|| Main Menu | Setup | Pricing Setup | Modifier Setup | Products Tab || Modifiers are the properties of products. In order to be useful you will need to associate them with the appropriate products.
This is the purpose of the Products Tab. You may also make this association from within the Product Setup on the Modifiers tab.
Figure 5 5 Add/Remove Products Dialogue – Example 1
Figure 5 6 Add/Remove Products Dialogue – Example 2
|| Product Grid || This grid displays all of the products currently associated with this modifier. To add a product, click on the Add button and select the products to add. To remove a product, check the box in the first column and click the Remove button. You may not change any of the values directly in the grid, but selecting an item in the grid will display its information in the right-side panel. || The information displayed on the right of this panel will vary based on the particular type of modifier you are working with. Not all of these options are available for all types of modifiers.
General Modifier Options
|| Show in the modifier grid in order/estimate entry || Check this box if you want the modifier to appear in the list of “All Options” displayed in the modifier grid. If this box is not checked, the modifier will not be displayed in this list. It remains active and can be used without restriction otherwise. ||

Default None, Answer not required Select this option to specify no answer is required to save this order. No default will appear.
Default None, Answer required Select this option to specify that an answer be required to save this order. No default will appear.
Default Value Select this option if you want to enter a default value for this modifier. For yes/no and list modifiers, select the default value from the list provided. For other modifier types, enter the default value in the edit box provided.

List-Based Modifier Options
|| Use Modifier List || Check this option to use the default “Selection List” entered in the Modifier tab of modifier setup. This is the default setting. ||

Use Alternate List Check this option to select a different Selection List to use with this modifier for this product. Click on the Edit List button to add or edit the values in the Selection List. Note that changing these values will change them for all modifiers or variables that use that Selection List.
Default Part Consumption Formulas For selection lists that link to parts, the consumption formula is normally entered in the selection list itself. Alternately, the selection list can lookup the consumption formula in the variable or modifier using it. In this case, you will need to enter the consumption formula for these lists here by clicking on the Add button. If the necessary consumption formulas are in the selection list itself, leave these fields blank.
Use Dependent List From (if possible) The selection list used by the modifier can be set to vary based on another user selection. Select this box to use the secondary list from the list used by another variable. Enter the variable and selection list name to use. If this variable/name is not found, the default list will be used instead.

Add Remove Products Dialogue
You may add and remove links between the product and modifier by clicking on the Add or Remove buttons on the Modifier tab. This opens the Add/Remove Modifier Dialogue.
Figure 5 7 Add/Remove Product Dialogue
|| Product Grid || Displays all of the products linked directly to this product. To add a product, select the product on the right and click on the Add button. To remove a product, select the product to remove on the right and click the Remove button. || Parts Tab
|| Main Menu | Setup | Pricing Setup | Modifier Setup | Parts Tab || One of the most powerful features in Control is the ability for modifiers to intelligently include and consume parts. The most direct mechanism for linking parts to modifiers is in the Parts Tab of the modifier or in the Modifier Tab of the part.
Figure 5 8 Parts Tab
This grid displays all of the parts directly linked to this modifier.
To add a part, click on the Add button and select the part(s) to add.
To remove a part, check the box in the first column and click the Remove button.
You cannot change any of the values directly in the grid, but selecting an item in the grid will display its information in the right-side panel.
Inclusion Formula
There are often numerous configurations for a modifier in Control. The inclusion formula specifies when a part is included in a product.
|| Include this part always || Select this option to specify that part is always included when the product is ordered. ||

Include this part when this expression is True Select this option if the part can sometimes be included when the product is ordered, but not always. Enter a logical, true/false expression in the formula box. Control evaluates the formula each time a variable in the product changes to determine if the part should be included or not.
QtyApplied is the variable that holds the value of the modifier. In the modifier-part inclusion and consumption formula, you may use it like any other variable.

CONSUMPTION FORMULA
Once Control has determined that a part is to be included, it calculates the amount of the part to be consumed in the order. The consumption formula calculates the usage of this part (before rounding and scrap setup in the part) in a given order.
|| Consume this much when ordered || Enter the consumption formula in this box. The final value must be returned in the unit identified in the next field. ||

In units of To facilitate different ways of measuring, different parts may be recorded in different units. Select your units from this drop-down box to indicate the units that the consumption formula returns. Normally, the consumption formula will return a value in the default units for the product. If you want to choose a custom calculation, select (none) from the list and do the units conversion explicitly in the consumption formula.

REPLENISHMENT FORMULA
*Note: This option is only available in versions 04.50.1103.2201 and later. This field is part of the Fulfillment feature. For more information on fulfillment, click on this link: fulfillment_overview.
Once Control has determined that a part is to be included, it calculates the amount of the part to be produced in the order. The replenishment formula calculates the produced amount of this part (before rounding and scrap setup in the part) in a given order.
|| Replenish this much when ordered || Enter the replenishment formula in this box. The final value must be returned in the unit identified in the next field. ||

In units of To facilitate different ways of measuring, different parts may be recorded in different units. Select your units from this drop-down box to indicate the units that the replenishment formula returns. Normally, the replenishment formula will return a value in the default units for the product. If you want to choose a custom calculation, select (none) from the list and do the units conversion explicitly in the replenishment formula.
What is the value (cost) of all inventory replenished? This formula computes the dollar value of the restocked inventory. The default value of this field is “TotalCost”.
And offset any adjustments to Inventory from this GL Account This field allows the user to specify the GL Adjustment Account used for this the inventory replenishment.

Add/Remove Parts Dialogue
You may add and remove links between the part and modifiers by clicking on the Add or Remove buttons on the Parts tab. This opens the Add/Remove Parts Dialogue.
Figure 5 9 Add/Remove Parts Dialogue
|| Parts Grid || Displays all of the parts linked directly to this modifier. To add a part, select the part on the left and click on the Add button. To remove a part, select the part on the right and click the Remove button. ||

You can add a part to a modifier multiple times. This is especially useful for labor that is in several parts of the production process.

Advanced Tab
|| Main Menu | Setup | Pricing Setup | Modifier Setup | Advanced Tab || Because different companies have diverse needs, you may indicate which section in the part setup to display as tabs. The Advanced Tab allows you to select tabs. Tabs not displaying across the top are still accessible from the Advanced Tab.

Figure 5 10 Advanced Tab

Each tab is listed as a button. If the box View as tab is checked, that tab will be displayed across the top of the window. If the box is not checked, you can still access the screen by clicking on the button with the tab name on it in this screen. This will open the selected screen in a separate pop-up window. To save the tabs you are displaying as your default configuration, click on the Save Tabs button.

Effective Use

Modifiers are ideally suited when the price and costs of an option are detachable from base price and cost.

For instance, an option to add pin strips to a car would be an ideal modifier. It is usually priced as an add-on to the car, has its own costs associated with the striping and labor, and does not alter the base price or cost.

A second stipulation for modifiers is that they cannot be interdependent with other properties (variables or other modifiers).

For instance, if the pin-striping option was mutually exclusive with a two-tone paint package, both of these should be variables (or combined in the same variable).

Otherwise, the User could select both options and each would add its own price and cost, not aware of the invalid combination with the other modifier.

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