Alternative SKUs

What are Alternative SKUs?

Alternative SKUs (also called Alternative or Active SKUs) allow you to define products that can substitute each other when one of them is not available in stock. When a main SKU runs out, the system can suggest or automatically use its alternative SKU to complete orders.

This feature is essential for businesses that handle similar or equivalent products, seasonal variants, or customer-approved substitutes.

Common Use Case

If you sell “Blue Shirt Size M” but run out of stock, you can configure “Blue Shirt Size L” as an alternative. When you receive an order for size M, the system will suggest size L as a substitute.

Why Use Alternative SKUs?

Prevents Pending Orders

Complete orders even when the main SKU is out of stock using predefined alternatives.

Manages Variations

Define relationships between sizes, colors, versions, or equivalent models of a product.

Simplifies Substitutions

Automate the process of finding replacements instead of canceling orders.

Inventory Flexibility

Configure unidirectional or bidirectional relationships according to your business needs.

How Alternative SKUs Work

When you create an Alternative SKU relationship, you define:

1. Main SKU: The original product requested by the customer
2. Alternative SKU: The product that can be used as a substitute
3. Relationship Type: How products relate (equivalent, upgrade, downgrade, etc.)
4. Direction: Whether the relationship is unidirectional (A → B) or bidirectional (A ↔ B)

Types of Alternatives

Alternative SKU (Individual Product):

• The alternative is another product SKU in the catalog
• Example: SKU “SHIRT-BLUE-M” → Alternative “SHIRT-BLUE-L”

Alternative SynSet (Product Family):

• The alternative is a complete SynSet (product family)
• Useful when the substitute is a bundle or kit
• Example: SKU “GIFT-CARD-50” → Alternative SynSet “GIFT-BOX-PREMIUM”

Bidirectional Relationships

You can configure relationships that work in both directions:

• If A is alternative to B, then B is also alternative to A
• Useful for truly equivalent products without direction preference

View and Search Alternative SKUs

1. Access the Alternative SKUs Page

   Navigate to Inventory → Alternative SKU from the main menu.

2. Review the Product List

   The table shows all your products with the following information:

   • Sku: The product’s SKU code
   • Upc: UPC barcode
   • Description: Product description
   • Units In Stock: Current available inventory
   • Alternative: The alternative SKU or SynSet (if configured)
   • Synset: Indicates if the alternative is a SynSet (Yes/No)
   • Type: Configured relationship type

3. Use Search Filters

   You can filter the list using search fields:

   • Sku: Search by SKU code (contains entered text)
   • Upc: Search by UPC code
   • Alternative: Search by alternative SKU
   • Description (lower field): Search by product description

4. Click “Search” to Apply Filters

   The system will show only products matching your search criteria.

5. Use “Show all” to View All Products

   Click the “Show all” link to clear filters and show the complete catalog.

Create an Alternative SKU Relationship

1. Identify the Main SKU

   In the Alternative SKUs list, find the product to which you want to add an alternative.

2. Click “Select Relation”

   In the “Actions” column, click the Select Relation link for the main SKU.

   A popup window will open to configure the relationship.

3. Select the Alternative SKU

   In the popup window:

   • SKU Main: The main SKU (already preselected)
   • SKU Alternative: Enter or search for the SKU that will serve as alternative
   • You can search existing products in your catalog

4. Define the Relationship Type

   Select the relationship type between products:

   • Equivalent (Equivalent): Interchangeable products
   • Upgrade: The alternative is an improved version
   • Downgrade: The alternative is a basic version
   • Substitute: General substitute
   • Or enter a custom type according to your needs

5. Configure SynSet Relationship (Optional)

   If the alternative is a SynSet:

   • Select the SynSet from the dropdown list
   • The system will automatically mark this relationship as “Synset: Yes”

6. Enable Bidirectional Relationship (Optional)

   If you want the relationship to work in both directions:

   • Enable the Bidirectional option
   • This will automatically create the inverse relationship (B → A in addition to A → B)

7. Save the Relationship

   Click Save or Add to create the alternative relationship.

   The window will close and you’ll see the new alternative in the main list.

Edit an Existing Relationship

1. Locate the SKU with Alternative

   Find the product that already has an alternative configured (it will appear in the “Alternative” column).

2. Click “Edit Relation”

   In the “Actions” column, click Edit Relation.

3. Modify Details

   In the popup window, you can change:

   • The alternative SKU
   • The relationship type
   • The SynSet configuration

4. Save Changes

   Confirm modifications and the system will update the relationship.

Delete an Alternative SKU Relationship

1. Locate the Relationship to Delete

   Find the SKU whose alternative relationship you want to delete.

2. Click “Remove Relation”

   In the “Actions” column, click Remove Relation.

3. Confirm Deletion

   The system will ask for confirmation. Click OK or Delete to confirm.

4. Verify Deletion

   The SKU’s “Alternative” column will now be empty and the action will change to “Select Relation”.

Deleting Relationships

Deleting an Alternative SKU relationship does not affect the products themselves, it only removes the connection between them. Future orders will no longer consider the product as an alternative.

Track Relationships (Trace)

The Trace functionality allows you to visualize the complete relationship tree of a SKU, especially useful when you have multiple levels of alternatives.

1. Select a SKU with Alternatives

   Find a product that has alternative relationships configured.

2. Click “Trace”

   In the “Actions” column, click the Trace link.

3. Review the Relationship Tree

   A popup window will open showing:

   • The main SKU
   • All its direct alternative SKUs
   • Secondary relationships (alternatives of alternatives)
   • Graphical visualization of the dependency tree

4. Identify Substitution Chains

   Use this view to:

   • Detect circular relationships (A → B → A)
   • Understand complex substitution chains
   • Verify that relationships are configured correctly

Bulk Import Alternative SKUs

You can upload multiple Alternative SKU relationships using a CSV file.

1. Download the CSV Template

   On the Alternative SKU page, click the template link or download the correct format.

2. Prepare Your CSV File

   The file must include the following columns:

   • SKU Main: Main SKU code
   • SKU Alternative: Alternative SKU code
   • Type: Relationship type
   • Synset: If the alternative is a SynSet (Yes/No)
   • Bidirectional: If the relationship is bidirectional (Yes/No)

3. Click “Upload CSV”

   On the main Alternative SKU page, click Upload CSV.

4. Select the File

   In the popup window:

   • Click Choose File or Browse
   • Select your CSV file from your computer

5. Confirm Upload

   Click Upload to process the file.

6. Review Results

   The system will show:

   • Number of relationships created successfully
   • Errors found (non-existent SKUs, duplicates, etc.)
   • List of processed records

Correct CSV Format

Make sure all SKUs in the CSV file exist in your catalog before importing. SKUs not found will generate errors and those relationships will not be created.

Common Relationship Types

Size Relationships

Configure alternatives for different sizes of the same product:

• Shirt M → Shirt L: If there’s no M, offer L
• Pants 32 → Pants 34: Next available size

Color Relationships

Define alternative colors when one runs out:

• Red Chair → Blue Chair: Alternative color
• Green Mug → White Mug: Color substitute

Version Relationships

Manage product versions:

• iPhone 13 128GB → iPhone 13 256GB: Storage upgrade
• Laptop i5 → Laptop i3: Downgrade if customer accepts

Packaging Relationships

Alternate between individual and multipack packaging:

• Individual Bottle → 6-Pack: Offer multipack
• Large Box → Small Box: Alternative size

💡 Best Practices

Define Clear Types

Use descriptive and consistent relationship type names (Upgrade, Downgrade, Same-Size, etc.) to easily identify the type of substitution.

Review Alternative Stock

Before configuring an alternative, verify it has available stock. An alternative without stock doesn’t help complete orders.

Use Bidirectional Carefully

Only enable bidirectional relationships when products are truly equivalent. Don’t use bidirectional for upgrades or downgrades.

Document Complex Relationships

For products with multiple alternatives, use the Trace functionality to document and review the complete relationship tree.

Update Regularly

Review and update Alternative SKU relationships when discontinuing products or adding new variants to the catalog.

Communicate with Customers

Inform your customers when you use an alternative to complete their order. Transparency improves customer satisfaction.

Troubleshooting

I Can’t Create an Alternative Relationship

Problem: When trying to create a relationship, an error appears or it doesn’t save.

Solution:

1. Verify that both SKUs (main and alternative) exist in your catalog
2. Confirm that the main SKU doesn’t already have an alternative configured (can only have one per main SKU)
3. Make sure you’re not creating a circular relationship (A → B when B → A already exists)
4. Review that required fields are complete

Alternative SKU Doesn’t Appear in List

Problem: After creating the relationship, the “Alternative” column is empty.

Solution:

• Refresh the page (F5 or Ctrl+R)
• Verify that the relationship was created with Status = 1 (active)
• Confirm you’re searching in the correct account
• Review search filters - they may be hiding the record

Error Importing Alternative SKUs CSV

Problem: The CSV file doesn’t process or generates many errors.

Solution:

1. Download and use the official CSV template
2. Verify that all mentioned SKUs exist in the catalog
3. Confirm column format (SKU Main, SKU Alternative, Type, Synset, Bidirectional)
4. Review that there are no special characters that break the CSV format
5. Make sure the file is in CSV format (not Excel .xlsx)

Trace Function Shows Circular Relationships

Problem: When doing Trace, you see A → B → C → A (infinite circle).

Solution:

• Identify the point in the chain that creates the circle
• Delete one of the relationships to break the cycle
• Redesign relationships to flow in a single direction without returning to origin
• Circular relationships can cause problems in substitution logic

I Don’t See SynSet Option When Creating Alternative

Problem: I want to link a SynSet but the option doesn’t appear.

Solution:

1. Confirm you have SynSets created in your account
2. Verify that the SynSet has the correct name and is active
3. Use the SynSet selector instead of trying to enter it manually
4. If the problem persists, create the SynSet first in the Product Families section

Important Considerations

Alternative SKU Limitations

• A main SKU can only have one direct alternative relationship at a time
• If you need multiple alternatives, you must create a chain (A → B, B → C, C → D)
• Bidirectional relationships count as two separate relationships in the database

• One Alternative per SKU: Each main SKU can only have one direct alternative configured
• Chain Relationships: For multiple options, create substitution chains (A → B → C)
• Active Status: Only relationships with Status = 1 are considered active in the system
• Automatic Update: Changes in alternative relationships are reflected immediately in the system

Common Use Cases

1. Size Management in Clothing

Configure relationships between sizes to offer options when a size runs out:

• Small → Medium → Large → XLarge
• If there’s no Small, automatically offer Medium

2. Seasonal Products

Alternate between seasonal versions:

• “Winter Jacket 2024” → “Winter Jacket 2025”
• “Red Christmas Decoration” → “Green Christmas Decoration”

3. Model Updates

Manage upgrades for discontinued products:

• “Laptop Model 2023” → “Laptop Model 2024”
• “Phone v1” → “Phone v2”

4. Approved Substitutes

Configure equivalent products approved by manufacturers:

• “Original Battery” → “Certified Compatible Battery”
• “OEM Replacement” → “Aftermarket Replacement”

5. Alternative Packaging

Offer packaging options when the preferred one is not available:

• “Individual Pack” → “3-Pack”
• “500ml Bottle” → “1L Bottle”

Related Pages

Next Steps:

• Product Families (SynSets™) - Group multiple SKUs as alternatives in a single bundle
• Product Management - Manage your product SKU catalog
• SKU Management - Learn about general SKU management

See Also:

• Creating Products - Create the SKUs you’ll use as main and alternatives
• Orders Management - See how alternatives are used when processing orders
• Catalog Overview - Explore the complete product catalog