Skip to main content

BPAS

+91 98404 81581 Contact Us Contact Us
+91 98404 81581 Contact Us
+91 98404 81581

Features and Configurations

Perfion PIM · Complete Feature Guide

Features and Configurations Perfion Data Model Guide

Describe every product your way, and show each one only the fields it needs.

See It on Your Product Data What this guide covers

Features and Configurations is where the Perfion data model is built. A Feature is one property you hold for items, such as Item Name, EAN or Color, and each has a Feature type that decides what it can hold. A Configuration is the data model for a selectable feature: it sets which features a Product, a Brand or any other selectable feature carries, and in which order. With item dependency, extra features appear only on the items they apply to. You manage both in the Features menu, which you will find in both the Perfion web client and the Windows client.

Written for product data teams · By , Founder and Solution Architect · Last updated BPAS · Exclusive Boyum Practice. India's No.1 Customer-referred Boyum IT Partner.

At a glance

Perfion name
Features and Configurations
Where
The Features menu, in both clientsWeb clientWindows client
Set up by
AdministratorsSuper Users have every section except Features
Works with
Feature DataItem editorGrid
Feature types
11 feature typesStringTextNumberDateBooleanImageFileLinkTableSearchRelated Value
How It Works

How the Perfion data model works, from feature to finished item

Features and Configurations sits underneath everything else in Perfion. It turns “we sell kettles, coffee machines and spare parts” into “a coffee machine has these fields, in this order, on these tabs”.

  1. Create the features

    In the Features menu, an administrator adds each Feature under its data type, such as String, Number or Image.

  2. Set the definition

    A unique name, captions and unit per language, and value settings such as Localizable, Inheritable or Selectable.

  3. Build the configuration

    Decide which features a selectable feature such as Product carries in its Configuration, and in which order.

  4. Add item dependencies

    Some features apply only to items with a given value, such as one category or one brand: item dependency.

  5. Users manage the data

    In the grid and the item editor, each item shows the features that apply to it, arranged by Top View Group and View Group.

An illustration of the Features menu, not a screenshot: the feature library on the left, and the configuration it builds on the right.
Fixed Fields vs Perfion

A fixed set of item fields vs Perfion: what a spreadsheet holds, what a data model holds

Most product data starts in a spreadsheet or a fixed item card, with the same columns for every item. Perfion lets you design the model around your products instead.

A fixed set of item fields, as kept in a spreadsheet or a fixed item card, compared with Perfion Features and Configurations as described in Boyum IT Solutions' Perfion documentation.
Product data need Fixed item fields Perfion Features and Configurations
Adding a new attribute A new spreadsheet column, or a custom field someone has to add to the item card. An administrator adds a Feature to the library and to the Configuration. No new spreadsheet column.
Fields per product type Every item carries every field, whether it applies or not. Item dependency shows features only on items with a given value, such as a category or a brand.
Repeated values Typed by hand, so the same colour can be spelt three ways. Selectable features: users pick from a list kept in Feature Data. Edit a value once and every item it is assigned to shows the change.
Languages One column per language, or a separate file for each market. Localizable features hold values per language. Captions, units and help text are set per language too.
Parent and child items Values copied down to each variant by hand. Inheritable features pass a value set on the parent to its child items.
Table-like data Extra columns: Ingredient 1, Ingredient 2, Ingredient 3, and so on. Swap Relation Direction holds rows and columns in a single feature on each item.
Data owned by the ERP Copied in, and open to change in more than one place. Read Only stops all users changing values, typically ones synchronised from the ERP. Remote features show data live from an external system.
Who can change what Access by file, sheet or screen. Each feature sits in a Security Group with its own rights. Feature Item Security changes rights by value, such as a Status of Published.

See how your own product range would look as a Perfion data model.

See it on your product data
Capabilities in Depth

Perfion data model capabilities: eight things the administrator controls

Each capability shows what it does in Perfion and what it is worth to the business.

Operational Reality (Capabilities)

Every Feature has a Feature type that decides what it can hold: Boolean, Date, File, Image, Link, Number, Related Value, Search, String, Table and Text. A String holds one line of up to 256 characters; a Text holds long text as plain text, HTML or Rich Text. Image features take BMP, GIF, JPG/JPEG, PNG, TIFF/TIF, EPS, PSD, PDF (first page), SVG, WEBP and AVIF.

  • Features listed by data type in the feature tree
  • Find a feature by name or Perfion ID
  • A new feature can start from an existing one and take its settings as suggestions

Executive ROI Value

Values held as the right type can be checked, sorted and published without a clean-up round first.

  • Less fixing before every catalogue or upload
  • One feature library, reused across product lines

Operational Reality (Capabilities)

With Selectable checked, users pick values from a list instead of typing them. The lists live in Feature Data. Allow Hierarchy builds trees with virtual items, such as categories, and Custom Ordering sorts a list by hand. Related features can share one list: InteriorColor can reuse the list from Color.

  • Edit a value once; every item it is assigned to shows the change
  • Hierarchies for category structures
  • Export a list to Excel, edit it and import it again

Executive ROI Value

Every channel gets one spelling of each colour, material and category, so filters and reports agree.

  • Fewer duplicate values to clean up
  • One list to maintain instead of many

Operational Reality (Capabilities)

With Localizable checked, a feature holds values in several languages; Item Name is the typical example. On the Captions tab, each feature gets a Caption, a Caption Alt and an Abbreviation for reports and other channels, a Unit such as cm, and Help Text shown in the item editor, in every active language.

  • Values per language on the same item
  • Abbreviations such as Ø for Diameter
  • Help text where editors enter the data

Executive ROI Value

A new market reuses the same model. Only the language values are added, not a new file.

  • No separate product file per language
  • Labels and units stay consistent in every output

Operational Reality (Capabilities)

With Inheritable checked, a value set on a parent item is inherited by its child items; Brand is the typical example. Where parents and children need their own values, such as Item Type, they can keep them. Allow Multiple holds several values for one item in one feature, such as Related Products, and Sortable lets users put them in order of importance.

  • Parent values flow down to child items
  • Several values in one feature
  • Related products in a chosen order

Executive ROI Value

Variants stay in line with their parent without anyone retyping the same value.

  • Less re-keying across variants
  • Cross-sell links kept in a set order

Operational Reality (Capabilities)

A selectable feature in a Configuration, such as Category or Brand, can be the root of an item dependency. Features tied to one of its values appear only on items with that value. Dependencies at the same level work independently, so either one is enough. Nested dependencies need both, such as Category Accessories and Brand Jura.

  • Fields per category or per brand
  • The same feature can sit in several item dependencies
  • Works with any selectable feature, such as Category or Brand

Executive ROI Value

Editors see a short, relevant item card instead of a long list of fields that do not apply.

  • Faster enrichment per item
  • Fewer fields filled in by mistake

Operational Reality (Capabilities)

For data with rows and columns, such as ingredients with a name, an amount and a percentage, Swap Relation Direction lets users manage a table inside one feature on each product. Each row is created when it is added to a product, and appears in Feature Data with a reference to that product.

  • As many rows per product as needed
  • Each row with its own columns
  • Rows visible and manageable in Feature Data

Executive ROI Value

Ingredients, components or specification rows are held as structured data, not as pasted text.

  • Rows that reports can use directly
  • No fixed limit of Ingredient 1, 2, 3 columns

Operational Reality (Capabilities)

Copy decides which values come across when a user copies an item, and Default Values sets values that every new item gets. Each feature’s Top View Group and View Group decide where it appears in the item editor.

  • Item editor order: Base Value, Top View Group, View Group, then configuration order
  • Remote and Related Value features are never copied and take no default values
  • Compact sets one image and two alphanumeric features for card layout

Executive ROI Value

New items start with the right values, and editors find each field where they expect it.

  • Fewer missing values on new items
  • Shorter training for new editors

Operational Reality (Capabilities)

Each feature sits in a Security Group, and users and groups get rights per Security Group. Feature Item Security changes rights by the value of a selectable feature: products with Status Under Enrichment stay editable, Published ones do not. Read Only stops all users changing a feature’s values, typically values owned by the ERP. Remote features show data live from an external system or from other Perfion features, and are read only.

  • Rights per Security Group
  • Give Access or Restrain Access by value
  • ERP-owned values protected from edits

Executive ROI Value

Approved data stays approved, and values that belong to the ERP stay with the ERP.

  • Clear ownership between PIM and ERP
  • Fewer accidental changes to live products
Core Concepts

5 Core Concepts of the Perfion Data Model

The first three are about how the model is built. The last two are about keeping the data in it right.

  1. Concept 01 · Describe a property once, use it on every item

    A Feature Is Defined Once

    The product data problem it solves

    The same property sits in five columns with five names, so nobody knows which one is right, and every channel gets a different answer.

    The concept explained

    Product data starts with properties: a name, a length, a colour, a datasheet. In Perfion each property is a Feature, defined once in the Features menu with a unique name, a Feature type and its settings. Every item that needs the property uses that one feature with its own value. Change the caption, the unit or the rules on the feature, and the change applies wherever it is used. Because the name is unique and the type is fixed, a length is always a number in centimetres, never a mix of numbers and notes.

    Everyday analogy

    A form at a bank. The box marked “Date of birth” is designed once and printed on every form. Each customer fills in their own date, but nobody gets to rename the box.

    In Perfion

    Features are the basic building blocks of the Perfion data model. A feature name must be unique, use letters and numbers only, and not start with a number; camel case such as ItemNumber is recommended.

    Related:
    A feature is defined onceLeft: the Length feature is defined once, as a Number feature with the unit cm, an English caption, a German caption and Inheritable on. Right: three items each use the same Length feature with their own value.FeatureLengthFeature typeNumberUnitcmCaption (English)LengthCaption (German)LängeInheritableOnItems that use itKettleLength24 cmToasterLength38 cmBlenderLength19 cm
    One Length feature, defined once, used by every item that needs it.
  2. Concept 02 · Decide which features each kind of item carries

    The Configuration Is the Data Model

    The product data problem it solves

    Products, brands and suppliers are described in different files with different columns, so linking them is a manual job.

    The concept explained

    Features on their own are a library. A Configuration puts them to work. In Perfion, a configuration is the data model for a selectable feature. Product is the most common example: its configuration lists the features every product carries, such as Item Name and EAN, in the order they appear in the grid. The top node is the Base Value. Any selectable feature can have a configuration, so a Brand can carry its logo and website, and a product that picks a brand is linked to all of it.

    Everyday analogy

    A school register. The register decides the columns: roll number, name, class, guardian. Every student gets the same columns, and a new column is added once, for everyone.

    In Perfion

    A configuration is the data model for a selectable feature, and every selectable feature can have one. That lets you model Brands, Customers, Images and anything else that makes sense in your business.

    Related:
    BPAS method · toolDeploy EnterpriseDesign before configurationThe data model is designed and signed off before anything is configured: the Design phase of toolDeploy Enterprise.
    The configuration is the data modelLeft: the Product configuration, with Product as Base Value and the features Item Name, EAN, Brand and Category. Right: Brand is a selectable feature with its own configuration, Brand Logo and Website. A dashed arrow links Brand in the product configuration to the Brand configuration.Product configurationProductBase ValueItem NameEANBrandCategoryBrand configurationBrandBase ValueBrand LogoWebsiteAny selectable feature canhave its own configuration
    Product has its own configuration. Brand, a selectable feature on it, has one too.
  3. Concept 03 · Different products need different specifications

    Show Only What Applies

    The product data problem it solves

    A coffee machine and a descaling tablet share one item card with every field for both, so editors skip fields and leave gaps.

    The concept explained

    Not every product needs every specification. A water tank volume means something for a coffee machine and nothing for an accessory. Item dependency lets the model follow the product. Features can be tied to one value of a selectable feature, such as one category or one brand, and then appear only on products with that value. Dependencies at the same level work independently; nested ones need every condition to be true, so Perfion advises using them with caution.

    Everyday analogy

    A restaurant menu with a section for each cuisine. The tandoor section lists tandoor dishes and the Chinese section lists Chinese ones. Nobody prints every dish on every page.

    In Perfion

    Perfion calls this Item Dependency: it lets you build individual data models for individual groups of items, all inside one configuration.

    Related:
    Item dependencyLeft: in the Product configuration, Category has two items. Water Tank and Pressure sit under Coffee Machines; Compatible Models sits under Accessories. Right: a coffee machine shows Item Name, EAN, Water Tank and Pressure; an accessory shows Item Name, EAN and Compatible Models.Product configurationProductItem NameEANCategoryCoffee MachinesWater TankPressureAccessoriesCompatible ModelsA coffee machine showsItem NameEANWater TankPressureAn accessory showsItem NameEANCompatible ModelsExample features
    Under Category, each item carries its own features. Each product shows only what applies to it.
  4. Concept 04 · One value, held once, used everywhere

    Pick, Don’t Type

    The product data problem it solves

    Colours, materials and categories are typed by hand, so “Red”, “red” and “RED ” become three values in every filter.

    The concept explained

    Whenever the same value repeats across many items, typing it invites variation. A Selectable feature solves that: users pick from a list instead of typing. The list is kept in Feature Data, where it can carry its own configuration, its own order and even a hierarchy. Because each item points to the list value rather than a copy of the text, a correction made once shows on every item it is assigned to. That is what keeps filters, reports and channels consistent.

    Everyday analogy

    The drop-down list of states on a delivery form. You choose “Kerala” from the list instead of typing it, so the courier never receives “Kerla” or “KL”.

    In Perfion

    Selectable values are managed in Feature Data. Super users and administrators can manage all of them; other users need access granted by an administrator.

    Related:
    Pick, do not typeLeft: colours typed by hand on three items as Red, red and RED, which gives three different values. Right: a selectable Color feature with one list in Feature Data; all three items point to the same Red value, so an edit is made once and every item shows it.Typed by handItem 1ColourRedItem 2ColourredItem 3ColourREDThree spellings,three values in every filterSelectableFeature DataColorRedBlueBlackItem 1Item 2Item 3One value, held once.Edit it in Feature Data andevery item shows the change.
    Typed by hand, one colour becomes three. Selectable, it stays one value.
  5. Concept 05 · Each value has one home

    Set Each Value at the Right Level

    The product data problem it solves

    A brand name is retyped on forty variants, and the price is edited in the PIM and in the ERP, so the two never quite agree.

    The concept explained

    A value should be set once, at the level where it belongs, and nowhere else. Some values belong to the parent product: with Inheritable on, a brand set on the parent is passed to each child item, and nobody retypes it. Some values belong to another system: with Read Only on, Perfion shows a value the ERP owns but stops users changing it, and a Remote feature can show data live from an external system. When every value has one home, there is one version of it.

    Everyday analogy

    A family surname. It is given once and every child carries it, while each child still has a first name of their own.

    In Perfion

    Inheritable and Read Only are settings on each feature. Brand is Perfion’s typical example of an inherited value, and Read Only is typically used for values owned by the ERP.

    Related:
    From BPAS · prodRecord newsletterprodRecordKeeping the record straight.One product data practice every month, written in plain English for product data teams.
    Set each value at the right levelLeft: Brand is set to Jura on a parent item and inherited by its two child items. Right: Item Number comes from the ERP and is Read Only in Perfion, so users can see it but not change it.InheritableParent itemBrand: JuraChild itemBrand: JurainheritedChild itemBrand: JurainheritedSet once on the parentand passed to its childrenRead OnlyERPItem NumberRead OnlyUserscan see the value,not change itValues owned by the ERPstay the ERP’s
    Set on the parent and inherited, or owned by the ERP and read only.
Best Practices

10 Best Practices for Features and Configurations in Perfion

Each practice says what a good data model looks like and what it costs to ignore it. Setting it up for your products is what BPAS consultants do.

  1. 01Name features by one convention

    Data model · Feature names

    The rule

    Give every feature a clear, unique name in one style, such as camel case: ItemNumber, LongDescription. Use the Caption for the friendly label users see.

    Risk if ignored

    Names must be unique, letters and numbers only, with no spaces, and cannot start with a number. Formulas can refer to features by name, so a library of mixed styles is hard to search and easy to get wrong.

    Get it right with BPAS

    Not sure this is in place in your data model? Talk to a BPAS consultant.

    Talk to BPAS

    Related:Vocabulary: FeatureConcept 01

  2. 02Choose the right feature type before data goes in

    Data model · Feature type

    The rule

    Hold numbers in Number features with a unit, long copy in Text, and one-line values in String. Decide the type from what the value is, not from how it arrived in the spreadsheet.

    Risk if ignored

    A String holds one line of up to 256 characters. Numbers kept as text cannot use number rules, such as a number range in Validation, and do not sort as numbers.

    Get it right with BPAS

    Not sure this is in place in your data model? Talk to a BPAS consultant.

    Talk to BPAS

    Related:Vocabulary: Feature typeCapability: Feature types

  3. 03Keep the feature library in order

    Data model · Feature tree

    The rule

    Related features sit together in the library, and features that should share one value list, such as Color and InteriorColor, share it.

    Risk if ignored

    In a large library without order, near-duplicate features appear, nobody is sure which one to use, and two colour lists drift apart.

    Get it right with BPAS

    Not sure this is in place in your data model? Talk to a BPAS consultant.

    Talk to BPAS

    Related:Capability: Selectable FeaturesVocabulary: Feature

  4. 04Make repeating values selectable

    Data model · Selectable

    The rule

    Colours, materials, categories, brands and similar values belong in selectable features, with their lists kept in Feature Data.

    Risk if ignored

    Typed values drift: three spellings of one colour become three filter values on the web shop, and a correction has to be made item by item.

    Get it right with BPAS

    Not sure this is in place in your data model? Talk to a BPAS consultant.

    Talk to BPAS

    Related:Vocabulary: Selectable featureConcept 04

  5. 05Set family values once, on the parent

    Data model · Values

    The rule

    Values shared by a product family, such as Brand, are set once on the parent and inherited by every variant. Parents and children hold their own values only where they genuinely differ, such as Item Type.

    Risk if ignored

    Without inheritance, the same value is retyped on every variant, and a change to the parent leaves the children out of date.

    Get it right with BPAS

    Not sure this is in place in your data model? Talk to a BPAS consultant.

    Talk to BPAS

    Related:Vocabulary: InheritableConcept 05

  6. 06Keep ERP-owned values owned by the ERP

    Integration · Ownership

    The rule

    Every value the ERP owns, such as item numbers, is agreed up front and cannot be changed in Perfion.

    Risk if ignored

    If both systems can change a value, the two drift apart, and nobody knows which one is right.

    Get it right with BPAS

    Not sure this is in place in your data model? Talk to a BPAS consultant.

    Talk to BPAS

    Related:Capability: Security, Read Only and RemoteConcept 05

  7. 07Use item dependency for fields that only apply to some items

    Configuration · Item dependency

    The rule

    Put category-specific or brand-specific features under an item dependency, so each product shows only what applies. Prefer dependencies at one level, and nest them only when a feature truly needs two conditions.

    Risk if ignored

    Every field on every item makes the item card long and the gaps hard to see. Perfion warns that nested dependencies can quickly multiply into very large and complex configurations.

    Get it right with BPAS

    Not sure this is in place in your data model? Talk to a BPAS consultant.

    Talk to BPAS

    Related:Vocabulary: Item dependencyConcept 03

  8. 08Use a tri-state Boolean where an active choice matters

    Data model · Boolean

    The rule

    For yes-or-no facts that someone must confirm, such as Hazardous Goods, use a tri-state Boolean: False, Neutral or True.

    Risk if ignored

    With a plain Boolean, an unchecked box can mean “no” or “nobody looked yet”. Neutral shows that the choice has not been made.

    Get it right with BPAS

    Not sure this is in place in your data model? Talk to a BPAS consultant.

    Talk to BPAS

    Related:Vocabulary: Feature typeCapability: Feature types

  9. 09Design the item editor for the people who use it

    Configuration · Groups

    The rule

    Every item editor tab and group is planned around the people who enter the data, and fields that need explaining carry help text.

    Risk if ignored

    Left unplanned, editors hunt for fields, fill in the wrong one, and new editors take longer to learn the model.

    Get it right with BPAS

    Not sure this is in place in your data model? Talk to a BPAS consultant.

    Talk to BPAS

    Related:Capability: Copy, Default Values and GroupsVocabulary: Configuration

  10. 10Never lose a feature’s data by accident

    Data model · Change control

    The rule

    Retiring a feature is a deliberate decision, with a check that its data is no longer needed before anything is removed.

    Risk if ignored

    Deleting a feature deletes all data related to it, and the operation cannot be undone.

    Get it right with BPAS

    Not sure this is in place in your data model? Talk to a BPAS consultant.

    Talk to BPAS

    Related:Vocabulary: ConfigurationVocabulary: Feature

Self-Audit · 10 Best Practices

Product data model self-audit: how many are in place today?

Tick each of the ten practices above that your product data model already follows. Your score updates as you go.

Practices in place
0 of 10

Tick the practices that are in place.

Book a data model review

Nothing you tick is stored or sent.

Illustrative scenario · not a client case study A Business Like Yours

Illustrative scenario: an Indian kitchen appliance brand, run on one wide spreadsheet

A kitchen appliance brand sells about 2,400 items across nine categories through its own web shop, two marketplaces and a dealer catalogue. Orders, stock and invoicing are in the ERP. Product content is in a spreadsheet.

The Operational Challenge

One spreadsheet holds every attribute for every category, so a mixer grinder row has empty columns for water tank volume and burner type. Colours are typed by hand, and the Hindi and Tamil descriptions sit in separate files.

Each new channel gets its own copy of the sheet. Corrections made in one copy never reach the others.

  • Editors fill in columns that do not apply, or skip ones that do
  • The same colour in three spellings on the web shop filter
  • Marketplace listings rejected for missing or wrong values
  • Returns where the listed specification did not match the product

The Financial Transformation

In Perfion, each category gets its own features through item dependency, so a mixer grinder shows only mixer grinder fields. Colours and materials become selectable features with one list each in Feature Data.

Item Name and descriptions are localizable, with every language on the same item. Brand and warranty are set once on the parent and inherited by each variant, and item numbers from the ERP are read only.

  • Each item card shows only the fields that apply
  • One spelling of every colour, in every channel
  • Every language held on the same product record
  • ERP values kept as the ERP sends them
Illustrative figures for a typical Indian brand of this size. They add up, but they are not a client case study.
Cost line Before (per month) After (per month) Difference (per year)
Editor time spent correcting and re-keying data₹ 1,56,000₹ 66,000₹ 10,80,000
Rework on rejected or delayed listings₹ 90,000₹ 30,000₹ 7,20,000
Returns caused by wrong specifications₹ 1,20,000₹ 50,000₹ 8,40,000
Total₹ 3,66,000₹ 1,46,000₹ 26,40,000
Illustrative saving a year₹ 26,40,000Same figures as the table, not a client result

See your own categories as a Perfion data model, with only the fields each one needs.

Book a data model demo
From BPAS

prodRecord Live

Enterprise product data insights from BPAS

Keeping the record straight, live every month

prodRecord Live is a monthly webinar series on product information management, held on the second Wednesday of every month from January 2027. Each session takes one product data topic and works through it in plain English with time for your questions.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec
Explore prodRecord Live
12
Live sessions in 2027 Second Wednesday, monthly
Who Benefits

Who benefits from a Perfion data model: one model, three answers

  • Promoter & CXOs

    Can we launch faster, in more places?

    A new channel or market reuses the same features and configurations, so expansion means adding values, not rebuilding the product file.

  • Product Data Manager

    Is every product complete for its category?

    With item dependency, each category carries exactly its own features, so a gap is a real gap, and Feature Data keeps every list in one place.

  • Product Editor

    Which fields does this product need?

    The item editor shows only the features that apply, grouped on tabs, with help text where a field needs explaining.

Vocabulary

Perfion Data Model Vocabulary and Definitions

From the features an administrator defines once, to the settings that decide how values behave. Each term shows what it means, why it matters, and a household comparison.

  1. Feature

    Data model · building block

    Also called an attribute in other systems

    Operational definition

    A property you hold for items, such as Item Name, EAN or Color. Each feature has a unique name, a feature type and settings, and is defined once in the Features menu.

    Why it matters in Perfion

    Features are the basic building blocks of the Perfion data model. Everything else, from configurations to reports, is built from them.

    Everyday analogy

    A column heading in a register. It is written once at the top and every row fills in its own value.

    See it in action:Feature types under Capabilities →

  2. Feature type

    Data model · what a feature holds

    Also called the data type

    Operational definition

    What a feature can hold. Perfion has Boolean, Date, File, Image, Link, Number, Related Value, Search, String, Table and Text. String holds one line of up to 256 characters.

    Why it matters in Perfion

    The type decides how values are entered, checked and output, and is chosen when the feature is created.

    Everyday analogy

    Containers in a kitchen: a bottle for oil, a jar for rice, a tin for biscuits. Each is made for what goes in it.

    See it in action:Feature types under Capabilities →

  3. Configuration

    Data model · structure

    Created on a selectable feature

    Operational definition

    The data model for a selectable feature: the features its items carry and their order. Product is the most common example; Brand, Customer or Image can have one too.

    Why it matters in Perfion

    The configuration order sets the grid columns, and with item dependencies it decides which features each item shows.

    Everyday analogy

    The columns of a school register: decided once, used for every student in the class.

    See it in action:Concept 02 under Core Concepts →

  4. Base Value

    Configuration · root

    The top node of a configuration

    Operational definition

    The top node of a configuration, such as Product. It is the root of the configuration and always shows in the first column of the grid.

    Why it matters in Perfion

    The base value is always shown first, in the grid, at the top of the item editor and as the first value on cards in Compact view.

    Everyday analogy

    The name at the top of a file folder. Everything inside is filed under it.

    See it in action:Concept 02 under Core Concepts →

  5. Selectable feature

    Feature setting · pick list

    A feature without it is called explicit

    Operational definition

    A feature whose values users pick from a list instead of typing them, such as colours or materials. All other features are called explicit features.

    Why it matters in Perfion

    Edit a list value once and the change shows on every item it is assigned to. Only selectable features can have a configuration.

    Everyday analogy

    Choosing your state from a drop-down on a delivery form, so nobody types “Kerla”.

    See it in action:Selectable Features under Capabilities →

  6. Feature Data

    Menu · value lists

    Where pick lists are maintained

    Operational definition

    The place to maintain data for selectable features: categories, colours, materials, and also predefined search queries, files and images.

    Why it matters in Perfion

    Lists can be exported to Excel and imported again. Super users and administrators manage all of them; other users need access from an administrator.

    Everyday analogy

    The master list of items on a shop counter. The cashier picks from it; the owner keeps it up to date.

    See it in action:Concept 04 under Core Concepts →

  7. Item dependency

    Configuration · conditional features

    Built on a selectable feature such as Category

    Operational definition

    Features placed under one item of a selectable feature in the configuration, such as one category or brand. They appear only on items that have that value.

    Why it matters in Perfion

    Each item shows only the features that apply to it. Several dependencies at one level work independently; nested ones require every condition.

    Everyday analogy

    A restaurant menu with a section per cuisine. Each section lists only its own dishes.

    See it in action:Item Dependency under Capabilities →

  8. Localizable

    Feature setting · languages

    Captions are set per language as well

    Operational definition

    A feature setting. When it is checked, values can be managed in multiple languages. Item Name is the typical example.

    Why it matters in Perfion

    One product record serves every language, with values side by side instead of in separate files.

    Everyday analogy

    A bilingual signboard: one board, the same message in two languages.

    See it in action:Localizable under Capabilities →

  9. Inheritable

    Feature setting · parent and child

    Parent and child can still differ where needed

    Operational definition

    A feature setting. When it is checked, a value set on a parent item is inherited by its child items. Brand is the typical example.

    Why it matters in Perfion

    Shared values are set once on the parent. Where parents and children need their own value, such as Item Type, they can keep it.

    Everyday analogy

    A family surname: given once and carried by every child.

    See it in action:Concept 05 under Core Concepts →

  10. Swap Relation Direction

    Configuration · table data

    Table-like data on each item

    Operational definition

    A configuration option that lets users manage table-like data, with several rows and columns, in a single feature on a product. Ingredients with name, amount and percentage are the documented example.

    Why it matters in Perfion

    Each row is created when it is added to a product, and shows in Feature Data with a reference to that product.

    Everyday analogy

    A recipe card with an ingredients table: one line per ingredient, with columns for the amount.

    See it in action:Swap Relation Direction under Capabilities →

FAQ

Features and configurations: questions product teams ask

Short answers, each with a link to the part of this guide that explains it.

  1. A feature is one property, such as Item Name or Color, with a feature type and settings. A configuration is the data model for a selectable feature, such as Product: it lists which features its items carry and in which order. Features are defined once and can be used in many configurations.

    More on Concept 02

  2. Eleven: Boolean, Date, File, Image, Link, Number, Related Value, Search, String, Table and Text. A String holds one line of up to 256 characters; a Text holds long text as plain text, HTML or Rich Text. Search features hold API queries and are never used as a normal attribute.

    More on Feature types

  3. Yes. Item dependency lets you place features under one item of a selectable feature, such as a category or a brand. Those features then appear only on products with that value.

    More on Item dependency

  4. No. Removing a feature from a configuration only hides it from users; all values stay in the database. Deleting the feature itself deletes all data related to it, and that cannot be undone.

    More on practice 10

  5. Yes. A feature with Localizable checked holds its values in multiple languages. Each feature also has a caption, an alternative caption, an abbreviation, a unit and help text for every active language.

    More on Localizable

  6. Perfion has a Read Only setting that prevents all users from changing a feature’s values, and it is typically used for values owned by the ERP. A Remote feature can also show data live from an external system, and is read only.

    More on practice 06

  7. Yes. Features and configurations are part of Perfion itself, so this guide applies whichever ERP your product data comes from. What changes from one ERP to another is the integration that brings ERP data into Perfion.

    More on ERP integration

Still have a question?

Ask about your own products, categories and channels. A BPAS consultant will answer in plain English.

Ask BPAS
Works Together With

See your products as a Perfion data model

See your own categories with the features each one needs, the lists that keep values consistent, and the settings that keep ERP data where it belongs. Choose the path that fits the ERP you run.

Running an enterprise ERP?Book a product data assessment On SAP Business One or Business Central?Explore Boyum solutions, B1UP and toolDeploy
World first · 2025The world's first Boyum Partner Center of Excellence.Hosted in the cloud and available for evaluation and proof-of-concept work across the Boyum Solutions portfolio.See it to believe it — get convinced by working on it.Explore the PACE sandbox