Stock Control with multiple attributes and variations.

I’m struggling a little to follow exactly what you’re after here. Are you saying some variations are ‘worth’ more than 1 level of stock?

Sorry it snot that clear, no they are not worth’ more than 1 level of stock.

Ill try again:

We sell course places and use Woo commerce variable products.

This is an example of a working product: with only One course start date.

https://www.midischool.com/course/dj-course-wednesdays/

You will see regardless of which payment option you select the stock is the same and regardless of which payment option is sold “both payment options will reduce to the same amount as we only have X amount of places available.

We need to control stock levels so that it shows how many places are available on a start date, which works fine if we only have One start date.

This is how we do it and it works fine by using “Enable stock management at product level (ticked)”

Product Data: Variable product

Inventory: Enable stock management at product level (ticked)

Stock Qty: EG: 10

Sold individually: Enable this to only allow one of this item to be bought in a single order (ticked)

Next we set up the Attributes:

Attribute 1 Name: Start Date: Values: Wednesday 9th September 2015

Used for variation is ticked.

Attribute 2: Name: Payment: Values: Option One: Pay full course fees of ￡725 now | Option Two: Pay reg fee of ￡245 now

Used for variation is ticked.

We then save Attribute.

NEXT variations:

We set up Two price variations:

So this works fine as there is only One date and it does not matter how many price variations we set up, the total stock is per the amount we put in the inventory: “Enable stock management at product level (ticked)

Stock Qty: EG: 10”

So when customer buys a course place at any of the course prices which is set in the “Attribute 2: Name: Payment: Values: Option One: Pay full course fees of ￡725 now OR | Option Two: Pay reg fee of ￡245 now”

The stock level will reduce as it should:

EG: Customer 1 buys: Option One: Pay full course fees of ￡725 now

The stock level then shows as 9 on the front end when the page is refreshed (we had 10 in stock to start with)

This is also the same if another customer comes along and chooses Option Two: Pay reg fee of ￡245 now”

The stock level then shows as 8 on the front end when the page is refreshed (we had 9 in stock to start with)

So this as said works perfectly and allows us to show the availability of real time course places available.

Now the issue we have is that we need to have more than one start date as an option so.

We set Attribute 1 Name: Start Date: to have 2 start date choices EG: Values: Wednesday 9th September 2015 | Tuesday 10th November 2015

But this is a problem because if a customer chooses one of the start dates and then one of the Attributes.

EG: Attribute 1: Start Date: Wednesday 9th September 2015 and then

Attribute 2: Name: Payment: Values: Option One: Pay full course fees of ￡725 now | OR Option Two: Pay reg fee of ￡245 now”

Big problem: It deducts the stock level from both start dates as in essence its coming from One variable product and then on the front it looks like we have less course places than we do.

Regardless of which start date they select or payment option they choose the stock is deducted from both start dates.

So that does not work so we tried this:

NEXT:

We have tried to then manage stock at variation level and not product level EG: : Enable stock management at product level (NOT TICKED)

Select manage stock in a variation and set a stock level.

EG:

Variation 1: Start Date: Wednesday 9th September 2015 Price Values: Option One: Pay full course fees of ￡725 now manage stock ticked, stock Qty 10 | OR Option Two: Pay reg fee of ￡245 now” .manage stock ticked, stock Qty 10

Variation 2: Start Date: Tuesday 10th November 2015 Price Values: Option One: Pay full course fees of ￡725 now manage stock ticked, stock Qty 10 | OR Option Two: Pay reg fee of ￡245 now” .manage stock ticked, stock Qty 10

But if a customer buys a course places from Variation 1: Start Date: Wednesday 9th September 2015 Price Option One: Pay full course fees of ￡725 now . manage stock ticked, stock Qty 10

This is reduced to 9 places but when the page is refreshed both the Price Values: Option One: Pay full course fees of ￡725 now manage stock ticked, stock Qty 10 | OR Option Two: Pay reg fee of ￡245 now” stock Qty 10 does not reduce across both the price values so it looks like a new customer we have a course with different amounts of stock depending on the price they select.

What we need it to do is combine the total amount of course places available (stock) regardless of what price a course place has been sold in the past.

The only way we can achieve this is to make a page with course dates on and make each course date on that page a link to its own variable product with that date on it pre filled and then they select the course payment option. This then allows us to set the stock level at product level.

Its just a waste having this extra step and them go to a page to select a course date then onto the product, surly there is a way to combine the total amount of course (products) places available for variable products?

I simply want to have multiple start dates for a customer to select one of and multiple payment options to choose from and it reduce the stock level available on the front end for the course they have chosen regardless of the payment option they selected.

Again by using “manage stock in a variation level” and set a stock level it only reduces the stock for the variation they selected and not the combined level of stock for the product.

It also makes it look like we have EG: 10 places at each price available but we don’t we only have 10 places in total/

I skimmed the rest of your text after reading the first bit as I understand you have variations for the prices, but several apply to the same start date attribute.

You cannot share stock between a subset of variations.

So my question to you is, have you considered having each course date as a separate variable product? Then you manage stock per date but manage prices per variation.

Hi Mike.

Thanks so much for the speedy reply!

Yes thats exactly what we have to do but its a real mess and makes it quite confusing for students.

It also makes some pages really long for no reason apart from the restrictions with woo / not being able to share stock between a subset of variations.

EG:

https://www.midischool.com/aaa-dj-course-may-2016/

This page (demo) could have 2 course start dates see “Course with 2 start dates” section

This is just about ok (still over kill)

But courses with more start dates:

EG: Same page but “Course with 4 start dates” section is way to long, we even have some courses with 12 start dates and you can see what that looks likes! in the last section..

All this could be tidy if , as you say “you could share stock between a subset of variations”?
Its a setting that is crying out for..

You mentioned you’d tried deposits earlier – what about that didn’t work?

All this could be tidy if , as you say “you could share stock between a subset of variations”?

It would but I don’t see a way that could be built into the UI cleanly.

Not sure that it will work and its expensive to find out it does not.. If there was a 14 trail then yes would be happy to test it out..

1: Can you have stock availability for each payment option:

2: Will it then deduct from the main stock count of the product regardless of payment selected i.e. Main product has stock of 10 : “Deposit” takes of 1 stock “Monthly” Takes of another 1 stock.

3: Could you share stock between a subset of variations”?

3: We would need to hook it all again, to make changes on text : EG: change “Deposit” to Advance payment etc..

No, the subset thing is still not possible regardless of plugin. This would purely be so the instalments didn’t have to be part of the product attributes.

looks like you’ll need to go the custom route – your requirements are too unique for pre-made solutions it seems.

Hello Williams,

Try this: https://www.woothemes.com/products/product-bundles/

With bundle product you’ll be able to create a grouped products with single and variable products.

I think you can achieve what you need with a bundle of two variable products.

I was in a project with similar requirements and the Product Bundles did the trick.

Good luck!