How to implement more complex category structure

Archived Irena B. ● ago

In our company we sell four multiple products and many kinds of development services. These offerings many times refer to different kind of users. I don't have a problem of one group seeing the questions/answers of another group (for example, the product user see the questions/ideas for the services), but I see some difficulty to implement a more complex category structure which makes it easy for user to navigate. I enabled the Categories module, but found the GUI of it a little cumbersome, when the list of products and services is flat and has no hierarchy. What can you suggest to help? Our website is http://www.dbbest.com and we would like to provide the support for each group of customers.

Please, advice!!

Best Answer

Stas K. ●

There is no 100% way to make the process of distribution users among categories. We stick to simple process in providing support, though it should be handy - that is why before adding topic, user can select category it relates to. If not, you'll definitely understand where should it go, and edit topic any time changing the category.

Though, there are different options in your case:

Create categories like Mobile Services, DB Migration Service, etc. and category for each product. This way it's will be clear to customers what topic it relates to while adding it;
If you want for one user responses to not see the others, just set one users "See Private Ovjects" but it's not good approach;
Also you can tweak roles management by creating new module and extend permissions of one or another category visibility to one user group or another setting the right permissions, so that product users will see only product categories and all others could see service categories;
Purchase 2nd copy and install it only for product users and integrate Single Sign-On to have one account in your client area and community. This way you'm just rename categories to be products and there will be strict separation + we'll raise the prices really soon, so benefit with 2nd lifetime license.

These are the only options I can see now, maybe some other users will share their opinion here

Replies (1)

Stas K. ● ●

Though, there are different options in your case:

Create categories like Mobile Services, DB Migration Service, etc. and category for each product. This way it's will be clear to customers what topic it relates to while adding it;
If you want for one user responses to not see the others, just set one users "See Private Ovjects" but it's not good approach;
Also you can tweak roles management by creating new module and extend permissions of one or another category visibility to one user group or another setting the right permissions, so that product users will see only product categories and all others could see service categories;
Purchase 2nd copy and install it only for product users and integrate Single Sign-On to have one account in your client area and community. This way you'm just rename categories to be products and there will be strict separation + we'll raise the prices really soon, so benefit with 2nd lifetime license.

These are the only options I can see now, maybe some other users will share their opinion here