Editions for product lines

Editions define product model properties and subclause relationships for product lines. Each product line has a Base edition that defines product model properties and subclause relationships for the base product line. You can use editions to introduce changes to the product after a product has gone into production. Typically, products start out with only the Base edition. Create additional editions if there is a filing or other business reason to change the product as of a certain effective date.

The Base edition defines product model properties for the product line.
Editions have an effective date.
Editions have no expiration date.
Later editions inherit product model properties from previous editions, including the Base edition.
Later editions override changes introduced in prior editions.

With editions, you can:

Change an insurance product line after it has gone into production
Load product model properties into a generated product.

In a policy transaction, either with installed or visualized product, PolicyCenter selects the edition based on the Effective Date on the Policy Info screen.

Example of editions

This example shows a Homeowners product line with Liability Cover and Property Damage coverages. Both coverages have Limit and Deductible fields. The editions change product model properties that set the availability of the coverages and their fields.

In the Base edition, Liability Cover and Property Damage coverages are required.
Edition 1 sets Liability Cover to optional.
Edition 2 makes Property Damage Deductible unavailable and sets the Limit minimum value to 500,000. Liability Cover remains optional.
Edition 3 makes Property Damage optional and increases the Limit minimum value to 700,000. Liability Cover remains optional, and Property Damage Deductible remains unavailable.

Adding editions out-of-sequence

If you create an edition that has an effective date before existing editions, that edition is out-of-sequence to editions with later effective dates. As with any edition, changes in an out-of-sequence edition carry forward until superseded by a later edition.

Structural changes apply to all editions

When you are working in the base edition or subsequent edition, you can introduce structural changes to the product line.

These kinds of changes include but are not limited to:

Adding a new risk object, clause, attribute, or other structural element.
Adding a new clause, such as a coverage, and making it available starting on September 1st for all policies.
Changing the label of an attribute or a clause. For example, changing the wording of a question attribute.
Changing the name of a risk object or clause.

Adding or removing subclause relationships, without adding or removing clauses or clause terms, is not a structural change.

Only change the name, label, or other wording if the intent remains the same. Downstream systems may rely on the original meaning. For example, if you need a different attribute, then make the original attribute unavailable, and add a new one.

Even though you make these changes while editing a particular edition, these structural changes apply to all editions.

Note: Inform the administrator who will load the editions that you made structural changes to the product. For structural changes, the administrator must regenerate the product and redeploy.

Editions tab

You can view and define editions on the Editions tab on the Product Definition screen.

Field	Description
Edition Code	The edition. Displays Base for the edition on the base product line.
Effective Date	The date that changes in the edition become effective. A change remains in effect until a change in a later edition supersedes it. The Base edition has no effective date.
Create Edition	Create a new edition.
Use This Edition	Select the check box for an edition, and click Use This Edition. The selected edition becomes the current edition. Use This Edition is disabled if you select the current edition, more than one edition, or no editions.
Delete	Select the check box for an edition, and click Delete.
Editions	This table displays all editions defined for the product line.
Changes	This column displays the number of changes to product model properties in this edition. In the Base edition, the number of changes is always blank.

Edition property popup

When you view a product model property, the Property popup contains the following fields related to editions:

Field	Description
Delete Rule Edition	Delete the rule for the current edition. This button appears if there is a rule defined on this property in the current edition.
Rule Effective Date	Relative to the current edition, the effective date of the latest edition that edited the rule. If the latest edition is the Base edition, the field displays <base rule>. If the latest edition is the current edition, the field displays the effective date of the current edition, and Current Edition Effective Date is hidden.
Current Edition	Displays the name of the current edition. Hidden if the current edition is the Base edition.
Current Edition Effective Date	The effective date of the current edition. Only appears if the effective date is different than the rule effective date.

Edit

To make changes for the current edition, click Edit For Current Edition.

Create an edition

Create an edition in a visualized product.

Before you begin

Set Product Design Mode to Designer or above.

About this task

By default, all product lines can define product model properties for the base product line in the edition named Base. When you use the Base edition, changes made to product model properties, such availability criteria or minimum or maximum values, are made in the base product line. For example, you have a user-entered limit that is a coverage term. You set the default minimum to 1,000 and maximum to 100,000 in the base edition.

If you add an edition, you can make changes to product model properties for that edition.

Procedure

Click the Editions tab.
Click Create Edition to create a new edition.
In the Add new Edition for popup, enter Edition Name, Description, and Effective Date.
Effective date must be unique. You cannot have two editions with the same effective date.
Click Update and Edit to add the edition and return to editing the edition.
By default, the newly created edition is the current edition and is highlighted in the table. The Product Definition screens display the product model properties for this edition.

Change product model properties in an edition

Before you begin

Set Product Design Mode to Designer or above.
Create an edition.

Procedure

On the Product Definition screen for a product line, click the Editions tab.
The tab displays the number of editions. If you have only the Base edition, the tab displays Editions (0).

In the list of editions, the current edition is highlighted. When you navigate to the tab in the Product Definition screen, they display the product model properties for the current edition.
To make another edition the current edition, select the check box, and click Use This Edition.
Make a change to a product model property for the current edition. For example, as of this edition, you want to increase the minimum limit to 5,000.
1. Go to the Fields tab.
2. Select Default Value for a field.
  On the Default Property popup, the box in the upper right contains information about the edition that you are viewing. Current Edition displays the name of the current edition. This field is hidden when working on the Base edition. See Edition property popup for more information.
3. To make a change, click Edit For Current Edition.
  You can now add or change the default value, and add or change conditional exceptions.
4. Click OK to save your changes.
  The changes you made are part of the current edition.

Delete an edition

Before you begin

Set Product Design Mode to Designer or above.

Procedure

Go to the Product Definition screen for a product, and click Edit Product.
Select the Editions tab.
In the list of editions, the current edition is highlighted. The Product Definition screens display the product model properties for the current edition.
Select the check box for the edition you want to delete.
The Delete button is enabled. You can delete any edition except for the Base edition.
Click Delete.