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How to configure Product Groups

Learn how to configure product groups to control pricing, availability, and booking rules in Lavanda PMS.

Written by Carlos

This article is for PBSA operators who have already created a product group and need to configure it for sale. Configuration is where you define what is being sold, at what price, and under which rules.

Each product group must be fully configured before it can be used to generate sellable products.

Case scenarios

You will configure product groups when:

  • Setting pricing for different unit types

  • Allocating inventory to specific offers

  • Defining booking rules and expiry timers

  • Assigning payment plans

  • Attaching additional services to bookings

Pre-requisites

Before configuring a product group:

  • A product group must already be created

  • Units and unit types must exist

  • Instalment plans must be set up

  • Services (if used) must be configured

Note: Only users with the Admin user role can create, configure, edit, or activate product groups.

How to configure or edit a product group

Video walkthrough

Step-by-step

Open the product group for editing

  1. From the main menu, go to Inventory.

  2. Select Product groups.

  3. Find the product group you want to configure.

  4. Click the three dots (⋯) next to the product group.

  5. Select Edit.

You will now enter the product group configuration view. Creating a product group involves six configuration steps. Each step controls a different aspect of how your inventory is sold.

1. Product group configuration

This step defines the core structure and selling rules.

Video walkthrough

Step-by-step

  • Enter an internal reference name.
    This is used internally for operational consistency, reporting, and management.

  • Add a marketing title.
    This is the customer-facing product name shown during the booking experience.

    Marketing titles support:

    • Localisation across different languages

    • Flexible branding and merchandising

    • Market-specific naming conventions

  • Select a language for the marketing title.

  • Enter the translated marketing name.

  • Click Add translation to add additional localised versions.

Example:

  • Internal reference: AY 2027 Ensuite DL

  • English marketing title: Classic Ensuite – Academic Year

  • Spanish marketing title: Habitación Ensuite Clásica – Año Académico

  • Add tags (optional) to support reporting and segmentation.

  • Select the relevant student segment.

  • Select the academic year, which can auto-fill dates.

  • Set the earliest start date and end date (contract window).

  • Define a publishing window:

    • Start publishing on

    • Publish until

  • Choose how the product is sold:

    • Direct to students

    • Under a commercial agreement (restricts availability to a specific partner)

  • (Optional) Select a contract template.

Note: Marketing titles are customer-facing, while internal references are used for operational management.

Publishing windows are essential for promotions and time-limited offers.

2. Unit type allocation

This step defines what you are selling and at what price.

Video walkthrough

Step-by-step

  • Select relevant unit types (for example, Studio or Ensuite).

  • Choose a rate interval (weekly, monthly, nightly).

  • Enter a rate for each unit type.

  • Set a target allocation (maximum units available under this group).

  • (Optional) Define target occupancy (%) for reporting.

Note: The target set here limits how many units you can allocate in the next step.

3. Unit allocation

This step defines exactly which units are available for sale.

Video walkthrough

Step-by-step

  • Select specific units (rooms, beds, or apartments).

  • Use filters such as:

    • Unit type

    • Floor

  • Review the allocation summary panel to track:

    • Selected units vs target

    • Allocation per unit type

Note: You cannot exceed the target defined in the previous step.

4. Booking expiry timer

This controls how long a booking can remain tentative.

Video walkthrough

Step-by-step

  • Enable or disable the expiry timer.

  • Set a duration (for example, 30 minutes, 1 day).

Typical use cases:

  • Short timers for Direct Lets to maximise availability.

  • Longer timers for nomination or partner bookings.

Note: This timer only sets the initial state. It may extend during the booking process and only affects future bookings.

5. Instalment plans

This step controls how customers can pay.

Video walkthrough

Step-by-step

  • Select applicable instalment plan templates.

  • These are pre-configured elsewhere in the system.

Examples:

  • Full payment upfront

  • Monthly or termly instalments

  • Plans requiring a guarantor

6. Product services

This step allows you to attach additional services to the product.

Video walkthrough

Step-by-step

  • Select services configured at building level.

  • Define each as:

    • Included (mandatory and added to booking cost)

    • Offered (optional add-on during booking)

Note: Services are priced separately from accommodation and added during booking.

Your product group will not be available for booking until it is set to Active.

After completing configuration, follow the steps below to activate it.

How to set a product group to active/inactive

Video walkthrough

Step-by-step

Once you have finished configuring the product group, you need to set it to Active before it can be made available for booking.

  1. Go to Inventory.

  2. Select Product groups.

  3. Find the product group you have just configured.

  4. Click the three dots (⋯) next to the product group.

  5. Select Set to active.

  6. Confirm the product group status has changed to Active in the product group list.

Note: A product group should only be set to active once its pricing, unit allocation, booking rules, instalment plans, and services have been reviewed.

Governing behaviour: configuration snapshotting

Once a booking is made, the system takes a snapshot of the product configuration at that point in time.

This means:

  • Changes made to the product group will not affect existing bookings

  • Updates only apply to future bookings

This includes changes to:

  • Pricing and rates

  • Unit type allocation

  • Unit allocation

  • Booking expiry timer

  • Instalment plans

  • Product services

Note: This ensures pricing and booking conditions remain consistent for customers who have already booked.

Important things to note

  • Product groups are the source of availability in the system.

  • Products are the sellable outputs created from those groups.

  • A single unit can belong to multiple product groups.

  • Targets limit allocation but do not enforce sales caps beyond availability.

  • Target occupancy is for reporting only.

  • Publishing windows control when inventory is visible, not when it exists.

  • Booking expiry timers prevent inventory from being locked in incomplete bookings.

  • Commercial agreements restrict access to specific inventory pools.

What’s coming next

The following enhancements are planned to improve product group management:

  • Ability to duplicate product groups to speed up setup.

  • Options to archive or delete product groups.

  • Improved search and sorting within the product group list.

  • Enhanced unit allocation filtering (for example, hiding specific unit types).

  • Introduction of derived product groups, allowing you to:

    • Create new groups based on existing ones

    • Inherit or dynamically adjust pricing (for example, percentage changes)

    • Link related products (for example, short stays derived from long-stay pricing)

Stay tuned: This guide will be updated as new functionality is released.

Related articles

Configuring a product group is where your inventory becomes sellable. By defining pricing, allocation, and booking rules, you control how your products appear and behave in the booking flow.

A well-configured product group ensures accurate availability, consistent pricing, and a smooth booking experience.

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