Illustrative process diagram. It contains no live customer data or automatically executed action.
01
Agree what the product or service actually includes
Two people can use the same service name while describing different work. Establish what the customer receives and which activities require separate evaluation. The description should help a colleague select the right item, not simply repeat a promotional sentence. Include an understandable scope and delivery context. Avoid renaming the same service for every customer if a reusable definition exists. Keep the common core in the catalog and evaluate customer-specific differences in the quote. Make the boundary between those layers explicit for the team.
02
Make categories useful for finding the right record
Organize categories around how users search and choose, not just internal department names. Keeping the same service in several places can create conflicting versions. A very broad category may leave an unmanageable list; an overly detailed structure can make selection difficult too. Begin with representative products and test the naming rules with the people preparing quotes. Explain changes to existing names. Assign an owner for catalog maintenance so that similar entries do not multiply whenever a colleague cannot find the current record.
03
Keep price information in context
State the unit or scope to which a price applies. A one-off service and an ongoing service should not share an ambiguous description. Check currency and customer-specific terms before treating a catalog amount as the final quote total. If a service depends on a needs discussion, do not present an unresolved price as universally fixed. The catalog stores reusable product information; the quote states the work and terms offered to one customer. That distinction is important when comparing similar items or preparing a variation of an existing service.
04
Review an illustrative maintenance service
Imagine a catalog item called website maintenance. The description should explain the activities considered within scope and the work that needs a separate discussion. The customer’s period, needs and terms are then assessed when preparing the quote. If one customer needs an additional activity, changing the shared catalog definition for everyone may be inappropriate. Evaluate that difference in the quote scope instead. This example makes no price or delivery commitment. Its purpose is to show how a reusable service definition and a specific customer offer can coexist without becoming the same record.
05
Treat the catalog as maintained working information
Check for an existing item before creating another one. Discuss how updates affect the people preparing quotes. Start with frequently used services rather than trying to perfect every possible record immediately. Hubz presents product and service catalog management within Professional and Business together with quote and contract workflows. This should not be read as a promise of warehouse, stock-control or full accounting capabilities. If those functions are required, discuss the available features separately. Good catalog information makes the commercial conversation clearer without replacing every other business system.
06
Try it with your team
Choose three frequently offered services and ask two colleagues to explain what each includes. Compare differences in delivery scope, unit, additional work and price context. Improve the reusable description where the explanations diverge. Then prepare an illustrative customer quote and identify which information comes from the catalog and which belongs to the particular offer. Keep the shared definition stable where appropriate. Use the same exercise to decide who can create new items and who maintains existing ones, so uncertainty does not lead to duplicate catalog entries.
PUT IT INTO PRACTICE
Check before you begin.
- Agree consistent product and service names.
- Describe the actual scope.
- Test categories with catalog users.
- Check the pricing unit and currency.
- Evaluate customer-specific terms in the quote.
Use one of your team’s current customer records to work through this checklist. Assign a person to each step and agree what a completed step looks like. For example, a follow-up task needs an owner and a date; a quote line needs the right item, quantity and currency. If information is missing, check the original record or ask the colleague responsible. Try the process with a small group, then adjust it based on the questions they raise.
Frequently asked questions
Can a catalog include services as well as products? +
Yes. A catalog can describe a service by its name, deliverables and pricing basis, just as it describes a product.
Does a product catalog imply stock management? +
No. Catalog information, inventory operations and accounting functions are different capabilities. Review the detailed Hubz module guide for the available features.
By Hubz Editorial Team. Prepared with AI assistance and aligned with source-backed Hubz product descriptions. Examples are illustrative, not customer outcomes, independent research or personalized advice. Read our editorial policy to understand how product scope and explanatory examples are distinguished.
Read our editorial approach ↗
