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Maximize Search Results with Product Finder

Learn how to best narrow down product results by refining your search requirements efficiently.

Ni Nguyen avatar
Written by Ni Nguyen
Updated over a month ago

Attributes Best Practices:

Acceptable Manufacturers: The fewer manufacturers listed, the faster the search. Spending the time to refine the list at this stage is worthwhile, especially for jobs that only accept alternates from specific manufacturers. Pro-tip - list only the manufacturers already present on the job to minimize the amount of complexity for the job. If you need help setting up your preferred manufacturers, please refer to this article.

Other Attributes:

  • Enter all the acceptable values for the relevant attributes.

  • 🔐 We may suggest results that are best matches overall, but that may not match every attribute left unlocked, for hard requirements, use the attribute lock to return results strictly matching your input for a certain attribute.

Additional Criteria Best Practices:

For best results, use the attributes and the additional criteria free text search in combination. Here's how to best leverage our additional criteria free search functionality:

  • Avoid filler words
    (e.g. “I am looking for…”, “I want to find…”)

  • Separate multiple context search requirements with commas
    (e.g. black trim, round shape, 2’)

  • Experiment with various combinations based on the characters
    (e.g. 2’x2’ or 2x2 or 2 x 2)

  • The more relevant context provided, the better. More information will not decrease the importance of the rest of your search, it will only supplement it and help get more relevant results.

Use Case Best Practices:

Use Case

Best Practice

✅ Correct

❌ Incorrect

Narrow down the range of products

Avoid conflicting entries between values listed under the attributes and under the additional criteria field.

Product Type: Panel/Troffer

Additional Criteria: Flat Panel

Lumens: 100-500 lumens

Additional Criteria: 800 lumens

Additional product attributes not currently supported by the preset attributes (e.g. aesthetics, dimensions)

Product Type: Panel/Troffer

Additional Criteria: 2x2, bronze finish, UL listed

Product Type: -

Additional Criteria: Panel/Troffer

Additional values that currently aren't supported in preset attributes

Leave the specific attribute empty if it's similar with your free text search value

Product Type: -

Additional Criteria: Sports Lighting

Image Recognition

This feature on the Product Finder will extract images on the source datasheet to help accurately provide alternate suggestions that aligns with the image. Watch the quick minute video below to see how image recognition works:

Already know which product you are looking for?

Upload your alternate item's datasheet and with our product suggestions based on usage, train Parspec to populate your previous selections (along with your teams' selections) each time you cross that original product. Click "View Similar Searches" for more information as to which project or branch location selected that alternate.

Screenshot 2024-06-13 153747_step1

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