CPQ and product configurators for manufacturing approach
Efficient sales of complex products
From standard to customised production: CPQ solutions for your production strategy
PTO | STO | CTO | ATO | MTO | ETO
CPQ (Configure Price Quote) – Software and product configurators support the sales process for complex products. These configurators and the options they offer are described in detail in the product configuration software and presented in a clear and customer-friendly manner, so that sales staff and customers can find the product they want or the right solution in a guided selling process. Product configurators or CPQ solutions differ in terms of aims and the scope of solutions. ORISA offers the right solution for every application scenario with CREALIS® CPQ standard software. Product configurators face various challenges, depending on the industry in question or the level of complexity of the products.
The link between sales and production
One way of looking at how configurators are used is to consider the link between sales and production. When products are simply selected independently of one another, we refer to a pick-to-order (PTO) or select-to-order (STO) approach. Configurations are not used here and the process simply involves selection.
Complex dependencies and combinations
The process of combining and configuring products is referred to as configure-to-order (CTO) or assemble-to-order (ATO), depending on the extent of the variance between the individual parts and assemblies to be used and the complexity of their dependencies. The product configurator and CPQ software are the key tools here. The components of the products are selected depending on one another and a specific combinational analysis (relationship-based logic) applies, stored in the CPQ software with rules and constraints. Only technically feasible, buildable combinations can be configured. As a special type of CTO task, make-to-order (MTO) requires less design effort. More complex dependencies exist between the individual components. Production takes place according to demand.
Production to batch size
CPQ software needs to meet particular challenges in the area of engineer-to-order (ETO). Because they are not standard, products are extremely complex and cannot be produced in an automated manufacturing process. Although the products are pre-designed in technological terms, some/many aspects of their implementation depend entirely on customer requirements. Production here can involve batches as small as a single product. CREALIS® CPQ supports the requirement descriptions typically encountered in sales, as well as intelligent approval processes for representing the necessary workflow steps. Different people can work on a component within these workflow steps and approval processes for new components can be incorporated.