Sales configurator: master sales challenges & configure products easily
Join us as we take Mr. Offerexpert through a typical working day – and experience first-hand the challenges that sales employees face on a day-to-day basis.
Admittedly, Mr. Offerexpert is a fictional character. However, his challenges are real and reflect the problems that many companies face when selling complex products and services.
Learn from his experience and discover how sales configurator software helps Mr. Offer Expert to make his sales more efficient and successful. And find out how you too can benefit from these advantages for your company.
Do you know Mr. Offerexpert?
Mr. Offerexpert, an experienced sales employee at a manufacturer of individual motorcycles, groans inwardly. Once again, he is drowning in the chaos of catalogs, price lists and quotation templates. He has just received an inquiry from a customer who wants to put together a complex motorcycle. Height-adjustable handlebars, ergonomic seats, special edition luggage racks – the requirements are high. While he discusses the details with the customer, he juggles with folders and digital documents, frantically searching for the right components and prices.
Chaos in the quotation process
As soon as he hangs up, the next inquiry comes in: a renowned motorcycle rental company needs several machines, but with individual customizations. Different models, different colors, paint jobs, plus various accessories. He would need the expertise of a colleague for a special customization – but he is out on a test ride. He fights his way through product descriptions and Excel lists, but the information he needs cannot be found. The offer has to wait.
Susceptibility to errors and frustration
In the afternoon, the next setback: a customer complains about an incorrect price in an offer. Mr. Quotation Expert painstakingly searches for and corrects the error. But that’s not all: the production department reports that the motorcycle he sold two weeks ago cannot be produced in this way! There had been changes in production that he had missed. Frustrated, Mr. Quotation Expert wonders how much longer he can put up with this stress.
Sales configurator: The solution for complex products
Does this sound familiar to you? Perhaps not so extreme, perhaps you have not experienced all situations before. Nevertheless, the challenges in selling complex products are omnipresent:
Knowledge management
- Fragmented information: Product information and know-how are often scattered – in folders, digital files, emails and in the heads of individual employees.
- Knowledge gaps: Outdated data, outdated prices and missing information lead to errors and delays.
- Local know-how: Knowledge is often decentralized in the heads of individual sales employees and is lost when employees leave the company.
Inefficient processes
- Long quotation cycles: Manual processes, coordination rounds and a lack of information lead to long lead times.
- Resource commitment: The preparation of quotations ties up valuable resources in sales, product management and production.
- Susceptibility to errors: Manual processes increase the likelihood of errors in offers.
- Production errors: Inconsistent data between sales and production leads to problems in production.
Dissatisfied customers & employees
- Long waiting times: Customers have to wait a long time for offers and are annoyed by delays.
- Incorrect offers: Errors in offers lead to discrepancies and loss of trust.
- Administrative burden: Manual processes lead to frustration and overwork among employees.
- Loss of sales opportunities: Inefficient processes prevent sales staff from concentrating on customer acquisition and support.
Not just a problem for Mr. Offer Expert. The distribution of complex products is often time-consuming, tedious and error-prone.
SAE CPQ: Intelligent sales configurator
Digitization of knowledge
- All relevant information is bundled centrally in one system – product information, prices, configuration rules and regional features.
- The software digitally maps your products and services, including all configuration options, conditions and exclusions.
Support for sales staff
- The product configurator with intuitive user interfaces enables quick and easy configuration of complex products.
- You can only configure what is technically feasible – offers are always 100% correct.
- State-of-the-art technologies such as 3D configurations inspire your customers.
- Integrated analysis functions support your sales teams in planning and controlling, among other things.
Increase in customer satisfaction
- Fast and error-free quotations ensure satisfied customers.
- A modern and technological quotation process strengthens your image and your brand.
Relief for employees
- Coordination loops are reduced.
- Administrative activities are minimized.
- Employees gain time for customer service and strategic acquisition.
Digitalization of processes and simplification of the IT landscape
- Numerous systems such as ERP, CRM, PLM, … can be connected via standard interfaces.
- This simplifies your IT landscape with a fully integrated system.
- Processes run smoothly – right through to production.
With the Sales Configurator (SAE CPQ), you can achieve an end-to-end process, from the customer inquiry through to production. Preparing a quotation is a matter of minutes.
Source: SAE Research, empirical values / average values based on customer projects
Get even more out of it …
Add-ons for all your use cases
The SAE CPQ system adapts flexibly to your needs. With numerous add-ons, you can expand the functionality and create a customized solution for your sales department. Whether you want to inspire your customers with 3D configurations, optimize your workflows, analyze sales performance or configure offline – SAE CPQ offers the right add-on for every application.
