Transforming Your Sales Pipeline with Configured Software

1. Transforming Your Sales Pipeline with Configured Software =========================================== The CPQ (configure, price, quote) software market is expected to grow by $1.14 billion during 2020-2024. That’s astonishing growth. But it’s little wonder when you consider how much easier well-configured CPQ makes the sales process for manufacturers of complex, customizable products. Carefully configured CPQ software contains product and pricing rules. These rules guide sales reps, step-by-step, towards product configurations that are optimized flawlessly for customer satisfaction, profitability, and engineering efficiency. And once product configuration is finalized, CPQ automatically generates the sales and engineering documents needed to get a deal over the line. In short, CPQ is configured software that makes customizing complex products from vast catalogs a straightforward and painless process. Keep reading to learn more about the benefits of integrating CPQ with B2B eCommerce software and how dynamic quoting and manufacturing visualization shortens sales cycles. Start moving more customers through your sales pipeline. Integrate Configured CPQ with B2B eCommerce Software B2B eCommerce is rapidly becoming the channel of choice for today’s B2B buyer. We’re living in a post-covid world. Remote work has become the norm in many industries. Manufacturers need to interact with customers from anywhere, through any device. Manufacturers investing in B2B eCommerce can maximize ROI by integrating cleverly- configured CPQ software into their websites. With CPQ, manufacturers can blend the traditional with the digital. They can demonstrate product specifications visually and call up instant pricing. B2B eCommerce with integrated CPQ makes life easier for customers who can browse and buy independently, without any sales or engineering input. But it’s a game-changer for sales reps too. They benefit from configured rules and a pre-defined step-by-step sales process that simplifies the sales process. Here are just a few of the benefits of configured CPQ software and B2B eCommerce: Self-service Customers can configure products themselves, view accurate prices that update automatically in response to changes, and place orders. Such convenience empowers customers to make informed purchase decisions without having to consult a sales rep. Quotes are provided instantly. And sales staff are free to focus on what they do best– selling–rather than formatting and number-crunching. Better-Equipped Sales Reps When you have an extensive product catalog with hundreds of options and dependencies, it’s tough for sales reps to stay on top of all of them. B2B eCommerce software with integrated CPQ gives sales professionals instant access to the information they need to provide outstanding customer service. Training new hires and faster and more cost- effective.

2. Up-To-Date Inventory B2B eCommerce software (with potential ERP integration) tracks inventory, so you’re always up-to-date. Never again will you have to make the dreaded “call of shame” to a customer who has paid for goods that (it transpires later) don’t actually exist... yet. The software alerts sales reps to materials shortages and other circumstances that can lead to product delivery delays. This way, they can duly inform customers and manage expectations, reducing complaints and potential penalties. Fewer Errors Product and pricing rules prevent mistakes. Compatibility and suitability issues are eliminated. Automated quoting and order processing leave little room for the human error inherent in manual data entry. More Sales Manufacturers can tap into customer segments that prefer to browse and buy online. With computer-generated product rendering, buyers can “see” products before purchase. They don’t have to imagine what finished products will look like based on generic product images. Improved Customer Experience Integrations with tools like Salesforce make it easy to manage the entire customer relationship from the first contact to after-sales support. You can offer an exceptional, highly personalized customer experience. Happier Sales Staff Any B2B eCommerce solution worth its salt automates tedious manual tasks that dominate a sales rep’s working life. This automation frees reps up to focus on more engaging work like nurturing relationships with prospects. Better Reporting Configured software generates a large volume of data and uses it to create detailed sales reports and customer profiles. Data analysis accelerates agility and enables better- informed decision-making. Streamline Sales With Dynamic Quoting Software Selling complicated products with multiple possible configurations doesn’t have to involve endless back-and-forth regarding pricing. Properly configured CPQ software calculates prices in real-time, slashing quote time down from days to milliseconds. Never again will a potential customer accept a quote from your competitor while they wait for you to respond. Product and pricing rules validate configurations up-front. Your sales team doesn’t have to consult engineering several times before arriving at the correct price. No matter how complex your product catalog or pricing structure, the rules enforced by quoting software guarantees that any member of your team can offer each customer an accurate quote, taking factors like discounts and limited-time promotions into account. How to Choose the Best Manufacturing Visualization Software If you want to persuade buyers to purchase your products, you need to do more than “tell” them why your products are the best on the market; you need to “show” them. Seeing is believing. And a buyer that doesn’t believe doesn’t buy.

3. When choosing the best manufacturing visualization software for your business, you need to consider whether a standalone system or a visual CPQ solution will provide the most significant impact. A visual CPQ like KBMax features a 3D product configurator that sales reps and end- customers can use to build out products visually on-screen. Users can drag and drop to change colors, dimensions, features, and parts–the possibilities are endless. Product rules ensure that only technically viable configurations make their way downstream to engineering and production teams. And CAD and design automation unblock bottlenecks. Regardless of whether you go down the standalone or CPQ route, here are some questions to ask yourself when comparing your manufacturing visualization software options: Is the Interface User-Friendly? When comparing software, optimize for usability. It has to be easy to implement and maintain. Can non-technical users set up the product and pricing rules that drive sales automation? Can It Be Embedded into Your Website? Does the solution you’re considering allow embedding? Can customers configure products, get immediate quotes, and place orders themselves? Having this capability can save your sales team a lot of work and boost conversions. What Are the Manufacturing Visualization Display Capabilities? How good are the display capabilities of the visualization software you’re evaluating? Does it only show schematics, or can customers view the product in 3D as well as 2D? Does it offer immersive visualization capabilities like AR or VR that allow customers to interact with your products as they would in real life? Does the Software Offer Dynamic Pricing? Can the SaaS product you have in mind adjust prices in real-time as users change product specifications? Is the Software Capable of Automating Design and Production Workflow Specifications? Will you be able to automate your CAD design, BOM generation, cut sheets, production workflows, and inventory management using this software? What Kinds of Software Integrations Are Possible? Does the solution you’re considering offer robust integration capabilities that allow you to integrate your existing and future business tools and systems? How Customizable Is the Solution? If your business has unique needs, will the SaaS supplier you’re considering pull out all the stops to ensure that their solution perfectly meets your needs? Does It Fit Your Budget? How is the software’s pricing structured, and is it within your budget? Do the features justify the cost? What kind of return on investment does the solution report? And what kind of evidence does it offer to support this?

4. What Kind of Training, Resources, and Support Is Available? What’s the solution’s onboarding process? Does it offer robust educational materials and support to let you hit the ground running? What Are Customers Saying? Look at the reviews and testimonials left by previous customers. Were they satisfied? Did the software perform as advertised?