What is product configuration and is it always a world class endeavor? First, with Cincom Acquire you don’t have to worry about whether your product configuration is world class. Your products will be world class and that’s what really matters.

Product configuration is the process of defining and managing the product manufacturing process. It can as big or as small as your company needs it to be. Whether you have one product that needs configuring or multiple products with multiple product lines, the configuration process and guided selling process for complex manufacturers is a necessary one. Automating the processes that go into your guided selling and product configuration are a necessity in today’s marketplace. Many functions are so routine that you cannot leave them to chance. You will save money and increase ROI if you automate the processes and streamline the steps necessary to complete the product configuration process.

Essential functions of the product configuration process include design validation, pricing, order management, and document delivery. There’s no better tool for these functions than the Cincom Acquire product configurator. And when you use a world class software solution like that, you will have a world class product configuration process with world class products.

How many cost estimates does it take to manage a bid? No, it’s not a joke. Every organization is different.

Take airplanes, for instance. The manufacturing process for a single plane can take years. To assemble a plane, however, requires taking parts from more than one supplier. Besides having to consider what type of plane it is, size of the plane, etc., you must also consider which suppliers will be able to give you the best parts at the best price. You then have to transport those parts to your assembly team. Once the plane is manufactured you have to deliver it to your client. How many cost estimates will you need?

• You’ll need cost estimates from each supplier
• You’ll need cost estimates from the transportation company for each supplier’s products
• You’ll need cost estimates for transporting the finished plane to your client
• You’ll need cost estimates for the inspection and testing team
• You’ll need cost estimates for the body assembly team
• You’ll need cost estimates for the engine assembly team

The list can go on.

The point is this: When you are dealing with multiple suppliers and multiple products from each supplier, all of which have to be transported to you (many times, separately and at different times) and it is your job to centrally manage a complex manufacturing project - like an airplane - then you have a lot of cost estimates to deal with. You have to get those done before you can send a bid to your client for the complete project. How do you manage that process?

Want a solid answer? Consult with a bid management specialist. It’s no easy task.

Welcome to the Product Configurator Blog by Cincom. We have been doing business since 1968 and have been a sales and configuration process leader for most of that time. Our software solutions are the best in the industry and our customers can vouch for that. Our sales configuration software provides the following benefits:

• Opportunity management
• Customer needs analysis
• Guided selling and specification
• Product and service configuration
• Quotation and proposal management
• Proposal and document generation
• Rule-based pricing
• Detailed cost and margin analysis
• Order submission
• Workflow automation

We hope you’ll come back to the Product Configurator Blog and learn how you can streamline your manufacturing and sales processes to improve your company’s performance. Subscribe to our RSS feed and feel free to comment, ask questions, or leave feedback in the comments of our blog posts. Thanks.