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Bridging the Department Gap with CPQ

Closing the department gap with CPQ is possible for manufacturers looking for a change

Fitting the pieces together at any office can be a daunting task, manufacturing is no exception. Many companies want to offer a harmonious buying process for their customers, but struggle to internally configure, price, and quote their products. Bridging the gaps between departments can be the difference between winning and losing deals. Let’s find out how Configure, Price, Quote (CPQ) software is helping manufacturers create a seamless sales process from marketing all the way through to the factory floor.  

It starts with generating high quality leads online 

If customers are starting their buying process researching online, traditional digital marketing tactics won’t suffice. In order to generate high-quality leads in manufacturing, it’s necessary to drive breakthrough customer experiences starting in the configuration process. 

The customer experience starts with researching product information, features, benefits, and vendors online. We have all heard ‘content is king, but it’s becoming more difficult to stand out amongst a crowded competitive field without giving an immersive customer experience. Meeting prospects in the search phase with excellent experience ensures you will be delivering high-quality leads to your sales organization. 

Once a prospect identifies their needs, it’s time for industrial manufacturers to reinvent their buying experience using CPQ with Visualization– all integrated into their website and internal systems. This enables a seamless buying experience across channels that connect customers directly to your brand. 

Powered by CPQ integrated into your web experience, anyone has the power to configure highly customized industrial manufacturing products based on their defined needs. Guided selling asks questions based on the customer’s requirements, building an optimized solution in real-time. When paired with a 3D visual configuration, the customer can see every change they make on their screen in real-time. 

Additionally, leading visualization capabilities include augmented reality (AR) for an even more immersive B2C-like experience. A powerful CPQ paired with 3D Visualization all but guarantees you are generating high-quality leads with low touch- all through your website. After all, when is the last time anyone comfortably made an eCommerce purchase without visuals? 

You’ve got a hot lead, now connect directly to your sales team 

From Salesforce to Microsoft Dynamics, CRM systems are the first step in creating a streamlined internal sales process. Connecting your CRM and CPQ systems will help keep leads warm by notifying the proper sales team member that a lead is interested in your product. This enables the sales team to know exactly what product configuration prospects have looked at, letting them tailor their sales pitch to the specific customer requirements. This is why it’s critical to bridge the department gap with CPQ 

CPQ enables your sales team to help configure products fast and accurately. In the past manufacturers have lost time, and eventually deals because they couldn’t create accurate products. Functions like pricing, engineering, and customer success all benefit from a single source of truth that ensures all configured products are buildable, priced correctly, and covered every stage of the product life cycle. 

In addition to selling just a standalone product, your sales team can offer subscriptions, bundles, and additions to the sales pitch that can help create recurring revenue for the business, and predictability for the customer.  

Now the sales pitch is moving forward, connect to the back of the business 

A difficult handoff for many manufacturers is from the sales staff to the engineering teams. In the past sales may have sold products that weren’t feasible, making life for engineers difficult, and causing a long back and forth between the teams. This would also lead the customer to have to wait longer for their product.  

A CPQ system that is built for complex manufacturing always ensures customers and scales are configuring a buildable product for the engineers. While this can ease stress and save time by eliminating back and forth technical exchanges, incorporating CAD automation into a CPQ can save even more time.  

When integrated with CPQ, CAD Automation quickly generates complex technical drawings engineers spend countless hours per year creating. A CPQ system ensures sales and engineering are always working together to deliver what the customer needs. With CAD Automation included, engineers are freed up to think big and innovate 

The final step order fulfillment  

You’ve made it this far, through the sales pitch, engineering the product, now it needs to come off the production line. This is where your ERP system is fed critical information from Tacton CPQ. The ERP system will then plan production, ensure delivery and send an invoice to the customer. This is a critical final step to finish a smooth and accurate process internally, for a better customer experience externally.  

Leverage your digitalization investments to bridge the department gap with CPQ 

Sales and Marketing use their investments to engage customers, manage relationships, and ensure they are acquiring relevant data. Engineering investments ensure they have proper product data, technical drawings with CAD, and have the proper information to manage the product life cycle. 

The factory makes investments to support the supply, execution, and efficiency of building products. The wealth of data across these investments is critical to internal efficiency and external customer experience. Placing a smart CPQ system at the center of your digital transformation is the most efficient strategy to build a technology stack that connects your end-to-end processes. Learn more by scheduling your demo


Michael Brassea

Michael Brassea