Products are more configurable than ever, and manufacturers are expected to deliver that customization at production speed and cost. Configure-to-order doesn’t get difficult because a product is configurable. It gets difficult when the configuration process isn’t governed, when sales, engineering, and production are each working from their own version of the truth.

This white paper lays out the Buyer-Centric Smart Factory: an operating model built on one governed product definition that connects sales, engineering, and the production floor around one source of truth. This new operating model works alongside your current systems, making it easier to deliver custom-fit products at scale with the same predictability as a standard one.

In this white paper, you’ll discover:

• Why your complexity isn’t actually the problem, and what is
• How to move from three disconnected product definitions to one governed product model everyone works from
• What it takes to scale configure-to-order without scaling margin risk
• The digital thread that connects configuration, quoting, fulfillment, and aftermarket service
• How to align each Bill of Material across the product and manufacturing lifecycle
• How a governed product model changes what’s possible with AI and business intelligence

Manufacturers who have embraced digital transformation and AI are seeing measurable success—reporting up to a 48% increase in growth. But for those who hesitate, the gap between industry leaders and laggards is growing fast. 

At Tacton, we empower manufacturers to fast-track their digital transformation journey with cutting-edge CPQ solutions. In our latest eBook, Top Manufacturing Insights for 2025: Innovation, AI, and the Rise of the Digital Buyer, we explore key trends that reshaped the industry this year and offer strategies to stay competitive.

Download now to discover:  

• Why digital transformation is essential, not optional
• How AI is redefining manufacturing operations
• The rise of the digital-first buyer and how to meet them where they are

AI is changing more than how manufacturers build. It’s changing how they sell. 

As manufacturers extend AI across the smart factory, AI-powered CPQ and buyer engagement will play a central role in both front-end and back-end operations. Yet many teams still evaluate CPQ platforms through a feature checklist, looking for AI “features” without rethinking how CPQ can ultimately function in an AI-enabled organization.

This guide explores how AI is reshaping CPQ from a quoting tool into a source of strategic intelligence, as well as how it’s helping manufacturers improve how they attract buyers, optimize performance, accelerate ROI, and align departments around a shared data foundation.

In this guide, you’ll learn:

• How traditional CPQ strategies will change in the age of AI

• Where manufacturers will see emerging value, from automated product modeling to intelligent, contextual selling

• How AI impacts the way that teams think about CPQ’s role in their function

• What to consider when building a CPQ strategy that supports long-term AI goals

By 2030, 1 in 6 people worldwide will be aged 60 or over, according to the World Health Organization. For manufacturers, this signals a critical workforce shift happening just as competition, complexity, and customer expectations hit new highs.

If your sales process still relies on tribal knowledge and manual workflows, you’re putting revenue at risk and limiting your ability to adapt as expertise retires or leaves.

How can manufacturers capture expert knowledge within their sales process, accelerate onboarding, and empower teams to sell smarter with less technical support?

In this eBook, you’ll learn how to:

• Protect Your Business: Understand how the shifting workforce impacts profitability and long-term growth.
• Shift Your Sales Mindset: Move from engineer-dependent to scalable, repeatable selling.
• Scale Expertise with CPQ: Embed product and pricing logic to boost speed and accuracy.
• Simplify with Guided Selling: Help new hires and non-technical buyers configure with confidence.
• Manage Change and Risk: Avoid adoption pitfalls and choose a future-ready solution.

Build a sales process that’s ready for anything.

Download the eBook now!

In a rapidly evolving landscape, buyers of industrial manufacturing products are rethinking how they engage with sellers. They demand collaboration, expertise, and solutions tailored to their unique needs, and with 80% of B2B sales interactions now happening digitally, adopting a buyer-centric digital sales model is essential.  

Without adapting to these changes, your products and brand risk being eliminated from consideration before a face-to-face meeting even happens. So, how can manufacturers transform their buyer journey into one that’s more engaged, consultative, and solutions-focused? 

In this eBook, we discuss: 

• The Changing Buyer Process: How buyer expectations have evolved and what it means for manufacturers. 
• The New Differentiators: Why expertise, collaboration, and agility are the key to standing out in a commoditized market. 
• The Role of CPQ: How Configure Price Quote (CPQ) solutions empower manufacturers to deliver buyer-centric experiences that win. 
• Choosing the Right CPQ Partner: What to look for when building your next-generation buyer engagement strategy. 

It’s time to rethink your buyer journey and adapt to the new era of manufacturing sales. 

Download the eBook now!

The manufacturing is undergoing a seismic shift, driven by a confluence of technological advancements, changing market dynamics and the evolving expectations of a new generation of buyers.

The days of relying on traditional, relationship-driven sales approaches are rapidly fading as digital transformation reshapes the B2B landscape. Manufacturers now find themselves navigating a complex environment where speed, agility and customer-centricity are no long optional, they are imperative for survival and growth.

Today’s buyers are more informed about products and companies they want to purchase from. Over 80% of the buying process now occurs without engaging a vendor, it was 67% just three years ago (Gartner). These new customers also want the same exciting and personalized experience they encounter in the B2C world.

Discover how Configure, Price, Quote (CPQ) software is helping manufacturers achieve a fast and flawless customer experience in our latest eBook, Keeping up with the New Manufacturing Buyer! In this comprehensive guide we discuss what buyers want and how manufacturers can provide a new and exciting journey for faster sales.

Unlock the Power of Digital Sales Transformation 

Download this guide to unlock:

• Insider Insights: Gain access to expert advice and industry best practices from leaders in heavy and specialty vehicle manufacturing.
• Transformation Roadmap: Learn how to navigate the digital landscape and implement transformative strategies to drive efficiency and innovation in your manufacturing operations.
• Case Studies: Explore real-world examples of successful digital transformations within the heavy and specialty vehicle manufacturing sector.
• Actionable Tips: Get practical tips and actionable steps to kickstart your digital sales transformation journey and stay ahead of the competition.

Uncertain economic forecasts are searching for ways to develop recession-proof operations

The forecasts that will be outlined shortly have led manufacturers to begin investing in strategic areas to withstand an uncertain 2023. In all areas of manufacturing companies are trying to optimize and automate processes from sales to the supply chain.

These investments will define how manufacturers work during the upcoming years. Leveraging the right solutions will be critical to succeeding with less demand and more options than ever for customers.

Let’s take a deeper look at how manufacturers can prepare for a recession, then look where they are putting their resources and investments to deal with these challenges.

Visualization is key for companies looking to improve their customer experience. According to Gartner, 41% of manufacturers use visual configuration, and companies that implement visual configuration solutions see significant improvement in their deal win rate, lower costs for drafting design files (e.g. CAD), less rework in the factory and lower carrying costs for samples at retail locations.

Download this e-book to learn how this visual configuration is helping shape your sales, customer experience, and more!

For the third year in a row Tacton has conducted a survey of leading manufacturers to better understand their priorities, pain-points and initiatives they will take in 2023 to better serve their customers. There were 200 survey respondents from North America and Europe. 74% of respondents were at the managerial or executive level. Results from the survey show that:

74% of the respondents noted the importance of digital transformation to achieve their business goals in the coming year

32% of respondents are accelerating digital transformation due to a looming recession

63% of respondents think sustainability is very or extremely important

These are just some of the initiatives manufacturers are taking on in 2023. Download the full eBook to better understand the current trends across the manufacturing industry.

The promise of subscription services for manufacturers has become more of a reality in the past few years. So how are leading manufacturers starting their journey to offering subscriptions to their products? From beginning to end we’ve got you covered in our step-by-step guide to servitization.

Learn more about potential roadblocks, opportunities, and examples from leading manufacturers in our eBook, Servitization: A Step-by-Step Guide for Manufacturers

Many IT & functional leaders have limited upfront information on measuring the value of their sales transformation and quote-to-cash software implementation initiatives. The common question across these leading manufacturers isn’t about whether or not to explore this further, but rather, how do you start?

That’s why at Tacton we’ve developed a collaborative and trusted method to demonstrate the value tools such as Configure-Price-Quote (CPQ) can bring to an organization.

In our latest eBook, “Customer Value Assessment: A results based approach to digital sales transformation”, we discuss discrete examples of potential value that manufacturers can realize with Tacton CPQ!