Tag Archive | Configuration Project
Beyond the manufacturing boundaries, the future of CPQ
Increasing your overall cart revenue when selling an online insurance policy, reducing churn in the telecommunications industry, and building a quote for a potential client in the middle of nowhere: three different challenges, three different industries, one single solution – A Next Gen Configure Price Quote Solution.
While it is true that configure, price, quote (CPQ) technology was born in the manufacturing industry, today’s CPQ market has evolved and now encompasses other verticals such as the telecommunications, insurance and financial service industries.
Build vs Buy
“To build or not to build, that is the question!” That may not be an exact quote from Shakespeare, but it definitely brings up a very important point when deciding to implement a CPQ. Not all companies are equals, but depending on the industry or the size of the organization, the temptation to build an in-house CPQ might be strong.
Risk Number 10: Not Planning for User Acceptance of the New Product Configuration Processes
We all procrastinate sometimes, but waiting until late in the implementation cycle to plan user acceptance will only exacerbate the risks, already cited in our previous posts. Scrambling at the last minute in reaction to user sensitive problems may trigger even more resistance: fear of excessive work pressure and loss of control at the time of “going live.” In this unfortunate circumstance, the possible rewards of the new processes may no longer appear adequate or satisfying.
Risk Number 9: Not Adequately Defining New Processes for Maintaining and Publishing Models
In complex product-based companies, which face blistering competition in today’s marketplace, constant change is expected, usually at lightning speed and driven by customer demands.
Risk Number 8: Inadequate Testing of the Configurable Product Model
One of the biggest risks in product modeling is to have customers find errors in the product models after the models ”go live”. This type of mistake may not only result in an immediate lost sale, but also negatively impact your entire brand image as customers do not trust brands that make this type of mistake.