B2B Solutions: Online configurators: digitize sales, reduce errors, get orders faster
Many B2B companies sell complex, multi-variant products. Advice and individual quotations are mandatory – and resource-intensive at the same time. Online configurators can close a gap here: they make product logics visible, guide customers safely through decisions and directly generate correct results for quotations, prices and delivery times. Properly integrated into the system landscape, configurators are more than just front-end features: they digitize central sales processes, relieve sales teams of routine tasks, minimize errors and open up self-service options that meet the expectations of young buyers in particular. The result: fewer correction loops, faster quotation preparation and a better basis for reliable orders – in the online store, in the customer portal and in the field.
Why B2B sales reach their limits without an online configurator
In many companies, product knowledge and pricing logic depend on individual experts. Without digital support, the wide range of variants quickly leads to lengthy queries, errors in the specification and time-consuming reworking – especially if data – for example from ERP, PIM, CAD and the store – has to be merged manually. Added to this is the pressure of expectations on the customer side: purchasing processes should be transparent, available at all times and self-explanatory. Traditional PDF lists and analog sales processes cannot achieve this.
In addition, sales staff spend a considerable amount of their time on repetitive tasks. Checking configurations, calculating prices, generating parts lists, compiling documents. Media disruptions slow down the preparation of quotations, increase the error rate and prevent a consistent customer experience across all touchpoints. Excel logic reaches its limits when it comes to complex dependencies (e.g. series, options, safety requirements). This results in long sales cycles, unclear responsibilities for product logic and an unnecessarily high workload in sales.
Solutions & opportunities: How online configurators create added value
Sales digitization & relief for employees
A modern online configurator is a digital sales tool that scales knowledge. Constraints, guiding questions and preconfigured sets guide you safely through variants and exclude invalid combinations. Complete results are generated in real time: Prices taking into account individual conditions, valid parts lists, accompanying documents and – if desired – initial CAD/3D artifacts. Quotation and order documents are generated automatically so that sales teams can concentrate on qualified advice and closing.
Configurators offer an excellent tool for the field service on a tablet or laptop. Products can be configured live in meetings, and versions can be saved and approved. This pays off twice over in hybrid sales models: Customers can carry out preliminary work in self-service, while the sales department takes care of the qualifying detailed configuration. This reduces the coordination effort and handovers to engineering, purchasing or production are clearly documented.
Error minimization through logic, data & visualization
Errors often occur at interfaces. This is why the integration of configurator, PIM and ERP is crucial. The configurator accesses maintained product information, rules and prices, validates entries and prevents contradictory specifications. 2D/3D visualizations create security for the customer and reduce queries. If required, technical checks (e.g. dimensions, standards, safety classes) can be automatically taken into account.
Self-service for customers & efficiency along the customer journey
Online configurators give customers 24/7 access to complex products – in the store, in the portal or embedded in a DXP. Functions such as project folders, approval workflows, requests from the configuration and reusable templates speed up the purchasing process. Prices, delivery times and technical data are transparent. Shopping baskets and offers can be shared, commented on and versioned.
On the supplier side, there are efficiency gains across the entire chain: less manual data entry, faster quotation creation, higher probability of completion and uniform data for analytics. All in all, configurators increase the conversion rate and reduce process costs - without replacing personal advice, but by providing targeted support.
Measurable success and continuous optimization
A digital spare parts store offers companies the opportunity to continuously measure and optimize the success of the new sales strategy. Important key performance indicators (KPIs) such as search-to-cart time, returns rate, self-service rate and customer satisfaction can be measured and used to continuously develop the store.
Data analysis enables companies to react quickly to market changes and adapt their sales strategy. The customer experience can also be continuously optimized to make the entire sales process even more efficient.
Conclusion
Online configurators can be a central component of sales digitization in B2B. They reduce the workload of sales staff by scaling knowledge and automating routines. They minimize errors through valid logic and up-to-date data. And they create the self-service experiences that buyers expect – with tangible efficiency gains from initial consultation to production. A clean database (PIM), integration with ERP/CRM/shop and a UX design that explains complexity without being overwhelming are crucial for success. Laying these foundations shortens sales cycles, improves the quality of orders and creates the basis for scalable growth – in the online store, in field sales and in service.
About the author
Christian Schilling is the director of the business unit Complex Productsand leads the development of configuratorware, a configuration software program. He has nearly two decades of experience in digitalization, automation, and software development.
