When it comes to online buying, one of the most challenging prospects that marketing and sales departments face is the accurate communication of product specifications and features to an increasingly smart and quality-conscious customer base. This holds true for complex and configurable products.

Businesses understand that visual content plays a huge role in developing customer interest, keeping them engaged and encouraging them to buy a product. Hence, most manufacturers are now turning to visualization tools, particularly 3D visualization, to better market and quote their configurable products.

CPQ and 3D Visualization

Configure, Price, and Quote (CPQ) is used in the B2B selling space that helps manufacturers quote complex, configurable products. CPQ software is a great option to support online product configuration, as well as supporting pricing complexity based on configuration, sales channels, and customer-specific pricing. CPQ uses product and pricing rules to calculate an accurate quote for customers in a fraction of the time it would take a sales or service person to do the same.

Let us take the example of searching online for an industrial centrifugal pump that comes with various customizable options. A customer interested in buying this pump may opt for the basic version or, more likely, would like to add or remove some features.  They may choose to specify the seal type, fittings, housing, impeller reducer, finish and/or materials. A CPQ-enabled website allows the centrifugal pump’s price to update based on the individual selections in real time, offering the customer not only a more accurate quote, but also assisting with making a more informed buying decision in a seamless and efficient way.

Benefits of 3D Visualization with CPQ

Here is how fitting visualization software and CPQ into the sales process can benefit manufacturers:

Dimensioned Drawings

Adding visualization to CPQ allows quotes to include 3D renderings and dimensioned drawings of a configured product that are automatically generated. This reduces potential delays as there is no need to wait for someone from engineering to complete the drawing, speeding up both the quoting and manufacturing processes once the quote converts to an order.

Downloadable CAD Models

Allows customers to download 3D CAD models of the configured product they are purchasing. This enables the customer to include the product into their product design without having to create a model inside their CAD software.

Provides Efficient and Quick Spare Parts Solutions

You can also leverage 3D visualization to enable customers to find any spare parts they may need over the product’s lifecycle.

CPQ software with 3D visualization and exploded views allows manufacturers to present their spare parts catalogs in a visual and interactive way. This saves customers time identifying the correct part and placing their order.

Bottom Line

3D visualization coupled with CPQ is a transformative approach for B2B manufacturers who sell configurable products. It allows for faster and more complete quotes as well as automation of the quoting process. More quotes and faster responses drive significant increases in win rates.

Today, CPQ plus 3D visualization is being used in multiple industries such as packaging equipment, fluid control systems, HVAC and power generation, where product visualization is essential to the sales process for both the customer and manufacturer.

There is no doubt that 3D visualization with CPQ is a huge driver for increasing quoting capacity, conversion rates and post-sales customer satisfaction.

CDS Visual works with all leading CPQ solutions to deliver accurate and quicker quotes with the help of interactive visualization and dimensioned drawing generation. If you want to find out more, we are delighted to be co-presenting a webinar with Oracle and Walpole Partnership on Wednesday April 21st at 8am PST which can be accessed if you have an Oracle Cloud Customer account. Please get in touch with your Oracle rep if you’d like to join and need access to Oracle Cloud Customer.