The main workflow, step by step
The window follows a conveyor system from a dealer's first selection to a released production order. Choose any step to see its screen. The manufacturer, the part numbers and the customer shown are invented for the demonstration.
Application
CFG-3391Draft- Product line
- Belt conveyor, modular
- Load per metre
- Entered by the dealer
- Length and incline
- Entered in steps
- Environment
- Food handling, wash-down
Off the pathA duty outside the range of the product line is refused at this step, with a prompt to request an engineered solution.
Configuration
CFG-3391Valid| Module | Selected |
|---|---|
| Drive unit | Sized from the duty |
| Frame | Stainless, open profile |
| Belt | Food grade, blue |
| Controls | Variable speed |
Off the pathChoosing wash-down removes painted frames from the list and adds sealed bearings, with a note saying why.
Quote
Q-3391-AIssued- Price
- Dealer price list applied
- Lead time
- From production capacity
- Validity
- Stated on the document
- Drawing
- General arrangement attached
Off the pathA discount above the dealer's limit sends the quote to the regional sales manager before it can be issued.
Engineering review
CFG-3391Change requested| Item | Finding |
|---|---|
| Curve section | Outside standard radii |
| Motor | Upsize recommended |
| Decision | Offer as special |
Off the pathThe engineer's change creates a new revision of the configuration, and the earlier quote is marked superseded.
Production order
PO-88120Released| Output | State |
|---|---|
| Bill of materials | Generated, 86 lines |
| Routing | Standard, one special step |
| Customer order | Linked to quote revision B |
Off the pathIf a part on the bill is blocked or obsolete in the ERP, release stops and the order desk is told which line.
Who uses it, and what each role can do
A configuration moves between people with very different knowledge of the product. The roles decide how much freedom each has and when an engineer must be involved.
| Role | Sees | Can do |
|---|---|---|
| Dealer or distributor | Their own configurations, quotes and price list | Configure within the rules and issue quotes |
| Sales engineer | All configurations in their territory | Configure, discount within limits and request specials |
| Application engineer | Requests the rules could not resolve | Approve, change or decline a special |
| Product manager | Options, rules and price lists | Maintain the product model and release new options |
| Order desk | Accepted quotes and their bills of materials | Convert to orders and resolve blocked parts |
When the work leaves the usual path
The value of a configurator is decided by what it does when a request falls outside the standard product. These are the cases we expect to design with your engineers.
| Situation | What the system does | Who decides |
|---|---|---|
| Duty outside the product range | Refuses and offers an engineered enquiry | Application engineer |
| Option requires another option | Adds it and states the reason | Product manager |
| Request for a non-standard feature | Routes the configuration to engineering review | Application engineer |
| Discount above the user's limit | Holds the quote for approval | Sales engineer |
| Part obsolete or blocked in the ERP | Stops order release and names the line | Order desk |
| Quote revised after acceptance | Creates a new revision and supersedes the old | Sales engineer |
What it connects to
The configurator sits between sales and production, and it has to agree with both. The exact interfaces depend on your ERP and how product data is held today.
| System | What moves | Direction |
|---|---|---|
| ERP item master | Part numbers, status and costs | Into the configurator |
| Price lists | List, dealer and customer prices | Into the configurator |
| CAD or drawing library | General arrangement drawings per module | Into the configurator |
| CRM | Quotes linked to accounts and opportunities | Out of the configurator |
| ERP sales and production orders | Order lines, bill of materials and routing | Out of the configurator |
What a first release includes
Product model
Your product line described as modules, options and engineering rules, held as data your product managers maintain.
Guided configuration
Selection that starts from the application and duty, and offers only what is valid for it.
Quote documents
A branded quote with scope, price, lead time, drawings and terms, kept by revision.
Engineering review
A queue for requests outside the rules, with the engineer's decision recorded against the configuration.
Bill of materials
A generated parts list and routing in your part numbers, ready for the ERP.
Dealer access
Sign-in for dealers with their own price lists, limits and history of quotes.
Often added after the first release
- A 3D view of the configured machine
- Spare parts lists per serial number
- Service contracts added to the quote
- Layout planning for whole lines
- Customer self-service for simple products
What we need from you
- Your option lists, price lists and current quote template
- The engineering rules, written or in the heads of your engineers
- Access to the ERP item master in a test environment
- A sample of recent quotes, including specials
- A product manager and an application engineer to work with us
Ownership and licensing terms are defined in the project agreement.
What to do next
Send us three recent quotes for one product line, one of them a special. We reply with the product model we would start from and how the rules would be captured. Start a conversation or book a 30-minute call.
Common questions
Do we need a 3D view for an equipment configurator?
Often not at first. For machinery sold on specification, the value lies in valid combinations, correct prices and a bill of materials. A general arrangement drawing per configuration usually serves the buyer better than a rotating model. A 3D view becomes worthwhile where layout, footprint or appearance drives the decision, and it can be added later.
How are our engineering rules captured?
In workshops with your engineers and product managers, then as data the product team maintains. Each rule is written as a plain statement with the options it concerns and its reason, and tested against past orders. Rules that cannot be made precise stay with a person, through the engineering review route.
Can it create the bill of materials in our ERP?
Where the ERP offers a documented interface and your product structure can be generated by rule, yes. We usually begin by producing the bill as a draft for the order desk to release, and move to automatic creation for standard configurations once the mapping has proved itself on real orders.
Will dealers see our internal prices?
No. Each dealer signs in and sees the price list and discount limits agreed for them. Costs and margins stay internal. Quotes above a dealer's limit, or involving specials, pass to your sales engineers before they are issued, and every quote records who created and approved it.