Journal

Notes from building configurators

What we learn building CPQ and product configurators for manufacturers — costs, ROI, automation and the rules that live in people's heads.

Two software workspaces side by side illustrating the build-or-buy decision for a product configurator

Strategy

Your Configurator Is Not the Problem. Your Architecture Might Be.

Build vs. buy, CPQ vs. engineering automation, and why manufacturers need to ask better questions before building their next digital tool.

Build vs Buy
CPQ
Engineering automation

October 20269 min read

Six-step manufacturing sales flow on screens: inquiry, product search, 3D configuration, quote with pricing, engineering simulation and finished racking in a warehouse

AI & Automation

Where does AI actually belong in a manufacturing sales process?

Knowing AI can do something is not the same as knowing where it belongs. Six places it earns its keep in complex-product sales — and one where it doesn't.

AI
CPQ
Product data

September 20268 min read

Exploded three-layer diagram: warehouse racking, configurator on laptop, tablet and phone, and connected data and integration layer

Sales & Engineering

Your engineers shouldn't have to approve every quote

When every routine quote needs an engineering sign-off, that's a process problem, not a people problem. How BLS removed the queue.

Sales & Engineering
Automation
CPQ

August 20267 min read

Cost & ROI

What does a product configurator cost?

Budgets from 10k to 100k+ EUR. The feature set is rarely what separates them — complexity, integrations and automation are.

Pricing
Automation
Integrations

July 20269 min read