7 Ways a 3D Product Configurator Can Boost Profits

January 24, 2020

What Does A 3D Product Configurator Have to Do With Star Wars?

Is the Skywalker Saga really set a long time ago? I mean, some of the technology is light years ahead of ours, but drinking blue milk or going to pick up power converters on the weekend feels like a downgrade.

Whether a new cruiser or droid, it sure seems obvious that making purchases would be in at least 3D (if not a full-blown hologram) by now.

Can you imagine pouring over a 2D technical drawing versus a 3D visual configurator to get a new BB-8 unit?

Have you ever tried to show someone a 2D drawing and had to explain what the product was… to explain the features?

How about a 3D visual? Nope…people just get it.

Let’s try to look into the future together.

Can you imagine buying everything in 3D? Imagine buying a fifty year old house but opening it on a home renovation website and selecting new windows and even changing the paint. Visuals, cost and labor times all calculated in real-time. Interested in a new road bike? Pick out your frame, paint and components. You want to change your landscaping? View your home and yard and select from popular options, choose your favorite plants and trees, and pick the right location based on different solar patterns.

Ok, back to the present day.

It seems the buying experience has already changed. We expect the consumer experience to be incredibly easy and shipped to our doorstep in less than 2 days. “I will order it now and from my phone” is now our standard operating procedure.

But in business, sometimes it feels way behind. I’ve spoken with many companies over the last few months about how their selling and quoting process is complicated and slow.  It takes them days to weeks to get back to the customer with their request and then it’s not always as clear and compelling as they wanted to present. They have a great product that solves a problem for their customer, but relaying that information becomes painful.

So…how can a manufacturer progress past the old static, images, spreadsheets, word docs and taking a week to get a proposal done?

Well, you can start with an intelligent 3D product configurator.

Just a few of the benefits…

1. Future Proofing – Be competitive in your market. The latest research from Salesforce says that 75% of customers expect companies to use new technologies to create better experiences. Be one of the first to digitally transform in order to deliver this awesome buying experience.
2. It’s Fun! – The new 2020 Corvette Visualizer, a 3D configurator, attracted so many users on reveal day that it crippled Chevrolet’s website.
   • In just two weeks, more than 940,000 virtual Corvettes were built with the photo-realistic 3D tool that lets customers view the car from the top, bottom, and inside while choosing the car’s colors, wheel type, exterior accents, and more.
3. Your Benefits and Features Become Obvious to the Customer – The customer can be introduced to add-ons and upgrades. Allow them to monitor their own costs and lead times as they make changes and choose different options.
4. Guide The Sale – Walk them through the easiest path to purchase. 3D product configurators can also be helpful to align the customers expectation with reality.
5. Minimize Mistakes, and Misunderstandings – When Tuff Shed launched their current 3D tool (powered by KBMax) on their website they eliminated 500,000 phone calls and were able to focus on closing more deals.
6. Improve Your Margins – Sell in your sweet spot with a configurator that guides the user towards the default options that have better margins.
   • *Forbes goes into great detail on how configure price quote tools can do way more than just a pretty picture!
7. Automation, Automation! – Go beyond the visual to create real-time changes to price, Bill of Materials and the creation of CAD and Sales Drawings. These are now standard with any good CPQ tool.