Product Configuration

If you have come to this page, you probably already know about the benefits of product configuration and configure/price/quote (CPQ) solutions:

Based on years of experience, webXcerpt can help you to set up a CPQ solution or to extend an existing one.

Our Background

At webXcerpt we have been working on CPQ solutions since 2002. We have experience with different approaches, including in-house development of configuration solutions and development based on third-party configuration tools such as

  • SAP configuration tools (LO-VC, IPC, SSC),
  • PROS Cameleon CPQ, and
  • BigMachines (now Oracle CPQ Cloud).

We have particularly deep experience with SAP's variant configuration tools. We are frequent speakers at the international conferences of the SAP Configuration Workgroup (CWG), we are connected to people and companies related to SAP-based configuration, and we have contributed to the SSC engine and modeling environment.

Textual Modeling Tools

While the modeling UIs of many configuration tools are appropriate for relatively simple products, they are not ideal for modeling multiple similar products and complex products. To enhance the modeler experience we have developed modeling environments based on textual modeling languages. These tools bring the conveniences and power of modern software development tools to product modeling.

Low-Level Modeling

Models implemented with the "low-level" languages and modeling environments VClipse or COL correspond directly to the internal representations of SAP VC or Cameleon CPQ. Therefore it is not only possible to import textual models into the configuration frameworks but also to export existing models from the configuration frameworks to textual form, allowing to maintain them conveniently with our modeling environments.

High-Level Modeling

Generic configuration tools cannot provide high-level concepts from the domain of the products being modeled. ConfigModeler is webXcerpt's approach to product modeling based on industry-specific high-level concepts. Models implemented in specialized high-level languages can be understood or even edited by product experts without configurator expertise. These models are then translated to the lower-level generic concepts.

Actually the modeling environments for high-level and low-level modeling are integrated. So you can mix modeling approaches as needed.

In-Browser Configuration with openCPQ

Product models can become as complex as programs or at least scripts. It makes sense to write these models in a programming language or scripting language providing features like functions and classes so that higher-level concepts can be implemented in the language based on lower-level generic configuration concepts as needed.

To support this we have developed openCPQ, an open-source configuration library for JavaScript running in the browser, making use of the vibrant development of Web technologies in recent years. openCPQ does not only support powerful programmatic modeling but also avoids round-trips to a server-side configuration engine, giving users a much more responsive configuration experience.

Our Offer

Based on our experience with product configuration solutions we offer professional services supporting your CPQ project in all phases: whether you are just starting with CPQ, extending and improving an existing CPQ solution, or migrating existing product models to a new CPQ tool. We work with partners to staff projects as needed.

Consulting

Our consultancy services include

  • management of CPQ projects,
  • support for the selection of a CPQ tool, possibly based on product-model prototypes,
  • training and coaching, and
  • process reviews and improvements.

Modeling

We help you with

  • implementing and maintaining product models,
  • migrating models across CPQ systems, and
  • testing models.

Software Development

We implement configurator extensions such as

  • configuration visualization,
  • algorithms determining optimal configurations for a given set of requirements,
  • import/export functionality, and
  • integration of your configurator with your CRM or ERP system.

We accompany you all the way from the planning stage to the system roll-out and support for your running system.