Founded in 1935, Wenger Manufacturing builds extrusion systems used to produce pet food, aqua feed and human food for some of the world's largest pet and snack food brands.
Wenger's customers depend on highly customized machines built around requirements such as production capacity and the ingredients used in the finished food. To accelerate its quote-to-order process and improve the flow of information between business systems, Wenger implemented both Experlogix CPQ and Experlogix Document Automation alongside Microsoft Dynamics 365.
- Reduce the time required to move configured orders into production by half.
- Generate the documentation required to complete an order from one connected system.
- Significantly accelerate Bill-of-Materials generation.
- Use CPQ across all Wenger equipment configurations.
- Generate sophisticated, high-quality proposal documents with Document Automation.
- Make production information easier to include between CRM and Finance & Operations.
- Improve confidence that order information is correct before production begins.
- Create a stronger foundation for additional data-flow automation as Wenger continues refining its processes.
Challenge
Wenger's equipment quotes are heavily configured because customer requirements vary by product, production capacity, ingredients and other operating needs. The company rarely builds the same machine twice, even for the same customer.
That level of customization made reliable product configuration critical. A quoting mistake could require Wenger to reorder equipment-specific components and could also delay delivery to the customer.
Customer machines can vary substantially based on production requirements and the food or feed being produced.
Incorrect order information could require Wenger to reorder components made specifically for one piece of equipment.
Wenger's internally built configurator depended on a single person who knew how to maintain it.
The previous configurator was slow to convert completed equipment quotes into orders.
“Our equipment quotes are heavily configured. We rarely build the same machine twice, even for the same customer, and because of that, we do a lot of customization. Use of a product configurator was critical to ensure quotes were accurate as the cost of mistakes escalates quickly.”
Wenger's decision to replace its configurator came alongside a move to Microsoft Dynamics 365. The company wanted a cloud-based CRM that could provide a more frictionless flow of information between platforms while CPQ supplied more information during quote production.
Migrating the large amount of existing product data created its own complexity. Wenger worked with Microsoft and Experlogix engineers to determine the best migration approach and how CPQ should operate within the new environment.
Solution
Wenger now uses Experlogix CPQ for all equipment configurations and Experlogix Document Automation for sophisticated proposal documents.
The combined solution gives Wenger a more connected way to manage the information and documentation required to move a highly customized equipment order from sales toward production.
Wenger uses CPQ across all equipment configurations, helping the team manage the complex requirements associated with machines that may be configured differently for nearly every customer.
Wenger uses Document Automation to create sophisticated, high-quality proposal documents and support the documentation required to complete an order.
Wenger begins with the operating requirements that determine how each customer's extrusion equipment needs to be configured.
Experlogix CPQ supports Wenger's highly customized equipment configurations.
Experlogix Document Automation produces sophisticated proposal documents as part of the order process.
Key order information supports BOM generation and makes it easier to include production data between CRM and Finance & Operations.
Wenger identifies significantly accelerated Bill-of-Materials generation as one of the most important ways Experlogix improved the process.
Because key order data is included with the help of Experlogix, Wenger can more easily include production information between Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations.
Result
The combination of CPQ, Document Automation and Microsoft Dynamics significantly accelerated Wenger's path from configured quote to production.
Generating the documentation required to complete an order from one system helped reduce the time required to move an order into production from two months to one month.
Wenger reduced the time required to move an order into production from two months to one month.
Experlogix significantly accelerates the generation of Bills-of-Materials for Wenger's configured equipment.
Wenger can generate the documentation required to complete an order through one connected environment.
Wenger reports getting orders out faster while maintaining its high quality standards.
Experlogix makes it easier to include key production information between Dynamics 365 CRM and Finance & Operations.
Wenger says Experlogix helps ensure order information is right the first time before equipment moves further into production.
“Experlogix helps us ensure that all the information for an order is right the first time, so we're getting orders out a lot faster while still maintaining our extremely high quality standards.”
Wenger's current process already makes it easier to include production data between CRM and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations. As the company continues refining its processes, it plans to automate more of the data flow between systems.
See how Wenger Manufacturing combines Experlogix CPQ and Document Automation with Microsoft Dynamics 365 to configure complex equipment, generate proposal and order documentation, accelerate BOM creation, and move orders into production faster.
