Configure, Price, Quote

Manufacturing: Managing Complexity at Scale

Spreadsheets, legacy systems and lightweight tools may work for a while, but they inevitably break down at scale. Experlogix closes the gap.

Manufacturers deal with thousands of SKUs, deep option trees, products paired with maintenance and other services, and regional variants layered with compliance requirements. And that only scratches the surface of complex manufacturing sales.

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Manufacturing: Managing Complexity at Scale

Spreadsheets, legacy systems and lightweight tools may work for a while, but they inevitably break down at scale. Experlogix closes the gap.

Manufacturers deal with thousands of SKUs, deep option trees, products paired with maintenance and other services, and regional variants layered with compliance requirements. And that only scratches the surface of complex manufacturing sales.

Get a Demo

The Manufacturing Reality: Why Quotes Break

Manufacturing sales have evolved beyond simple product catalogs. Today’s manufacturers sell complete systems—configure-to-order (CTO) and engineer-to-order (ETO) product families with nested subassemblies, compliance-driven variants, and service bundles that need to stay synchronized with the configured hardware.

Wanna see real-world ROI? Check out our case study with Howden ↗, an industrial cooling manufacturer that uses Experlogix to reduce quoting time by 83%.

The cost of broken quoting processes compounds: 

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Lost deals from slow responses.

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Margin erosion from pricing errors.

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Operational chaos from unbuildable configurations.

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Customer frustration from inconsistent experiences.

Spreadsheets can’t enforce engineering rules. CRM tools alone aren’t built for manufacturing business logic and product complexity.

Industrial-grade CPQ solutions change that equation by giving you more control and flexibility.

Where Manufacturing Sales Get Complex

Manufacturers see complexity from numerous sources, and it’s not just about the products anymore. In an increasingly volatile global market, prices can change in the blink of an eye.

Keeping up with the competition requires faster innovation, whether that comes from shortening the sales cycle, adding services, expanding product offerings or configuration options, or expanding into new regions.

And those issues are just scratching the surface. Manufacturers also face complexity from:

Product

  • Configure-to-order (CTO) and engineer-to-order (ETO) product families
  • Nested subassemblies with interdependencies across multiple levels
  • Mixed-mode manufacturing (standard, configured, and custom in one quote)
  • Nested subassemblies with interdependencies across multiple levels

Business Model

  • Hardware-as-a-Service offerings requiring usage-based pricing
  • Outcome-based contracts tied to performance metrics
  • Subscription services layered onto capital equipment

Global Operations

  • Multi-currency transactions with varying requirements
  • Transfer pricing between entities
  • Regional compliance and certification mandates
  • Localized product variants for market preferences

Channel and Partners

  • OEM relationships where you’re both a supplier and a customer
  • Direct versus indirect sales
  • Partner and distributor programs with tiered pricing

What Experlogix Changes, Practically

Configuration That Reflects Reality

The system enforces constraint logic that prevents impossible builds, automatically highlights dependent options, and calculates derived specifications. Sales reps don’t need to become product engineers or rely on tribal knowledge to sell effectively.

Pricing That Protects Margins

Experlogix CPQ can reference live cost data from your ERP and apply markup rules, volume discounts, promotional pricing, and customer-specific terms without requiring the sales rep to manage spreadsheets.

Additionally, contract terms, customer-specific agreements, regional price books and other business rules can be built into the system.

Integration Without Clunky Middleware

Experlogix connects to your CRM and ERP systems, so data flows bidirectionally. Sales reps quote in the familiar CRM interface with access to customer history, account terms, and opportunity context.

Once the quote is approved, the configuration flows into your ERP as a structured, buildable order with accurate bills of materials (BOMs), work breakdown structures (WBS), routing information, and cost data.

Low-Code Administration

Experlogix utilizes a low-code, logic-based interface to put more control in the hands of business users; meanwhile IT maintains governance appropriate for enterprise systems.

Instead of spending time on routine configuration updates and price book maintenance, IT focuses on strategic initiatives: deeper ERP integration, connection to emerging technologies, and architectural improvements.

Five Complexity Patterns We See Every Week

Let’s take a closer look at complexity in manufacturing sales and how Experlogix can help.

1. Electrical and safety variants by region

The same basic machine needs different voltage configurations, electrical enclosures, safety labeling, and certifications for North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific markets.

Experlogix gates valid options by destination region—a rep selling to a German customer automatically sees 230V/50Hz electrical options and CE marking requirements. The system enforces required safety components for that jurisdiction and presents compliant selections. Pricing reflects regional surcharges, certification costs, and shipping considerations without manual calculation.

Three manufacturing colleagues smiling in a factory while wearing hard hats.

2. Commodity volatility and margin control

Material costs swing. Quotes created last week can be underwater this week. Experlogix references supply and cost data from your ERP, so you don’t have to play catch up when major fluctuations happen.

3. Hardware plus services that must stay in sync

Equipment, installation, calibration, spares, and extended warranty need to bundle correctly and route to different fulfillment teams. Experlogix handles bundled products and services with ease and carries the quote data into the production order.

4. Channel programs and partner terms

Distributors and OEM partners use tiers, rebates, or ship-and-debit programs.

5. Capacity- and cost-aware quoting

A single option can change a routing step or consume a constrained resource. Experlogix CPQ calculates lead-time from configuration choices so reps set realistic expectations before customers commit.

The Bottom Line: Complexity is the norm, Experlogix CPQ is the answer.

Complexity isn’t going away. Experlogix CPQ makes it workable, so your team can configure precisely, price confidently, and quote at the speed customers expect.

Ready to See Experlogix in Action?

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