Epicor has been named in 10 consecutive Gartner® Hype Cycles™ for ERP.  Among the ten reports in which Epicor was named in 2024, two are related to configure, price, quote (CPQ) capabilities.*

CPQ software is a one-stop solution that can help streamline sales, engineering, and manufacturing processes related to complex or frequently buyer-customized products. Companies can configure, price, and quote anytime, anywhere—removing production bottlenecks while building customer loyalty. Now more than ever, consumers are seeking top-quality, affordable, easily available products and services tailored to meet their exact specifications. CPQ can make that happen.

The CPQ Difference

Not only do these configurable capabilities add value, they are also intuitive and easy to integrate, empowering both buyers and sellers/makers to get the results they want. Users can drag and drop components, select colors, and add features while the configurator assembles products in real time.

Key benefits for make, move, sell businesses include:

  • Visual Programming: A no-/low-code, drag-and-drop interface streamlines rule creation and platform maintenance, boosting efficiency and enhancing accessibility for users of all skill levels.
  • Guided Selling: CPQ suggests optimal configurations, enabling quicker customer decisions and more effective production solutions.
  • Augmented and Virtual Reality: Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) add to the customization experience by placing virtual products in real-world settings, enhancing customer engagement.
  • Integration and Automation: It’s easy to build a strong, cohesive data platform by integrating the right CPQ solution with ERP, CRM, CAD, and other systems.

The Future of AI and CPQ

LLMs

AI technology, including large language models (LLMs) that enable people and computers to talk to each other using familiar conversational styles, is changing how CPQ will be able to understand everyday language and respond to even casually expressed customer needs. AI empowers both buyers and sellers.

With natural language prompts, sales reps and customers with a wide range of technical backgrounds can easily develop design specifications for a particular product. They can then determine a price for the product given manufacturing capabilities, lead times, and other key factors. Finally, they can then share that data in a detailed report featuring labor estimates, overhead, material costs, and desired profit margins. These capabilities limit guesswork and help ensure that the right product gets manufactured in the right time frame, with the right materials, for the right group of buyers. 

Generative Design

As part of this configuration process, generative design leverages AI capabilities to develop customized design algorithms based on user input, in order to iterate on and refine thousands of designs reflecting specific criteria for selected products.

When these capabilities are integrated into CPQ solutions, businesses can easily compare and customize different designs, generate a quote from the preferred variation, and transfer this design to the manufacturing process—supporting increased creativity, greater efficiency, and enhanced customer satisfaction.

With AI-enhanced CPQ, businesses are poised to explore a new era of productivity, personalization, and innovation.

*Gartner, Hype Cycle for Revenue and Sales Technology, 2024, Guy Wood, Adnan Zijadic, Melissa Hilbert, Ilona Hansen, Varun Agarwal, 17 June 2024.

*Gartner, Hype Cycle for Digital Commerce, 2024, Sandy Shen, 8 July 2024.

GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally, and HYPE CYCLE is a registered trademark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates and are used herein with permission. All rights reserved. Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. This graphic was published by Gartner, Inc. as part of a larger research document and should be evaluated in the context of the entire document. The Gartner document is available upon request from Epicor.

Marco de Vries
VP, Product Marketing

Marco de Vries is a seasoned Product Marketing executive with 25 years of experience in strategy, go-to-market, and SaaS. Expert in supply chain and integration for diverse industries like Manufacturing and Healthcare.

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