Optimizing Complex B2B Sales with Tacton CPQ

 As an analyst at QKS Group, analysing the Configure, Price, Quote (CPQ) market, I had a recent conversation with Per Rohdin, Senior Product Marketing Manager at Tacton, to understand how Tacton CPQ is addressing the challenges of complex B2B sales in manufacturing. With businesses increasingly moving towards configure-to-order (CTO) models, the ability to generate accurate quotes, ensure seamless product configurations, and integrate pricing strategies in real time has become crucial. Tacton CPQ is designed to simplify these processes by providing constraint-based configuration, automated pricing, and seamless integration across CRM and ERP systems, ultimately improving efficiency and customer experience.

One of the standout capabilities of Tacton CPQ is its constraint-based configurator, which ensures that every product configuration is both technically valid and commercially optimized. For manufacturers dealing with highly customizable machinery, industrial equipment, and capital goods, traditional sales processes often involve excessive back-and-forth between sales, engineering, and pricing teams. Tacton eliminates these inefficiencies by allowing sales representatives to input high-level customer requirements, while the system automatically determines viable product combinations that meet technical specifications, supply chain constraints, and pricing conditions. This shift from engineer-to-order (ETO) to configure-to-order (CTO) enables faster response times and ensures error-free sales processes.

To further enhance the buying experience, Tacton CPQ provides real-time 3D visualization and augmented reality (AR) integration. As sales representatives configure a product, a high-resolution 3D model updates dynamically to reflect the selected options. This feature helps customers visualize their customized machinery or industrial equipment before purchase, eliminating uncertainty. The AR functionality takes this a step further by allowing customers to place the configured product in their real-world environment through a smartphone or tablet. This capability is particularly beneficial for industries where space constraints, compliance requirements, or installation logistics play a crucial role in decision-making.

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Pricing complexity is another common challenge in B2B manufacturing, where businesses must deal with multi-tier pricing models, regional tax regulations, bulk discounts, and volatile raw material costs. Tacton CPQ simplifies this by automating pricing calculations in real time, ensuring that every quote remains aligned with the company's profitability goals. The automated margin control feature allows businesses to set pricing thresholds, ensuring that discounts remain within predefined limits. If a sales representative overrides pricing guideline, the system automatically triggers an approval workflow, ensuring adherence to business rules and profitability benchmarks.

Another essential feature of Tacton CPQ is its automated proposal generation, which allows sales teams to create customer-ready quotes, including detailed product specifications, pricing breakdowns, and CAD drawings. By integrating directly with CAD software, the platform ensures that sales teams can generate technical drawings and blueprints without relying on engineers, significantly reducing turnaround time. This is particularly valuable in industries where precise dimensions, compliance documentation, and product renderings are essential for securing approvals from procurement teams and regulatory bodies.

To ensure seamless enterprise-wide adoption, Tacton CPQ offers deep integration capabilities with CRM and ERP systems. Businesses using Salesforce can access Tacton CPQ’s full functionality within their existing CRM interface, eliminating the need for platform switching and ensuring that sales teams have a unified view of customer accounts, pricing structures, and order histories. Similarly, ERP integrations with platforms like SAP, Oracle, and Microsoft Dynamics ensure that approved quotes transition smoothly into production workflows, reducing manual data entry errors and ensuring that supply chain teams receive precise order details.

Beyond supporting direct sales teams, Tacton CPQ also enables self-service configuration through eCommerce and digital portals. Manufacturers can embed Tacton’s configurator into their online sales platforms, allowing customers to independently explore, customize, and price their desired solutions. Unlike static online catalog, this self-service functionality ensures that customers are always presented with valid configurations and accurate pricing tailored to their specific agreements. This not only speeds up the sales process but also reduces dependency on sales representatives for standard configurations, allowing them to focus on high-value consultative engagements.

My conversation with Tacton’s team provided a comprehensive understanding of how their CPQ solution streamlines sales operations, enhances customer engagement, and eliminates inefficiencies in complex B2B manufacturing sales. By integrating AI-driven configuration, dynamic pricing, automated approvals, and real-time visualization, Tacton CPQ empowers businesses to simplify sales, improve accuracy, and accelerate deal closures. The platform ensures that manufacturers can deliver tailored solutions to customers faster, all while maintaining profitability, compliance, and seamless integration with enterprise systems. For organizations looking to modernize their sales processes and improve operational efficiency, Tacton CPQ offers a robust, end-to-end solution that addresses the core challenges of complex manufacturing product sales.