CREALIS® – Benefits

CREALIS® combines a feature-rich and user-related data maintenance environment (CREALIS® PDM) with a state-of-the-art product configurator (CREALIS@ CPQ). The options that CREALIS® PDM provides for defining configurable models, taking their complex dependencies into account, are virtually limitless. The product or system to be configured is presented to the interested party in a user-friendly environment via the CREALIS® CPQ product configurator, naturally as a web application that is based on state-of-the-art technology.

Configurators harbour the wisdom of numerous experts within a company. They process product-relevant data, know the constraints and exclusions of components and modules, make calculations on the basis of complex pricing models and depict the product on the basis of design data. The inner complexity is not always visible to the user, especially if the configuration models are well-thought-out and well-designed, and attention is also paid to usability.

The fact that CREALIS® CPQ is used in the sales environment makes it the ideal information tool for providing the right advice to customers. The customer’s wishes become configuration specifications that are assessed in terms of their feasibility and consequences. Prices, advisory text, documents, images and video clips can be displayed during the configuration process. The same model can be made available on the internet at the same time with just a few extensions, meaning that several distribution channels can be made available without much effort. Simplified information or information specifically tailored to internet users is available and guided configuration (guided selling) can be integrated. The expert knowledge embedded in the model, which among other things guarantees the buildability of the individual product configured, is constantly assessed and validated in the background.

CREALIS® is a modern web application that is available everywhere. It supports the usual web browsers and does not require any additional plug-ins in order to run the 3D visualisations. The system can be set up on a wide range of server variants and is also available as a cloud solution in the SaaS scenario. Sophisticated data transformations ensure that the application is available to every user on every device and that there are no technical obstacles to its use. CREALIS® CPQ can even be used offline on many devices. This enables sales calls to be made easily even in remote areas or well-shielded buildings.

User experience, user interface and internationalisation

CREALIS® has a simple and intuitive user interface. The configuration view of CREALIS® CPQ is, as a rule, generated from the data stored in CREALIS® PDM and does not require any specific implementation. All the functions required for a mature CPQ solution are already available in the standard version and are fully utilisable. The user interface offers a user experience that has been tested and optimised many times. Of course, the interface can also be adapted to a corporate design in a straightforward manner, for example, to ensure a holistic appearance when used on the website or integrated into a web shop.

CREALIS® is, of course, equipped for international use. The entire application, including the documents, is unicode-compatible and the standard version is available in more than 15 languages. The system offers market-specific settings and validity for all structures such as text, prices, articles, visualisations and dependencies.

CREALIS® can be comprehensively integrated into a wide variety of system landscapes and process structures. For data sovereignty, it is possible to import articles and assemblies from the superordinate ERP system so as to guarantee a synchronous data set. It can also be used to provide prices and pricing models. Synchronous direct integration of external calculation and pricing systems is also a possibility, and these will then take on the primary calculation task. The process of defining which integrable system can provide key information and whether this is a sustainable process landscape for the future is vital. In terms of the sales process, seamless integration into the company’s CRM system is a sensible option. In this case, too, there are various scenarios to consider – including the use of CREALIS® CRM, which has been optimised for sales. For enhanced process integration, CAD systems and PIM systems or PLM systems can be implemented via the standardised import and export interfaces provided by CREALIS®.

CREALIS® CPQ comes with a comprehensive document generation system. Documents with any configuration-relevant content can be created using templates. These documents can be supplemented and enhanced with a wide range of additional information, such as data sheets and product specifications. This functionality gives you every opportunity to create informative and engaging quotation documents. Other types of documents can, of course, be created in the subsequent controlling and ordering process of a configuration. For example, order confirmations, installation instructions or rental agreements can be created on a role-specific basis.