Configuration as a Service

Configuration features are excellent means to show and explain potential customers different variants of a product offering. In addition, the gamification aspect potentially increases the user engagement on the websites or applications. However, common Configuration-Price-Quote (CPQ) solutions usually fail to exploit the full potential product configuration applications provide for guiding any type of user towards the right product. The reason is that CPQ solutions in most cases depict the whole data model, which leads to a very complex and cumbersome usability of the tool itself. 

Hence, it is important to consider the different levels of detail needed by different user types. Building a range of CPQ solutions covering these use cases, however, is not reasonable. Instead, so-called Configuration as a Service solutions start to evolve in the context of complex industry products. Thanks to their headless architecture and a highly performant and flexible data model, they allow for building different configuration applications without bringing the whole data model to the interface itself. This is a logical consequence considering the disruptive effects cloud-based SaaS models have on enterprises‘ business processes. 

Reading List

Be a guide, not a seller – Smart product configuration for
unprecedented (user) guidance
Viamedici x TGOA
Published in April 2021