Quoting fewer errors rapidly, enhanced customer loyalty and higher order values are some of the benefits of CAD and design automation. Yes, design automation gives better engineering efficiency, but most importantly, it simplifies the overall sales process, shortens the sales cycles, and reduces the required training to get new hires up to speed.
CAD and Design Automation
Computer-aided design (CAD) is the use of computers to help in the designing process - more importantly its creation, modification, analysis, as well as optimization. The history of CAD dates back some 60 years, to Dr. Patrick Hanratty, the “Father of CAD,” and the invention of Pronto, the first commercial numerical-control programming system, which laid the platform for things to come.
Today, SolidWorks leads the CAD space (in manufacturing at least) and offers a powerful but accessible 3D design system. With SolidWorks, users can edit and view products in a much greater detail, combine photorealistic rendering with high-class features like kinematics, dynamics, stress, deflection, vibration, temperatures, and fluid flow.
The output from CAD is so realistic on both the technical and aesthetic levels that users can predict accurately how the products will look and behave before they enter into any costly manufacturing stage.
The downside to CAD is that it’s slow, expensive, and does require significant training, leading to substantial bottlenecks in the overall sales process. Automating the design process, especially the most repetitive and time-consuming tasks, tends to cut down on the need for engineering input, slashing deal times as a result.
How does Design Automation Generate Sales?
Through a tool like KBMax, sales reps can easily configure complicated products by using an intuitive visual interface rather than a dog-eared paper sales catalog (or its digital iPad-based equivalent). Each company’s visual interface is varied and depends on its specific requirements. This ranges from a simple 2D configurator with an Amazon-style filtering system, right up to a photorealistic 3D interface.
Rather than just scrolling through endless part numbers, sales reps can point and click or drag and drop to assemble their selections in accordance with their customers’ preferences. It’s a highly immersive experience that the customers can play around with themselves, and reps can use alongside prospects, or sales can use exclusively like a gated tool. Again, this varies from business to business.
As customers and reps play around with their designs (resizing sections, adding or removing parts, upgrading features, etc.,) prices generally change dynamically in real-time, along with a wide range of associated documents that can be as advanced as cutting lists and CNC data too. Logic built in the back-end prevents reps from making errors or designing technically nonviable products. Visual and complex engineering rules built into the configurator gives the reps (even new hires) a detailed understanding of the product offerings and their technical features without ever having to call on the expertise of the entire engineering department.
Once a customer has settled on a design, the rep can go ahead and generate all the necessary technical drawings from the admin. For some companies, just a simple rendering with dimensions will more-than suffice. For others, a detailed technical drawing is essential to make the sale. Reps can then automatically generate the technical drawings through SolidWorks at the touch of a button (KBMax also works with systems like AutoCAD, Autodesk Inventor, and PTC Creo.)
The final step is the document automation, which, yet again, is handled from within the admin. The renderings and technical drawings (along with things like marketing collateral, Ts and Cs, or contractual documentation) can be tagged on any document sent to the prospect, whether it be a quote, estimate, or request further information. The crucial thing about these documents is that they are compelling and include whatever designs or technical drawings that are needed to get a deal over the line.
How CAD Design Automation Lead to Increased Sales
The overall process of sales enjoys better simplicity for even more complex products.
Sales reps no longer need to learn an entire product catalog to provide expert-level services to their potential customers. Design automation hands them over the ability to configure more complicated products and then generate technical drawings through just a few clicks.
Deals are closed faster with shorter sales cycles.
Automating menial, slow, recurring design processes dramatically shortens sales cycles. Reps can prepare detailed quotes more quickly, spending more time bringing in new business and cultivating profitable relationships, and less time waiting on engineering feedback.
New recruits and their onboarding is a speedy and more efficient process.
New hires can be made acquainted with the working in a matter of days, giving them a deep, contextual understanding of the many sophisticated product offerings and creating technical drawings which was only possible through skilled engineers.
Expensive errors get quickly eliminated.
Logic that gets built into software prohibits the reps from making sub-optimal selections and expensive errors. This translates into fewer delays, lower return rates, less frequent chargebacks, and more happier customers.
Customers experience a better buying experience.
With 2D or 3D visualization, the entire sales process jumps to life, providing an immersive buying experience which connects the customers to a supplier’s brand and products. Customers too, take full ownership of their configurations, understanding every available option (no nasty surprises), and feel more confident in making their purchase decision.
Bottlenecks in the Engineering department get avoided.
Engineering bottlenecks are a huge problem for reps who want to streamline their sales cycles. Design automation avoids much of the back and forth between sales and engineering, leading to better collaboration and supercharging of quote speeds (not to mention interdepartmental harmony!) What used to take 20+ calls and emails can be easily achieved now with just one call.
Engineering can look into more innovative processes.
Freeing your engineering team from the burden of the sales process leaves them with more time to focus on innovation - doing the work that will help take your organization to the next level.
Omnipresence on all channels.
KBMax’s UI for design automation is pretty responsive and it can be easily used on all devices. This means reps can meet customers where they are, be it in an office, showroom, third-party dealership, or coffee shop.
Absolutely perfect for B2B2C companies .
Design automation is most suited to the companies who have B2B2C business models. Take Tuff Shed (a KBMax customer,) as an example, that sells its sheds through Home Depot. Customers can use Tuff Shed’s online visual configuration software on their iPads that are located within Home Depot stores. Once submitted, the design documents automatically get sent to Tuff Shed’s manufacturing team for building and shipping.
A highly empowered sales team.
Most businesses have a configurator that’s a black box - reps put in information and get information out, without any understanding of what happens in the meantime. Design automation gives reps complete visibility over, and knowledge of the configuration and design process. This provides them with a higher level of ownership and freedom over the sales process and requires less dependence on engineering.