Increase Customer Satisfaction 

WebSource Configurator is customer friendly and intuitive, making it easy for your customers to confidently specify and purchase even the most complex products.

• Guided Selling Process - WebSource Configurator interactively
  guides your customer, step by step through the selection process, mapping needs to product options and features.
• Simplifying Complex Products - Only valid features and options are presented.
• Real Time Updates - Product attributes, price, and availability information is updated click-by-click, eliminating the need to wait for quotes.

Shorten the Sales Cycle

WebSource Configurator can power your 24/7 sales channel - users are assured of getting the latest, greatest, and best-priced offering. Back and forth delays associated with e-mails, voice mails, and manual handling of quotes and orders can be eliminated.

• Fast Proposal Generation - WebSource Configurator makes sales personnel more efficient and successful. Proposals can be completed more easily, faster, and more accurately.  The more quality proposals submitted, the more orders that are likely to be received.
• Product Specification and Quoting - WebSource Configurator tells a user in real time if a desired product is valid, available, and what its price is.
• Sales Order Processing - Orders can be processed in minutes, there's no need to check the validity of part numbers.
• Manufacturing - Products can be manufactured to order on-demand making better use of work in process.

Increase Sales

WebSource Configurator serves as an expert, virtual sales consultant - fewer customers will abandon the purchase process before an order is actually placed.

• Cross Selling and Up Selling - In addition to the base product, WebSource Configurator presents extra features and options to customers and identifies other needs.
• Flexible and Dynamic Pricing - Special discount and contract pricing is calculated with each selection.
• Lower Customers' Transaction Costs - Orders can be placed in an electronic on-line shopping cart, there is no need for extra paperwork.

Reduce Cost

Cost reductions can be realized in almost every segment of the business. The most significant cost reductions can be realized by eliminating ordering errors.  As many as 20% to 60% of first time orders include errors.

• Cost of Goods Sold and Administration - By reducing the need to manually validate orders and process returns, the cost of processing orders can be reduced.  WebSource Configurator can be integrated seamlessly with ERP and legacy systems to drive production plans without manual intervention.  Additionally, cost savings can be realized because there is less material scrap and rework.
• Selling - WebSource Configurator turns each computer with Internet access into a highly knowledgeable sales consultant, without the increased cost associated with training or expanding the sales force.
• Engineering - Pre-engineering can be reduced and bill of material generation can be performed by WebSource Configurator.
• Information Technology - Highly skilled and specialized IT programmers are not required to maintain and grow the functionality of WebSource Configurator for your business.

Improve Time to Market 

Fierce competition and a rapidly changing environment demand imp rovements in time to market for new products and services.  WebSource Configurator facilitates time to market improvements through:

• Easy On-line Administration - On-line administration tools
  enable suppliers to easily model products, define validation rules and constraints, and implement pricing policies.
• Consistent and Simultaneous Product Information - The same product information is presented consistently and simultaneously to customers purchasing from any sales channel.
• Reduced Pre-engineering Requirements - Pre-engineering of each and every possible product can be minimized, enabling complete product families to be introduced, as opposed to introducing one product at a time as engineering is completed.
• Interface with Other Business Systems - Open architecture with XML input and output easily interfaces with CRM, ERP, SFA, and legacy systems.

WebSource Configurator is a modular software suite - flexible and expandable to meet your organization's needs:

WebSource Configurator Base Module
The base module is WebSource Configurator's engine. It is the repository for all rules, pricing, graphics, product attributes, and data. Additionally, it integrates all of the optional modules that can be installed to expand the functionality of the application.

Proposal and Quotation Module
WebSource Configurator can automatically generate quotations and proposals. Product configurations, along with corresponding proposals and quotes can be saved for future modifications. Proposals and quotes can be customized to include customer information, graphics, and special terms and conditions. They can also be downloaded, automatically forwarded by e-mail for approvals, and/or turned into orders.

Bill of Material Module
WebSource Configurator supports the automatic generation of a manufacturing bill of material. Bills of materials are rules based. Any combination and any number of attribute selections can be used to specify how individual items in a bill of material will be determined. The bill of material is also dynamic - any changes to the product selected or quantity selected will automatically be reflected in the final bill of material.

On-line/Off-line Module
When an on-line connection is not available, the off-line module enables WebSource Configurator to operate as a standalone application with all of its features and functions. When an on-line connection is established, product configurations, quotes, and proposals are automatically synchronized with the most current server data.

Reporting Module
The WebSource Configurator reporting module provides a log and history of on-line configuration and ordering activities. Report information can include number of orders, order values, items ordered, customers, sales conversion ratios, activity by sales region or territory, and much more.

On-line Product Catalog Module
For products that do not have many options and can be easily defined by a limited number of part numbers, an on-line product catalog can be integrated with WebSource Configurator.  The on-line catalog presents products by categories and subcategories. Name, description, and a part number define products within categories. A detail page is also available for each product that might include product features and benefits, images, etc.

Shopping Cart Module
A built in shopping cart can be integrated into WebSource Configurator. The shopping cart enables a collection of product configurations to be passed on to a built in order-processing system or to a third party order-processing module. Credit cards can be accepted for payment too.

Administration Module
The administration module includes tools for developing rules, defining product attributes, and creating the "look-and-feel" and functionality of the configurator.  Administrative tools enable you to seamlessly integrate WebSource Configurator into your current web site.  No programming skills are required to use the administrative tools efficiently.

WebSource Configurator will delight your customers, partners, and sales channels:

No Need For Them To Be An Expert On Your Products: Customers' expertise is on their own products not yours. WebSource Configurator simplifies the customers' product selection, increasing their productivity and enabling them to devote more time to ensuring the growth and success of their own business.

Instant Information: The fast pace of today's economy requires that businesses be capable of responding almost instantly to customer requirements and new opportunities. WebSource Configurator provides instant product information on-line, eliminating the necessity of waiting for a salesperson or factory representative to provide help. The frustration of missed phone calls, lost faxes, and scheduling conflicts can be avoided.

Easy Order Placement: Once the product selection process is completed, the item can be easily added to the shopping cart for purchase and checkout. There is no need to prepare extra paperwork. Orders can be forwarded electronically directly to the factory, distribution center, or any other channel intermediary such as a wholesale distributor.

Convenience: Conduct business 24 hours a day, 7 days a week - anytime and anywhere. The constraints of "normal business hours" no longer apply, especially convenient when conducting business on a global basis across multiple time zones.

Instant Creation of Quotes and Proposals: Sales people and channels can create instant, customized quotes and proposals that can be saved, copied, and modified. Sales people can focus their efforts on helping satisfy the customer's needs without being distracted by administrative tasks.  "Quote to cash" becomes easier and faster.

WebSource Configurator provides benefits to every function in your organization:

Sales
WebSource Configurator makes sales personnel more efficient and successful. Quotes and proposals can be completed faster and more accurately - with all of the latest pricing and specifications matched exactly to the customer's needs. Sales personnel can rely on the guided selling functionality of WebSource Configurator - taking advantage of the best sales practices that are embedded in this powerful tool. Training can be minimized, the expert system ensures only valid products are defined.

Marketing
WebSource Configurator makes product management easier. Pricing strategies and policies can be implemented at anytime, instantly. New products and options can be introduced as they become available, simultaneously without delay to the whole world. Product features and benefits can be presented on-line, a consistent message ensures customer needs are addressed in the most effective way. On-line specifications minimize the need for printed literature, its cost, and the resources required to create the materials.

Engineering
The bill of material functionality of WebSource Configurator minimizes the need to create assembly drawings and documentation for products that might never be ordered.  Product configuration rules generate product designs when a product is ordered, automatically. Engineering resources can be dedicated to developing more new products.

Manufacturing
Products can be manufactured to order on-demand, making better use of work in process, and reducing lead times. Scrap and rework can also be minimized because only valid products are ordered.

Information Technology
Utilizing "off-the-shelf" technology and relying on Webcom's expertise makes the installation and implementation of WebSource Configurator easy. Highly skilled and specialized IT personnel are not required to maintain and grow the functionality of WebSource Configurator for your business - non-programmers can administer WebSource Configurator. WebSource Configurator features XML input and output for easy interface with other business systems such as CRM, ERP, SFA, and legacy systems.

WebSource Configurator will help improve your bottom-line:

• Reduce Product Specification, Quoting, And Order Processing Times by as much as 80%, from weeks to days, days to hours, and hours to minutes depending on the product.
• Reduce Lead Time by up to 75% through more effective use of work in process and manufacturing on-demand.
• Increase Order Sizes And Margins. On-line average order sizes are often times larger because customers that are not familiar with your product offering purchase items that may have been "forgotten" or may purchase products that they were unaware of. Margins are typically higher for more complex, differentiated products.
• Reduce Order Processing Costs by eliminating ordering errors. By reducing the need to manually validate orders and process returns, realized savings in the cost of processing orders has been as much as 96% in one year, and equal to 1% to 2% of revenue.
• Reduce Selling Costs from the efficiencies gained by developing product specifications and entering orders on-line.
• Reduce Sales Training Times by as much as 90% due to the guided selling features of WebSource Configurator.
• Reduce Engineering And Assembly Documentation Costs by up to 40% to 80%.
• Reduce IT Costs by using off-the-shelf configurator technology and leveraging Webcom's expertise and experience. Avoid the distractions and interruptions of peripheral activities that may not be directly linked to the IT organization's objectives.
• Other Cost Savings. By implementing WebSource Configurator and taking advantage of its on-line capabilities, costs associated with facsimiles, mailing, literature, telephone, travel, and many other areas in your business can be reduced.