Not Your Grandpa’s CPQ – Meet Customer Order Automation
In a world where customers can configure cars, design custom shoes, and order furniture from their phones, manufacturing can’t afford to fall behind. Yet many manufacturers are still stuck with manual quoting processes, disconnected systems, and mountains of spreadsheets.
“If you’re a manufacturer still living in spreadsheets, you’re falling behind. It’s time to think beyond the spreadsheet and into the future.”
It’s time to retire the clunky CPQ systems of the past. Today’s digital tools are smarter, faster, and built to eliminate errors while improving the customer experience. Welcome to customer order automation — where quotes flow effortlessly into orders, and orders go straight to the shop floor with no manual intervention.
And this isn’t just talk. Manufacturers are already seeing the results:
- Sutphen, a firetruck manufacturer, decreased rework thanks to accurate, automated order details
- Hammond Power uses Infor CPQ to differentiate their brand with sleek, online design experiences
- Great Plains significantly increased sales volumes — without hiring more staff
- Combilift, a forklift manufacturer, increased revenue per transaction by 30%
Let’s dig into how it works — and why it’s not your grandpa’s CPQ anymore.
Manual Mayhem: The Old Way
In the traditional model, a customer places an order…
Then a salesperson builds a quote manually…
Then engineering checks it…
Then manufacturing tries to interpret it…
And somewhere along the way, things go wrong.
Sound familiar?
Data entry errors, miscommunication, pricing mistakes, rework, and delays are all too common. And the customer experience? Let’s just say it could be better.
The New Way: Guided Selling + Automation
Imagine this instead:
A customer logs into your digital portal and configures a product step by step — choosing only what’s compatible and available. Once finished, the system automatically generates a quote, which can instantly convert into a sales order and then a manufacturing order — no manual touchpoints needed.
- Guided selling
- Visual product configuration
- Touchless quote-to-order
- Real-time manufacturing integration
That’s customer order automation — or what some call touchless orders. It drastically reduces errors and frees your team to focus on value-added work.
Visualize This: Smarter Buying with 3D Configurators
Modern CPQ platforms now include 3D visuals and exploded views. Customers can interact with a product before they buy, zooming in on details, rotating components, and confirming they’re getting exactly what they want.
This prevents costly misunderstandings, reduces support calls, and increases confidence.
“With CPQ, it’s not just fast — it’s accurate, it’s visual, and it gives customers control.”
Real Results, Real Manufacturers
Here’s how real companies are winning with CPQ:
- Combilift increased average revenue per sale by 30%
- Sutphen eliminated order errors and reduced costly rework
- Hammond Power built brand loyalty through custom online design experiences
- Great Plains boosted sales volume — without hiring more resources
If you’re aiming for faster turnaround, fewer mistakes, and a better customer journey, this is your playbook.
Don’t Just Sell. Automate.
Touchless orders are more than a feature — they’re a strategy.
When a lead becomes a quote, becomes an order, becomes a production job — without needing manual review — your business becomes faster, leaner, and more scalable.
“It’s like putting the sales and engineering process on autopilot — but with guardrails.”
The time to evolve is now. If you’re still quoting with spreadsheets or relying on sales teams to catch errors, it’s time to upgrade.
Ready to Ditch the Manual Madness?
Modern manufacturers aren’t waiting around. They’re adopting automation, using guided selling, and letting customers create their own configurations — all while reducing risk.
Let’s bring your sales process into the future.
By Michele Shannahan
By Synergy Resources