Product Configurator Blog

KBMax users now have the power of drag and drop to build custom products and visualize them online in real time.  We see this functionality like a cross between Visio and KBMax, where users can drag and drop components to configure an assembly.

It's a powerful driver for sales teams in industries like fluid systems where configurations demand a very visual layout.  A salesman can sit with a customer to configure their system with immediate visual feedback.

Here's how the Drag & Drop Configurator works...

1.  Drag Components Onto the Artboard

Users can drag components from the toolbox onto what we call the Artboard.  The toolbox will be full of the kinds of  valid components that are available for the type of item you are configuring.  Note that this item does not have to be a traditional product, it could be a process or schematic.  

2.  Connect Components Together

The selected components in our Drag & Drop Configurator are smart.  They know what other components they can connect to and what types they can't via your validation rules.  Components are defined with a series of connection points that define how and where valid connections can be made.  When you drag 2 components that make up a valid connection near each other, they will 'snap' together with a green dot.  If the user tries for a  non-valid connection, KBMax will let you know with a red X.

3.  Configure Individual Components

 
Did we say layout components were smart?  They probably scored higher than you on the SAT's. When you double-click them, a full product configurator for the component opens up, allowing you to uniquely configure each component pulled from the artboard.

4.  Validation

 
We like to say a configurator is only as good as its rules.  The Drag & Drop Configurator provides several layers of validation, all editable through the rules system in our administrator platform KBMax Create.  We can tell the salesman quite clearly not to proceed

5.  Visualize the Configuration

Seeing is  not just believing, its buying.  Instead of a vague hand sketch of the proposed configuration there is an accurate image on the artboard.  This real time visualization helps customers get exactly what they want the first time.

6.  Quick Quotations

When the user  finishes their configured assembly, they can get a quote or full proposal in minutes. Everything about this is customizable, and KBMax can even show different data depending on the defined role of the user.  Something different can be displayed to an Engineer and a salesman for example.

7.  CAD Outputs

The CAD generation for the Drag & Drop Configurator is so powerful.  Multiple layers of dynamically generated models can be placed into a CAD assembly with full mating and positioning.  Drawings can also be automatically generated with advanced capabilities like auto-dimensioning, auto-ballooning, and auto-scaling.  All this happens in a matter of minutes!!!

Our Drag & Drop Configurator is off to an impressive start with a premier customer (EMD Millipore) using it to configure single use systems in the Life Science industry.  Feedback from current and prospective customers has been awesome, there are lots of industries where the layout and drag & drop can help customers visualize new configurations.   We will keep you posted on all the cool new applications.

To learn more about the Drag & Drop Configurator or see a guided demo, give us a shout!

Searching the web for real information on enterprise software is hard.  There are thousands of whitepapers, blogs, and advertisements promoting CRM, ERP, and even product configurator software. There is enough flowery marketing language to make your head spin.

We suggest starting your search at Capterra, where you can review qualified vendors in organized directories with actual user reviews.  Why sort through endless Google results with bad links and irrelevant pages, when you can go to a site that only shows real results which are easily filtered by useful criteria. 

The user reviews listed there are a terrific tool to measure how companies treat their customers.  You are buying more than enterprise software, you are buying the crucial services that make it successful.  KBMax is proud to have strong feedback from our actual customers on Capterra. 

Learn how KBMax uses the cloud to automate pricing, CAD, and more during a live demo.   See how it can revolutionize the way you design and quote your custom products.  Please join us for the webinar on May 10 at 10 am Central.  Reserve your space here soon and book your ticket to the cloud.

Unless you've lived under a rock, you've heard all these buzz words lately:  "The Cloud"... "SaaS"... From Microsoft's "To the cloud!" commercials to the Salesforce.com "Chatter" Super Bowl commercial, the Cloud has hit the mainstream media.  Both individual consumers and global international corporations alike can use the cloud to make work and leisure computing easier.  But what exactly is the cloud, and why should your business care?

I'll spare you the technical mumbo-jumbo since there are already many well written articles on the on the web (like here at Wikipedia), and get straight to some clear business benefits:

1.  Let somebody else deal with the mess

US companies spend on average more than 16 days a month maintaining on-premise security alone.  When you use cloud software like KBMax, we take care of the mess of constant deployments and data security.

2.  You are actually safer in the cloud

Why do you think people keep money in the bank instead of at home?  They have a better safe. Major cloud providers have defense strategies far beyond anything you could match in your own data center.  KBMax utilizes the Microsoft Azure cloud, which sports an impressive security and backup system.

3.  KBMax scales with your business

Need more bandwidth?  Memory?  Database getting too big?  For KBMax, these concerns are solved before you even need to worry about them.  We are constantly monitoring performance on our cloud network and scale immediately to match demand.

4.  It's easy

With 1 mighty click of your mouse, you can deploy a configurator to your sales team worldwide.  Armed with their KBMax configurators, they all become product experts from day 1, able to quote and design custom products correctly, reliably, and in a matter of seconds.

Want to learn more about KBMax and the cloud?  Give us a shout.   

We are proud to announce that Super Radiator Coils (SRC) has selected KBMax to automate engineering and sales functions for its customized heat exchanger product lines.  SRC is based in Chaska, Minnesota and has been an industry leader in heat transfer technology since 1928. 

“KBMax was our top choice for product configurator software and services.  They worked with us to develop a plan that integrates with our existing platforms and automates complex SolidWorks models.  It's going to optimize our workflow and save us lots of man hours and money.”
 Tony Lein Sr. Application Programmer SRC

Stay tuned for a more formal press release, case studies, and more.

KBMax exhibited at last weeks SolidWorks World show in San Diego.  The show may have been indoors, but our booth was in the cloud showing lots of demos to the SolidWorks community.  Attendees were impressed with the benefits of our configurator's cloud functionality, awesome interface flexibility, and VB.Net rule language.  We had many converstations on how KBMax software and services could optimize entire workflows, automate engineering, and accelerate sales.

We were impressed with the growing awareness of product configurator software.  Two years ago many attendees were not too familar with the concept.   At this show most not only knew but were actively researching vendors.  We think its great that the market is growing and more customers get the configurator value proposition.  We know our software and services are an elite option in an expanding marketplace.

Thanks also to SolidWorks for the block party on Tuesday evening, lots of good food, adult beverages, and fun. 

KBMax is ready to launch KBMax Live,  the web platform for our flagship Configurator software.   KBMax Live automates manufacturing outputs like CAD models and drawings, BOMs, sales quotes over the web.  The cloud based technology and SaaS pricing model technology allows for fast and scalable implementation. 

Companies of all sizes can allow engineers, salespersons, distributors, or clients to configure custom product versions via KBMax Live.  Enterprise software programs like CRM, eCommerce, ERP, and PDM all integrate with KBMax Live to streamline the entire manufacturing, operations, and sales process.

Learn more about KBMax Live in the Cloud.

Citius and our KBMax configurator was recently named a finalist to the prestigious TiE 50 Awards that recognize the world's most enterprising technology startups.  Over 1600 companies were screened and Citius made the short list of 289 finalists.  Only 50 will win actual awards.   Please click here to vote for Citius and thanks for your support.

About TiE50 Awards and Tie50

TiE50 Awards are announced at TiEcon, the one of the world’s largest conference for technology entrepreneurs on May 13-14, 2011 at the EXPO Center in Santa Clara, CA.  TiE50 is a global, not-for-profit network of entrepreneurs and professionals dedicated to the advancement of entrepreneurship,  providing a platform for mentoring, networking & education, to entrepreneurs with over 14,000 members in 54 chapters across 13 countries.

The Swagelok Company announced today the release of their MPC Configurator, which is powered by our KBMax Configurator.  The MPC Configurator lets Swagelok customers build custom fluid system assemblies for use in the petrochemical field.

The software generates 2-D design schematics (P&ID view exportable through AutoCAD® 2010), a 3-D real view (exportable to SolidWorks®), and/or a bill of materials (BOM) for purchasing. A project report feature also provides a BOM and assembly diagrams package. All outputs can be saved to the user’s local machine.

“With the MPC configurator, engineers can have a ‘try before you buy’ experience for their system design,” said Doug Nordstrom, market manager, analytical instrumentation, Swagelok Company. “Our tool lets you pick your component, platform layout, and even fluid type to produce a live flow model so you can see graphical representation of flow through a system.”

Click here to read the entire press release or here to download the software.

SolidWorks users save 15% off KBMax seat prices from now until August 31.  KBMax can save your company money and time by automating SolidWorks outputs for custom products.

Let our configurator make your life easier, so you can relax more this summer.