frCP Pumpen AG
- Zofingen, Switzerland
- Dynamics AX
- Manufacturing
CP Pumpen Optimizes Complex Product Configuration and Technical Documentation from Dynamics AX
Benefits
- Eliminate configuring incompatible options.
- Streamline BOM generation process with accelerated, dynamic BOM drill down.
- Seamlessly integrate with Dynamics AX.
“With the old configuration tool, we had too many cases where combinations were selected and could not be built. This is now a thing of the past, and we can maintain the flexibility to handle non-standard requirements.”
CP Pumpen AG is a leading manufacturer of premium quality centrifugal chemical process pumps and a provider of services dedicated to helping our customers increase energy efficiency and achieve sustainable environmental improvements in their fluid handling systems. Established in 1948 and based in Zofingen, Switzerland, CP is an industrial company globally. Today, we operate in more than 40 countries and generate over 80% of our sales outside Switzerland.
Challenge
CP Pumpen AG (CP Pump Systems) is an independent Swiss pump manufacturer with international scope and a focus on technology. Their history is proudly marked by events, such as “Installation of a modern ERP system…” in 1999 and “Increase in production capacity by installing 5-axis CNC machines” in 2001. Adoption of technology is one of the markers CP Pumpen uses to recognize progress. But the most recent configurator upgrade had not gone to plan.
They had deployed D365 AX 2012 R3 in 2016. Along with that change, they developed an external pump configuration tool. But users were not happy with the application and, the performance was sub-par. Administration was complicated, primarily because the device could not deliver valid technical documents. Many users preferred to bypass the system altogether, resorting to tried-and-true Excel programs they had developed in-house.
Solution
Two years in, they re-launched the configuration project with clarified goals. Technical document generation was identified as the critical gap in the previous configurator. Inaccurate pump datasheets, pricing information, and Bill of Materials made it onerous to work with. They needed a tool that could handle these tasks with speed, precision, and accuracy.
Immediately they thought of CPQ. Back in 2016, they had contacted us when evaluating their configurator. Head of Marketing Daniele Nardin remarked, “CPQ had gained a lot of interest back then but did not win the race. After our experience with the choice made, the new project team was more than happy to get back to CPQ for a re-evaluation.”
Since technical documentation was a key driver, our tool was something that they could not refuse. Full integration with AX simplified the documentation aspect, while the easy configuration modeling interface appealed to their team’s technical proficiency.
Result
With their unused configurator experience in recent memory, CP Pumpen took a page from the Agile playbook. They opted to develop a barebones configuration tool with need-to-have items only. This meant BOM generation. At the same time, they wanted to know CPQ could handle their most complex products. Not to be deterred, we started with their most complex pump model.
“We wanted our sales tool to generate valid selections. With the old configuration tool, we had too many cases where combinations were selected which could not be built. This is now a thing of the past, while maintaining the flexibility to handle non-standard requirements.”
Daniele Nardin, Head of Marketing and After-Sales-Services/CCO at CP Pumpen
With initial success behind them, CP Pumpen is continuing with plans for full-scale deployment. The first milestone is to complete all product models. By then, they will have determined what to do about CRM, as well as define a roadmap for further feature development. Once the organization fully utilizes CPQ, they will also have the opportunity to roll-out the configurator to their entire network of agents, resellers, potentially even their clients. CPQ’s full integration with D365 would make any of these channels easy to reach.
