Meet the needs of today's engineers with on-demand data access
For today's buyers,"impatience is a virtue". Gartner and Forrester predict that by 2020, customers will go through 80% of the buying process before engaging with a vendor. This means that customers will search for the relevant information they need to make a purchase in advance and are unlikely to choose a company that does not provide this information.
Furthermore, engineers don't have time to waste searching for product information. They want immediate access to the information they need so they can get back to their busy schedules. And manufacturers can't afford to spend the time and resources to provide engineers with this data quickly enough.
The Product Configurator is the answer for manufacturers who want to create an optimal digital customer experience and meet the needs of engineers on demand.
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24/7 access to online 3D CAD downloads
The online parts configurator is suitable for on-demand customers because buyers are in charge. Customers have 24/7 access to information about the manufacturer's products and can instantly download digital product samples anytime, anywhere.
This, in turn, allows customers to work on their own schedule, gives buyers the information they need to make the best choices for their design, and meets customer expectations for on-demand services. According to IEEE GlobalSpec, 58% of engineers say their competitive environment is global and competes around the clock.
Digital just-in-time delivery
Manufacturers may not be able to produce physical products on demand, but they do offer the next best option: digital just-in-time delivery. Rather than having specific product configurations gathering dust on shelves, manufacturers create the unique digital part for each customer as soon as the buyer is ready.
When an engineer customizes a product using the manufacturer's online product configurator, he or she is often creating a custom product that has never been made before. Because the configurator creates the product on-the-fly, all the information the engineer needs (product number, manufacturing information and product specifications) is already included in the download.
Customer-oriented and customer-focused
With online 3D CAD downloads around the clock and digital just-in-time delivery, the manufacturer becomes a valuable resource for its customers without overburdening its employees and internal resources.
The interactive product catalog guides the customer through 80% of the buying process. This means the manufacturer spends less time emailing information to the customer and more time delighting their customers.
The importance of 3D CAD models and instant product information can be seen by looking at the success of PFA Inc's online product configurator. 99% of customized products purchased included a model created using the new configurator. Customers no longer had to draw or otherwise source parts themselves. Watch the video below to see how easy it is to download a CAD model from PFA.
Every day, new platforms that offer on-demand customer service are replacing those that lag behind. Manufacturers must also exceed their customers' expectations and keep up with trends to provide better customer service or risk losing customers to faster, more innovative competitors.
Are you struggling to meet the needs of engineers? Let us know your thoughts on using an online configurator to meet and exceed customer expectations.
