Elfsquad’s CPQ software originates in the manufacturing industry. More specifically: it all started at producers of agricultural machines. With our software these producers make it much easier for their dealers to sell their products. In this item you will read how. Spoiler: this is also interesting when your dealer sells something else than agricultural machines!
Producers of agricultural machines are moving towards customization and serving various niches. There is nothing wrong with that, as farmers are served better and better this way. But as a dealer or reseller, it becomes difficult to have enough knowledge of all these products. You might sell 20 brands, with each their own product line, compositions, and particularities. Manufacturers expect that you as a salesperson are able to understand all of them, but that poses quite the challenge.
The relationship between dealers and farmers has also changed. In the past, it was much more about trust. A farmer went to the same dealer where his father went before him and bought what he needed. By now this has changed, mostly because machines have become more complex and expensive. The farmer does not just hand over 300.000 euros, but often utilizes external financing. The relationship has become more business-like: the farmer expects a good working machine and delivery by someone who is knowledgeable about it.
On top of that, he is riding around on a tractor with GPS all day, so that he saves time to look up all sorts of information about his new machine on his phone. But the distribution chain still works offline for a big part. It is high time for manufacturers to help their dealers. How? We have an idea.
Elfsquad is advanced CPQ software. CPQ stands for Configure, Price, Quote. This means that users of our software can configure machines however they want, can directly see prices, and even instantly request a flawless quotation. What are the main advantages of this?
For instance, as a dealer, you will be able to sell much more easily. As you no longer require a lot of substantive knowledge to guide your customer to a good quotation: the biggest portion of this substantive knowledge is already contained in the software. On top of that, the software is intuitive and user-friendly, so it is very simple to work with.
We also think that many machine producers underestimate what is needed to be able to sell well. The big catalog you get sent away with on a dealer day has become obsolete. With so many options and configurations you quickly become unable to see the forest through the trees, so how can you help the farmers then? With smart CPQ-software, you gain the best sales arguments handed to you as a dealer, and you optimally support the customer in their choices.
In the past, the dealer was the one who came to help in the middle of the night when the harvesting machine stopped working. These days manufacturers and customers still expect the same, but this does mean that the dealer has to be unburdened: they are too busy researching the gigantic amount of possible configurations and options. Good CPQ software gives dealers the room to truly help customers. Not only do you quickly gain a good quotation, but you also gain certainty. You know that every configuration rolled out of the software can actually be built. As a dealer, you save time this way, so that you can provide good service.
We love to demonstrate Elfsquad’s capabilities, through a demo for instance. We know for sure that afterwards you would love to knock on your manufacturers’ doors so that they can give you software to do your work so much more efficiently!
Elfsquad removes all worries from your pre-production process. With Elfsquad as backbone, we realize the digital factory that smart industries have been trying to find for so long. We do this through a product configurator, with integrated solutions for marketing, sales, and operations.
Let us know what you think.