Best Visual Configuration Software
Visual configuration software, also known as visual product configurators, shows sales representatives visualizations of custom-configured products with the customer’s selected features represented. The visualizations are tied to predetermined configuration models, allowing only feasible configurations based off of any functional, technical, business, or budgetary limitations. Many tools allow sales reps and customers to add and remove features directly, with the visualization updating to reflect those changes in real time.
With visual configuration software, companies can easily configure, price, and quote products in a collaborative way that is easy to see via 2D and 3D visualizations. Some tools even offer augmented reality and virtual reality functionality, allowing customers to see the product in their environment. Customers and sales reps are able to see a representation of the finished product prior to purchasing, increasing service levels and buyer confidence.
These tools are often used in manufacturing, engineering, and industrial settings. Visualizations can also be embedded in e-commerce stores to empower customers to take product configuration into their own hands. While some visual configuration products are standalone, most are part of an overall CPQ software solution.
To qualify for inclusion in the Visual Configuration category, a product must:
Best Visual Configuration Software At A Glance
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Coohom, a leading global cloud-based, all-in-one 3D design platform, that provides software and services to empowers designers and businesses to effortlesssly bring ideas to life, streamline processes
863 Twitter followers
Epicor CPQ (formerly KBMax) is a cloud-based solution that streamlines sales, engineering, and manufacturing processes for complex, customizable products. With Epicor CPQ, product configuration, prici
9,316 Twitter followers
Kickflip empower your customers' creativity, increase their engagement & boost conversions with an outstanding product customizer experience. A visual product customizer with all custom product op
378 Twitter followers
Zakeke is a cloud platform empowering over 10.000 retailers and brands to offer their customers a complete set of tools for Visual Customization for web-to-print, 3D & AR Configuration, Virtual Tr
366 Twitter followers
Configure One Cloud from Revalize is the most powerful CPQ (Configure, Price, Quote) solution to accelerate sales cycles, streamline processes, and drive operational efficiency. Backed by more than 20
104 Twitter followers
Dopple uses innovative technology to bring products to life on-screen, enabling a digital buying experience that is faster, more accurate, and provides a better overall experience. Our 3D product
25 Twitter followers
Vendavo powers the shift to digital business for the world’s most demanding B2B companies, unlocking value, growing margin and accelerating revenue. With the Vendavo Commercial Excellence platform, co
6,216 Twitter followers
In Mind Cloud Digital Sales Platform has been acquired by Zilliant (www.zilliant.com). Zilliant helps companies unlock the power of pricing by putting pricing at the heart of every business. Zilli
3,366 Twitter followers
VRED 3D visualization software helps automotive designers and digital marketers create product renderings, design reviews, and virtual prototypes.
275,202 Twitter followers
Create the WOW factor to boost your sales with 3D visualization and personalization of your products within your own browser whether on desktop or mobile. The ability to rotate the product and zoom in
Threekit is a visual commerce platform that enables leading global brands to visualize and sell their differentiated products. It is everything you need to sell your product digitally. Inspire and
1,001 Twitter followers
Hive CPQ is a powerful and user-friendly Configure, Price, Quote platform designed to streamline and improve sales for manufacturers of complex products. This innovative solution automates the tasks o
30 Twitter followers
DriveWorks software is used for Design Automation and Sales Configuration by companies large and small
Experlogix is a global leader in CPQ and document generation and automation solutions, with thousands of customers worldwide in various industries. We elevate customer engagement, business growth, and
491 Twitter followers
Combeenation – CPQ and 3D Configurator Solutions Combeenation develops Configure, Price, Quote (CPQ) solutions and 3D configurators. The company was founded in 2009 and is based in Austria. Custome
761 Twitter followers
Learn More About Visual Configuration Software
What is Visual Configuration Software?
Visual configuration software, sometimes known as visual product configurators or visual CPQ, is a type of product specification app that uses 2D or 3D images of the product to select options and show its current and final forms. This allows salespeople to consult directly with customers on product features, often with better results than simple Q&A or choosing from a static catalog. The configurations shown are limited to what is actually possible and functional according to predetermined rules or preset configurations, so a customer cannot choose a setup that is not valid.
Why Use Visual Configuration Software?
Visual configuration is essential when the appearance of a product matters, such as custom apparel. It is also highly valued in designing items like industrial machinery that must fit within predetermined space, weight, or shape constraints. Sometimes it is just easier or more effective to choose options from a 2D or 3D representation than from a list.
Who Uses Visual Configuration Software?
There are two main types of users who leverage visual configuration software. In B2B settings, salespeople walk customers through the configuration process and input their choices to the software. For B2C implementations, it is usually the customers themselves who make the changes and choose the final product. There are exceptions on both sides.
Many industries make use of visual configuration software, particularly those dealing with highly complex objects. These include aviation, automobile, power generation, industrial machinery, and construction, but also biomedical devices, laboratory equipment, and interior design.
While normally the realm of computer-aided design (CAD) software, there is also a use case for visual configurators among product designers who are modifying an existing design or who have been given a set of specifications and must work with limited space and catalogs to arrive at a solution.
Kinds of Visual Configuration Software
The types of visual configurator depend on who is being served.
Consumer — Consumer, or B2C, visual configuration software is intended for direct use by the customer, often in conjunction with e-commerce software. Examples of use include car companies that let buyers choose outward features, such as paint job, wheels, and upholstery, or apparel companies that offer custom printing of text and logos on shirts or hats. Some interior design products fit here for choosing accessories and laying out rooms, but many are intended for professional decorators and the hospitality industry. B2C configurators are typically (though not always) light on technical details because the selections are more cosmetic in nature.
Industrial — Industrial, or B2B, configurators are for use by salespeople, who use their knowledge of their product lines and the customers’ requirements to design custom products in direct consultation with the customer. Heavy construction equipment and factory machinery are often customized this way, taking into account power requirements, physical footprint, capacity limits, and other factors. The configuration process also generates customized documentation and instructions.
Visual Configuration Software Features
The following are features found, in some form, in all visual configuration software.
2D or 3D — Visual configurators must render an image, whether flat or volumetric. Use of 3D has become prevalent for objects where heft and depth matter, while 2D is used in cases where the overall dimensions of the product either do not change or are not important. Some visual configurators are capable of both types of display.
CPQ integration — Since this category is the configure portion of configure-price-quote, it’s important for the configurator to be tightly integrated with the CPQ system, if not built directly into it.
Nonvisual support — While the purpose of this software is to provide visual representation of components and finished products, not everything needs its own graphic, and sometimes it’s easier to select from a list than to cycle through images.
Documentation — The configuration process records the selections and results in written form in addition to an image. This documentation may include but is not limited to a parts list, an invoice, specifications (fuel, power, dimensions, capacity, etc.), assembly, and usage instructions.
Saved versions — The visual configuration tool may have preset designs and may allow the user to work on concurrent variants like an A/B test. The ability to save a particular configuration and continue working, with the ability to revert to the previous version, also goes here.
