Software development
The costs associated with new product additions and data-driven configurations in the manufacturing industry are at an all-time high. As a result, these costs are critically impacting decisions manufacturers must make, which in the end are affecting operational efficiency and overall user experience.
This is exactly what a manufacturer was facing when they approached us to develop a product configuration experience that supported the expansion of their tools and provided users with a seamless configuration experience.
To develop a unified, on-prem/cloud-based hybrid product framework to accommodate the rapid expansion of configured product support and reduce cost and customization complexities.
We developed a user-friendly, data-driven product configuration experience capable of supporting all current and future products with cost-effective features and reduced error potential.
The implemented solutions enabled our client to manage product configurations independently, improve user configuration accuracy, and focus on advanced feature development.
The manufacturer’s existing polished product configuration experience is widely recognized as the “gold standard” for similar products. Despite its high value, it has yet to be replicated by other manufacturers due to the high investment, intricate complexity, and extensive customization requirements.
Over the prior three years, the cost associated with supporting configured products had been quite high. A scalable, data-driven product framework was needed to quickly accommodate the rapid expansion of configured product support across various tools.
An improved user experience was needed to benefit both the business and consumers. The client had explored other business opportunities using off-the-shelf tools but had abandoned them due to high customization costs. Recognizing the potential value these tools could bring, the client was open to revisiting the benefits of a custom-built solution.
We developed a user-friendly product configuration experience capable of supporting the products and made it scalable to encompass all current and future products. This created a much more simplified configuration experience with minimal deployment requirements.
An interface in their foundational data architecture was also built to effortlessly define the complete user experience for product configuration using various on-prem resources, such as SQL Server, .NET and Angular. Microsoft Azure services were also needed to complete deployment, which included Azure SQL Server, Azure Function and Azure Data Factory.
A system was developed to accommodate integrations through the APIs at the time of configuration to reduce manual coordination time and potential efforts. We built in more streamlined processes with data-driven REST APIs to offer more user-friendly features like quoting and ordering non-configured components separately.
The newly implemented solutions significantly increased business value and improved operations. Users were now able to configure their products more quickly and accurately due to the enhanced user experience. The new framework supported configured products across both in-house and third-party tools, expanding its versatility.
Additionally, the client’s team became self-sufficient in defining new configured products and editing existing ones, empowering those with the most product knowledge to define the optimal user experience. Product updates could be released with just data updates, accelerating the time to market.
This shift created bandwidth and allowed software engineering efforts to move from routine maintenance tasks to higher-value feature development, enabling the client to allocate their top contributors to more impactful projects.
As a result, the new product configuration tools have improved efficiency and long-term development opportunities.
Discover how Green Leaf Consulting Group’s strategic IT solutions can bring you growth through technology. Contact Neil McCole at neilm@greenleafgrp.com or (484) 535-4405.