Overview

pSiemens is a global innovator focusing on digitalization and automation for the process and manufacturing industries, and is a leader in power generation and distribution, intelligent infrastructure, and distributed energy systems. For more than 100 years, the company has developed technologies that support multiple American industries including manufacturing, energy, healthcare, and infrastructure.  /p

Supernova Award Category

Tech Optimization and Modernization

The Problem

pThe Distribution Systems business unit of Siemens is a broad category of products and services that provides medium voltage primary or secondary switchgear and low-voltage switchboards, among other things, to more than 13,500 customers in 24 countries. The company utilizes factories distributed across the globe supporting nearly 13,000 employees. Its sales, pricing, engineering and delivery process was quite complex across such a large and diverse set of locations, departments and product types. The diverse product family and wide geographic reach created many steps across siloed departments, each of which required data input as sales orders and changes progressed along the purchase journey. Siemens wanted to digitize the sales process to provide the best offer and order process on the market, ensuring its current and future customer experience was smooth and that all data views would be consistent across every step of the buying process./p

The Solution

pSiemens turned to Configure-Price-Quote [CPQ] software from Tacton Systems to integrate data across departments to ensure customer visibility and ease of use at every step of the sales journey. The new CPQ initiative ensures Siemens can always offer optimal solutions to its customers throughout the entire B2B buyer journey./p p /p

The results

pComplex configuration was made simple. Strong configuration and integration across siloed systems have helped create complete visibility across the entire process, according to Christine Radke, Head of Tools Excellence and Digital Officer at Siemens. Siemens can now configure switchgear easily from the start, including the DTO process. Engineers can be involved from the beginning and easily communicate with other departments throughout the sales journey. /p p /p pThe benefits are enjoyed across three main areas:/p p /p pSeamless data and a replicable data model: Once core customer data is gathered, it flows through multiple touchpoints. The data can be leveraged by RD to aid in creating and designing models, engineering the product, creating a source of insight for future models because all changes made are maintained./p p /p pCalculation and preparation: Customers can receive an offer quickly. CPQ enables integration with Salesforce via the bidirectional transfer of information, allowing manufacturers to provide the right offer with the right information to the customer./p p /p pTransferring orders to the factory: With integrated CPQ, the product is immediately ready for the factory, enabling it to produce quickly. If changes are made by the customer after the fact, it is still manufacturable in the production line already created. Utilizing the right data allows Siemens to focus on the factory or manufacturing process./p p  /p

Metrics

pOn average, manufacturers using the Tacton CPQ platform see a 34% increase in efficiency, a 30% sales volume increase, and a 20% increase in net profit./p p /p

The Technology

pSiemens leverages Tacton’s Smart Commerce software solutions based on CPQ software. Tacton helps connect industrial companies with their customers and streamlines operations. By enabling manufacturers like Siemens to put the customer at the center of their digitalization, Tacton’s software creates an improved sales process and more efficient operations. Tacton goes beyond CPQ and helps Siemens build better relationships with its customers./p p /p

Disruptive Factor

pThis technology project makes it easier for Siemens to handle customer scenarios by connecting interactions before and after every step of the buyer journey. Rather than building solutions across silos, which decreases performance and increases administrative work, the complete configure-price-quote process is now transparent and seamless./p p /p

Shining Moment

pUsers across sales, back offices, operations, and engineering within the organization have told Radke that the CPQ project helps them handle their specific steps in a much leaner way. /p p /p