Sales Configurator vs. Product Configurator: Key Differences, Benefits & Use Cases

In today's fast-paced digital world, customers crave personalization more than ever, making configurators a key tool for driving sales and streamlining manufacturing. The global product configuration software market is predicted to amount to $3.3 billion by 2031.

But configurators don't all work the same. Among the most common are the Sales Configurator and  Product Configurator. While both are instrumental in accelerating the flow of business, they have very distinct functionalities. 

A Sales Configurator helps customers and sales teams select products with real-time pricing and availability updates. In contrast, Product Configurators  ensure that those choices conform to technical and manufacturing constraints so that no errors or inefficiencies are introduced.

In this blog, we will discuss the main differentiating factors between the two configurators, how they affect business processes, and why selecting the right configurator is critical to business success. Let's go!

What is a Sales Configurator?

A sales configurator enables the automation and smooth functioning of the sales process by allowing customers or a sales team to choose from a range of product functionalities and receive real-time pricing within seconds. According to Gartner, companies using sales configurators experience a 40% reduction in quote-to-cash time. 

This eliminates any delays that would be caused by manual calculations or messages back and forth between sales and operations; the configurator provides for a fast and accurate quoting process that makes the entire sales experience smooth and efficient.

A sales configurator for complex products reduces errors and delays while also presenting customized solutions in the smoothest way possible. This tool makes the overall sales experience, whether B2B or B2C, so much more straightforward for the company and the customer that they can confidently proceed.

Benefits of A Sales Configurator:

• Faster Sales Process: With automated product selection and pricing, sales configurators significantly bring down the time taken to close a deal. Without having to manually configure  options or go  around in circles getting  approvals from different departments, your sales team has more time to strategize and build customer relationships
  
  
• Instant and Accurate Quotes: For an advanced sale, it is a major challenge to provide fast and accurate pricing on custom goods. A sales configurator can  automatically calculate the cost for the selected configurations without a time lag, providing accurate quotes to customers quickly.
  
  
• Enhanced Customization Flexibility: Modern-day customers expect personalized solutions that match their real-life needs. A sales configurator allows customers to choose from a variety of features, add-on components, and specifications to create a custom product to perfectly match their needs 
  
  
• Reduced Errors and Miscommunication: Manual quoting can lead to miscommunication and overall havoc of pricing errors, incorrect  configurations, and misunderstandings between the sales team and the customer. Sales configurators with automated pricing allow the business to avoid those costly mistakes while assuring that every quote created is  accurate and worth producing.

What is a Product Configurator?

A product configurator is a tool that is geared towards improving customer experience by enabling customers to personalize various aspects of a product such as size, color, materials, and features. There are different types of product configurator. 

While  a sales configurator is meant for price generation and for speeding up the selling process, a product configurator is a visual and interactive way for customers to customize products before their purchase.

This tool finds application in industries such as automotive, furniture, fashion, and consumer electronics, where buyers prefer seeing how their choices affect the final product. Whether choosing the finishing details of car interiors or fully customizing a sofa from fabric to dimensions, a product configurator will give customers a visual on-screen experience and allow them to make informed choices.

Key Benefits of a Product Configurator:

• Increases Customer Engagement: Allowing customers to personalize a product fosters a deeper connection with your product and brand. The ability to visualize and make changes to their selections in real-time greatly enhances engagement and makes the buying process more interactive and enjoyable.
  
  
• Real-Time Visual Representation: One of the biggest challenges in online shopping or custom manufacturing is the inability to visualize how the final product will actually look. A product configurator provides high-quality 3D visuals or interactive previews to ensure that every customer knows what they are ordering long before putting that order in. This eliminates all doubts and promotes confidence in making their purchase.
  
  
• Reduced Product Returns and Dissatisfaction: The better customers can see what they’re buying, the less likely they are to be disappointed. Making the consumer an active participant in the customization process positively affects their satisfaction with the end product, resulting in fewer returns and exchanges.
  
  
• Efficient Production and Inventory Management: A product configurator that has been well integrated can speak directly to manufacturing and inventory, thus ensuring that only feasible configurations are available for selection. As such, configurators help cut down on production errors and stop customers from selecting options that are out of stock or unfeasible.

Do you know that the Product Configurator Software Market was valued at USD 1.1 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 3.3 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 7.8% during the forecast period?

Sales Configurators vs. Product Configurators: What’s the Difference?

While both tools help customize products, their key distinction lies in who they are designed for.

How to Select the Correct Configurator for Your Business

The selection of the right sales or product configuration tools is dependent on many factors as every business demands something else. Here are fundamental considerations that can help you choose appropriately:

1. Your Business Goals

Ask yourself: Are you looking at increasing sales productivity, or do you really want to increase customer engagement? If time is of the essence in closing sales and guaranteeing correct quotations, the sales configurator is your best choice. If you’d like to provide  consumers with personalized, visual shopping options, you would be better to choose a product configurator.

2. Budget & Scalability

The configurator you choose should come in within budget and provide good long-term value; it needs to be scalable so that its application grows with your business. If your product offerings expand or your customer base increases, the configurator should at least be able to accommodate more complex configurations with zero performance issues.

3. Product Complexity Examination

Some products may only require a simple color or material customization, while some will have detailed engineering specifications that must validate against manufacturing constraints. If your brand has highly configurable products, you should select a tool that handles complex customization and CAD, ERP, or PLM integration.

4. Technical Support and Maintenance

Technical support and maintenance are vital in building your configurator, and are just as important once it is live!. Choose a vendor who offers reliable customer support, ongoing maintenance, and software updates so that your configurator remains able to deliver value to your business. 

Where Can A Sales Configurator Be Used?

Sales configurators can be applied into many business platforms for optimizing sales processes, improving accuracy, and enhancing user experience. Here are some common implementations: 

1. Partner Portals

Most businesses depend on distributors and resellers to sell their products. A sales configurator embedded within a partner portal allows distributors to easily configure and place their order while ensuring  that every quote and order conforms to company-wide standards. This helps to speed up the sales process and fosters  good relationships with partners.

2. CRM Integration

Integrating a sales configurator with CRM (Customer Relationship Management) systems ensures that all sales configurations, customer interactions, and order histories are stored in one place. This way, sales teams have an overview of each customer’s preferences, allowing them to make better-tailored recommendations and close deals faster.

3. Sales Team Enablers

Sales configurators are powerful tools that help sales teams instantly generate accurate quotes and configure products during customer interactions. No more manual calculations—customers get fast, error-free quotes in real time. 

Where Can a Product Configurator Be Used?

Because of their wide variety of features, product configurators  are frequently used in industries where customization and visualization contribute to the pleasant customer experience and seamless functioning of the manufacturing process. Here is how some industries are using product configurators: 

1. E-Commerce and Online Retailing

Product configurators enable customers to personalize products, seeing visual updates to the product before purchase. Some fields, such as fashion, furniture, and interior décor, benefit a lot from customizable 3D previews of the changes being made to the selected item. This helps the buyer to visualize the change made before ordering, thus reducing any possibilities for doubt, returns, and customer dissatisfaction.

2. Automotive Sector

Car manufacturers use  product configurators to allow customers to customize the vehicle's interior material, exterior color, accessories, and performance features. Configurators help automate the sales process while enhancing customer engagement by combining them with inventory systems, thus ensuring that all selected configurations are ready for manufacturing and are available for production.

3. Manufacturing and Engineering

For B2B industries that deal with complex, highly configurable products (such as machinery and industrial equipment), product configurators are essential. They allow businesses to articulate precise custom configurations while interfacing with CAD, ERP, and PLM systems. This ensures that every configuration will be supported by engineering feasibility and manufacturing constraints, drastically reducing errors and production inefficiencies.

4. Home & Interior Design

Within the home and interior design, a product configurator allows customers to personalize furniture, flooring, cabinetry, and décor to fit their style and aesthetic requirements. Interactive 3D previews invite users to visualize how their custom selections will look in the given space before buying. This, in turn, promotes buyer confidence while acting to quell post-purchase dissatisfaction.

5. Electronics and Gadgets

Product configurators are being used by tech companies for customizable electronics, including  laptops, smartphones, gaming PCs, and home appliances. Consumers can choose from a variety of specifications, such as processor type, memory, and color, while ensuring that only compatible components are available for selection. This maximizes supply chain management for manufacturers and guarantees a frictionless shopping experience for the consumer.

6. B2B with Industrial Equipment

In B2B industries dealing with heavy machinery, tools, and industrial equipment for sale, product configurators help buyers identify the correct specification according to their requirements. These applications guarantee that only valid, manufacturable configurations are selected, thus avoiding expensive production errors. By interfacing with supply chain and manufacturing systems, companies are also  able to manage inventory optimally and reduce lead time.

How imagine.io Can Help

At imagine.io, we provide cutting-edge visualization and configuration solutions that revolutionize how businesses approach product customization and sales efficiency. Our advanced 3D and AR-powered configurators offer a seamless way to enhance customer engagement and streamline business operations.

Why Choose Imagine.io?

• Immersive 3D Visualization: Our product configurators offer high-quality 3D and AR previews, allowing customers to see what they are customizing before purchasing.
  
• Real-Time Pricing and Configuration: With integrated sales configurators, businesses can provide instant quotes and automate their sales process.
  
• Seamless Integration: Our solutions easily integrate with ERP, CRM, and eCommerce platforms, ensuring smooth data flow across systems.
• Industry-Specific Customization: From automotive to home décor and B2B manufacturing, imagine.io tailors solutions for every business need.

The Final Verdict: Why You Need a Configurator

Choosing the right configurator is key to optimizing sales and enhancing customer experience. While sales configurators streamline quoting and order accuracy, product configurators provide interactive customization to boost engagement. Understanding their differences helps businesses improve efficiency and meet customer demands.

At imagine.io, we offer cutting-edge 3D and AR-powered configurators that simplify sales and product customization. Ready to elevate your business? Contact us today!