Product Configuration Management Is Key for Leading Manufacturers

Survey shows 85% of top performers rely on it to achieve business objectives

Published: Tuesday, October 10, 2023 - 11:01

(Configit: Copenhagen, Denmark) -- According to the findings of a new IDC InfoBrief sponsored by Configit, a global leader in configuration life cycle management (CLM), manufacturing companies increasingly consider CLM to be a competitive advantage to optimize product portfolios and increase profits.

Based on a survey of 511 discrete manufacturing companies in North America and Europe, the IDC InfoBrief provides a deeper dive into how companies are grappling with product complexity, how this is driving priorities, and what the most successful companies are doing to get ahead.

The full IDC InfoBrief, “Orchestrating Product Configuration Management: The Secret Weapon of Leading Manufacturers,” is available for download here.

Other findings include:
• The top three business concerns for manufacturers are improving product delivery/installation, managing the product portfolio, and ensuring product quote accuracy.
• 33% say that connecting product design and engineering with sales and service is a top goal for the coming year.
• 85% of the best-performing manufacturers are using product configuration management solutions to deliver key business objectives.

John Snow, IDC research director of product innovation strategies, says, “Product complexity creates challenges across the enterprise, and it’s a driving factor behind manufacturers’ top business concerns. Our research revealed that, on average, manufacturers are currently using three different configuration tools, and organizations are developing cross-functional product configuration management strategies that can achieve multiple business priorities. This, in turn, is driving the need for applications that can simplify configuration management processes and inherently improve collaboration.”

Johan Salenstedt, Configit CEO, says, “Product complexity is only increasing, and companies looking to reap the benefits of digital transformation must rethink their product configuration strategy. In an ever-evolving landscape where adaptability is key, this research equips businesses with the knowledge to not only navigate challenges but to leverage their product configuration approaches and, by connecting their already implemented product configurations, creating a single source of truth as a catalyst for growth and innovation.”

Visit Configit’s website to learn more.

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