— Topic

CPQ

AI and the Quote: Automating the Front Office of Custom Manufacturing

For custom manufacturers, the quote is where deals are won and margins are set — and where skilled people spend hours interpreting emails, drawings, and spreadsheets. Here is a clear-eyed look at what AI can and cannot do in quoting, and the architecture that makes it safe.

SBFS Team · July 20, 2026 · 6 min read

One System or Seven: What a Unified Platform Looks Like for Custom-Product Manufacturers

The typical custom manufacturer runs a website builder, a configurator SaaS, a quoting tool, spreadsheets for production, and accounting software — glued together by re-typing. Here is the capability map of a unified platform, and the integration tax it eliminates.

SBFS Team · July 20, 2026 · 6 min read

The Business Case for 3D Product Configurators: What the Data Says

B2B buyers now expect to self-serve, visualize, and price complex products online. Here is the published evidence on what 3D product configurators change — conversion, quote accuracy, and sales cycles — for manufacturers of configurable products.

SBFS Team · July 17, 2026 · 6 min read

From Configurator to BOM: Closing the Gap Between Sales and Production

Most product configurators stop at the shopping cart. For manufacturers, the real value starts after the order: turning every configuration into an accurate bill of materials and a production plan — automatically.

SBFS Team · July 17, 2026 · 6 min read