Customer self-service applications transform the sales process by enabling customers to manage their transactions. As a side benefit, this increases customer engagement rates. Not only that, but it also helps to decrease the burden on internal sales teams, freeing up time and resources for other tasks.
However, transitioning from internal sales applications to customer-facing self-service platforms comes with challenges. Unlike internal tools for experts, public-facing applications must meet diverse user needs. An underdeveloped rollout can lead to delays, resource drain, and low user adoption. So, here are eight principles and actionable tips to guide you in your customer self-service CPQ implementation journey.
1. Start small—limit the scope to 80%
Insisting on perfection early on can lead to unnecessary complexity and high development costs. It is much more effective to start small. If you focus on covering up to 80% of sales scenarios, you can create a user-friendly and manageable configurator. At that stage, a gradual rollout will enable you to reduce the risk of failure and gather real-world feedback to continuously improve.
Pro tip: Launch your configurator with a limited set of features to a small group of users. Use this initial phase to gather insights, understand user behavior, and make necessary adjustments. By covering the most common cases, you leave room for internal sales teams to handle more complex scenarios. Over time, you can expand the configurator’s scope based on user feedback and evolving business needs.
2. The basics first—practicality over perfection
The quest for a perfect launch can end up in missed opportunities for feedback and neverending development cycles. It is best instead to release a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) so that you may start gathering insights from real users and develop the product based on actual needs rather than hypothetical ones.
Pro tip: Identify the minimum essential features and avoid getting distracted by non-essential add-ons. Launching an MVP will allow you to gather early feedback, which can guide iterative updates and improvements. This approach will help you polish the product while gradually helping both customers and internal teams adapt to the new tool.
3. Gather user feedback—beware of scope creep
Gathering user feedback is crucial for developing a configurator that meets real needs. However, implementing every piece of feedback can make the system overly complex and cause it to expand beyond its original scope. And so, you have to prioritize enhancements that provide the greatest value.
Pro tip: Collect feedback through surveys, interviews, and usability testing. Prioritize suggestions based on their potential impact and value. Focus on changes that will make a significant difference, while keeping a list of nice-to-have features for future consideration. This will help your configurator evolve in a user-centric way.
4. Solve real problems—for both customers and internal teams
A configurator that solves real-world problems provides immediate value. By ensuring that the tool is beneficial for both customers and internal sales teams, you encourage regular use, ongoing improvement, and a deeper understanding of user needs.
Pro tip: Identify the main pain points and inefficiencies in your current sales process. Design the configurator to directly address these issues. Integrate the customer self-service app into your internal sales processes to enable sales teams to identify gaps and contribute to improvements over time.
5. Start with manual processes—run a pilot phase for real-world insight
It is not necessary to automate everything right away for a successful launch. By starting with some manual processes and a trial period, you can quickly involve users in the process and gather valuable feedback.
Pro tip: Look for areas that can be managed manually in the early stages, such as sending automated emails to the sales team for “Quote Request” or “Buy” actions. At the same time, conduct a trial phase with a select group of users to test the configurator in a controlled environment. Use feedback from both internal and trial users to gradually automate processes and improve functionality.
6. Functionality over perfection—ensure seamless integration
A configurator that seems impressive through style and features but which cannot work with existing systems will not be efficient. It is much more effective to prioritize seamless integration over appearance and ensure that the tool improves workflows without creating new issues.
Pro tip: Plan out how the configurator will interact with your current systems. Work closely with IT and development teams to ensure smooth data flow and integration. Start by focusing on the essential functions, and use simple indicators to show users that the tool is still being improved. You can then refine the design based on actual user feedback.
7. Quiet launch, big impact—celebrate results over release
A discreet launch decreases pressure, it enables you to introduce the new configurator to customers and teams in a more controlled manner. You can thus more easily test it, identify early bugs and areas for improvement, and adjust without having to manage public expectations.
Pro tip: Introduce the configurator to a specific group of users and provide comprehensive training and support. Use this phase to gather feedback and improve the tool. Then you can recognize milestones based on real results, such as the 100th self-service order, rather than the initial launch. You will establish credibility and ensure that when you announce the configurator to a wider audience, it is a proven asset.
8. Plan for the long haul—budget for continuous improvement
A configurator is not a one-and-done project. Remember to budget for ongoing maintenance, updates, and enhancements so that your configurator may evolve with user feedback and market changes, and remain relevant.
Pro tip: Start by budgeting for the initial launch, then plan for ongoing costs. Regularly collect feedback to identify new feature requests and improvements. Use this feedback to guide future iterations and prioritize the changes that deliver the most value. Keep users engaged by communicating updates on your continuous improvement.
If you follow these best practices, you can successfully navigate the implementation process and develop a configurator that drives efficiency, meets customer needs, and delivers meaningful business outcomes.
Do you want to know more? Get a free 30 minute 1 on 1 call with us or check out how our customers have launched configurators with great success!