AR Product Configuration

Imagine walking a customer through a complex industrial equipment sale––motors humming, parts moving, configurations changing––all without a single piece of physical machinery in the room.

This is the reality of modern sales enabled by Augmented Reality (AR) product configuration. In an era where B2B buyers expect consumer-grade purchasing experiences, the traditional approach of static catalogs, technical drawings, and (what feels like endless) back and forth,  leaves revenue on the table.

In this article, we’ll explore how AR configuration drives revenue by eliminating costly revision cycles, enabling effective remote sales, and giving customers the confidence to make faster buying decisions. By projecting full-scale, interactive 3D models directly into customers’ spaces, AR configuration is fundamentally changing how complex products are sold and revenue is captured.

But first …

Do Any of These Challenges Sound Familiar?

Picture a sales engineer at a housing development company trying to help a customer configure a product with 20 small parts. Or a sales consultant at a custom glazing manufacturer helping a contractor visualize a commercial storefront installation. 

Either way, there are multiple material options, specific performance requirements, and regulations to contend with. It isn’t just a matter of choosing colors or sizes; each decision impacts performance, compatibility, and price.

Without AR configuration, these folks face several hurdles:

The Visualization Gap

The customer can’t truly “see” how different configurations will look and function in their environment. PDFs and catalog images, no matter how detailed, remain static and disconnected from reality. When the customer asks, “But how will this configuration fit in our tight space?” the salesperson can only respond with more technical drawings.

The Omnichannel Dilemma

According to Gartner, digital channels will generate 80% of B2B sales by 2025, up from just 13% in 2019. While B2B buyers increasingly prefer self-service purchasing, traditional ecommerce platforms struggle with complex product configuration. Buyers want the convenience of online shopping but still need expert guidance to navigate technical specifications, compatibility rules, and application requirements.

The Cost of Uncertainty

This lack of clear visualization leads to:

• Multiple revision cycles as customers struggle to imagine the final product
• Expensive physical samples shipped across the country
• Sales engineers spending hours on Zoom explaining technical details
• Installation issues when the delivered product doesn’t match customer expectations
• Lost sales when customers choose simpler, less optimal solutions out of uncertainty

High-performing sales reps know that each hour spent on revisions and explanations is time that could be spent pursuing new opportunities. But without a way to bring these complex configurations to life, the cycle continues. This means less revenue for the business, less commission for the sales rep, and disgruntled parties on both sides of the transaction.

Generating More Revenue Faster with AR Product Configuration

The entire sales process changes when you open Epicor CPQ’s AR configuration tool within the CPQ software. Instead of struggling with static drawings, customers can now project a full-scale, three-dimensional assembly directly into their space. Every component, every connection, every configuration option becomes tangible and interactive.

It’s hard to overstate what a fundamental shift this is in how complex products are presented and sold. We’re not talking about another slight improvement in 3D configuration—this is a step change.

Epicor CPQ’s AR configuration works by:

• Rendering CAD-accurate 3D product models in real-time
• Allowing dynamic configuration changes with immediate visual updates
• Maintaining engineering rules and constraints to ensure viable configurations
• Projecting products at actual scale in the customer’s environment
• Enabling collaboration between remote teams and customers

Each industry, each complex product, becomes more accessible and comprehensible through this technology. The most powerful aspect? It’s fully integrated with Epicor CPQ’s configuration engine, meaning every visual change offers dynamic pricing updates, BOMs, and manufacturing requirements. When a customer asks “What if we added another section?” or “Can we change this material?” the answer appears instantly––both visually and technically.

The Sales Advantage: A Presentation Becomes a Partnership

With AR configuration, every sales conversation becomes more collaborative and conclusive. That custom glazing manufacturer’s sales consultant and housing developer’s sales engineer? They’re now closing deals in half the time, and here’s why:

Speed and Confidence

Instead of scheduling multiple site visits with technical teams, they can demonstrate complex configurations instantly. When a customer asks about clearance requirements, they can show them––right there, in their actual space. Questions that once required engineering consultations now have immediate, visual answers.

Remote Sales

Even for customers halfway across the world, AR configuration enables product demonstrations that leave little to the imagination and no space for confusion. Sales teams can share interactive 3D models for team review or integrate Epicor CPQ’s AR technology directly into their website, allowing customers to explore configurations at their own pace using just their phone or tablet.

Revolutionizing the Customer Experience

Instead of trying to interpret technical specifications and imagining how components fit together, customers can now actively participate in the configuration process.

Empowered decision-making customers can:

• Walk around their virtual product, viewing it from any angle
• Understand the impact of different options and upgrades
• Share configurations with their team for collaborative decisions

The transformation in customer confidence is significant. Customers enter the deal phase with clear expectations. They’ve seen exactly how their configured product will look and function in their space. This alignment leads to fewer change orders and returns, and higher customer satisfaction.

Mini Case Study: School Specialty’s AR Configuration Journey

When School Specialty, a leading provider of educational furniture and supplies, faced the challenge of selling complex furniture configurations across thousands of schools, they turned to Epicor CPQ’s AR configuration solution. Their story illustrates the power of AR in more traditional markets.

The Challenge

School Specialty’s sales team were trying to sell cafeteria tables, classroom furniture, and specialized educational equipment using only catalog images. This was how it had always been done in the industry, but customers still struggled to:

• Visualize how furniture would fit in their actual spaces
• Understand true size differences (like a 12-inch vs. 24-inch chair)
• Configure products across different color schemes and room layouts

The Transformation

By implementing Epicor CPQ’s AR configuration, School Specialty revolutionized their sales process. As Adam Halfmann, their Senior Director of Program Management, explains: “From the sales team’s perspective, AR is a huge opportunity. They can walk into a school and say, ‘I can’t physically bring a cafeteria table with me, but with augmented reality, I can place one right here, right now, so you can see exactly how it would look in your space.’”

The Results Speak Volumes

• 16% higher engagement with the product configurator
• 375,000 product options explored by customers
• 22% increase in custom configurations added to cart
• Streamlined sales process across all channels
• Reduced decision-making time and increased customer confidence

What the Future Looks Like 

The AR hardware market, valued at $2.4 billion in 2023, is expected to reach $9 billion by 2027. With projections showing 1.07 billion AR users by 2025, the technology’s accessibility gives it a distinct advantage over VR. While virtual reality requires specialized headsets, AR experiences are available to anyone with a smartphone.

Picture your next sales meeting. Your sales engineer opens a tablet, and suddenly your latest product appears in the room––full-size, perfectly detailed, and completely configurable in real-time. 

Your customers walk around it, explore how it fits in their space, and truly understand what they’re buying before placing their order. The “let me check with engineering” delays fade away, replaced by immediate, visual answers to complex questions with Epicor CPQ. 

It’s not about dazzling technology; it’s about giving customers the clarity they need to make decisions and generating more revenue for your business. To explore how AR configuration could work in your specific business environment, contact Epicor for a personalized demo of our CPQ software.