Introducing the Epicor CPQ Champion Awards 2024: Celebrating Innovation, Collaboration, and Optimization

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    At Epicor, we believe in recognizing the extraordinary achievements of our customers. 

    That’s why we’re thrilled to announce the inaugural Epicor CPQ Champion Awards! 

    This program celebrates the hardworking organizations that use our Configure, Price, Quote (CPQ) solution to push boundaries, transform processes, and drive real results.

    The Epicor CPQ Champion Awards spotlight three key areas: Innovation, Collaboration, and Optimization

    Our team carefully selected winners from a pool of outstanding candidates, each demonstrating exceptional use of Epicor CPQ in their respective fields.

    Let’s meet our champions and discover how they’re transforming their industries with Epicor CPQ.

    CMTP: Epicor CPQ Collaboration Champion

    CMTP, a specialist packaging company from Victoria, Australia, has clinched our Collaboration Champion award. 

    The award celebrates CMTP’s exceptional partnership with Epicor, which has not only transformed their operations but helped enhance our CPQ platform, setting a new benchmark for customer collaboration that we deeply appreciate. 

    Company Background

    What started as company director Chris Meade crafting timber bins in his backyard has flourished into a thriving enterprise with 11 state-of-the-art manufacturing sites across Australia.

    CMTP’s expansive product range spans customizable pallets, wooden cases, corrugated cardboard boxes, and specialized corrosion protection packaging.

    Collaborative Success

    CMTP’s collaboration has helped the Epicor CPQ platform evolve. 

    By working hand-in-hand with our team, CMTP streamlined their operations while delivering invaluable insights that helped us refine our solution. 

    Travis Meade, Managing Director, describes one of Epicor CPQ’s headline benefits: 

    “After we rolled out Epicor CPQ, it saved us a huge amount of time. From starting a quote to sending it […] to the customers, it can be under five minutes. We’ve got speed to get back to customers, which was critical for us, but also consistency […] in pricing [across all our 11 sites].”

    Besides this, the partnership has yielded impressive results for CMTP:

    • A centralized quoting system across all locations
    • Automatic cost updates from their ERP
    • CAD automation with Solidworks integration
    • Intuitive tools for rapid onboarding of new team members

    Making Employee Life Easier

    Implementing Epicor CPQ has automated CMTP’s repetitive processes, enabling them to save time and redirect energy to business-critical tasks. 

    Travis Meade highlighted Epicor CPQ’s positive impacts on his team: 

    “Our staff spends less time sitting in front of computers, typing into Excel spreadsheets and waiting on other staff. Our sales staff spend more time out selling to customers, and we don’t have design staff tied up drawing basic pallets that we can now draw automatically through Epicor CPQ.”

    Future Collaboration

    CMTP’s commitment to collaboration extends beyond their own operations. 

    They’re now planning to make their CPQ configurator available directly to customers for self-serve transactions, showing their intent to enhance the customer experience and push the boundaries of what’s possible with Epicor CPQ.

    Watch the full conversation with Travis Meade here.

    Read more about CMTP’s customer story here.

    Frameless Hardware Company (FHC) and SKO Solutions: Epicor CPQ Optimization Champions

    Our Optimization Champion award goes to Frameless Hardware Company (FHC), a leading manufacturer and supplier of custom glass and glazing products, and SKO Solutions, their System Integrator.

    This award celebrates FHC’s outstanding achievement in successfully migrating from the simple configurator embedded in the Epicor Kinetic ERP to the more comprehensive Epicor CPQ solution

    By doing so, FHC unlocked newfound process optimization and generously shared their experience with the broader Epicor community.

    Company Background

    FHC’s product lineup is impressive, featuring a wide range of custom hardware for frameless shower doors, commercial storefronts, architectural railings, and transaction windows. 

    As a leading manufacturer and supplier in the glass and glazing industry, FHC has built a reputation for precision, quality, and innovation. Their products are found in high-end residential bathrooms, sleek office buildings, and retail spaces across the country. 

    Optimization Journey

    Christian Rodriguez, President and CEO at FHC, described the company’s previous challenges: 

    “It’s a business based on custom hardware—custom-sized doors and openings with multiple options for glass types, handle types, colors, heights, widths, etc. All that quoting was previously done through Excel. But the problem was the prices were never up-to-date from the manufacturing side.”

    Implementing Epicor CPQ has transformed FHC’s operations across multiple departments:

    1. Accelerated Quoting Process: Jesse Dorado, Brand Manager at FHC, highlighted the dramatic improvement: “(Quotes) that would usually take me 30-40 minutes, I can easily create within 5-10 minutes now. Some of the more intricate ones can take up to two hours, and that can now take me maybe about 15-20 minutes. It’s really sped up our quoting capabilities.”
    2. Enhanced Accuracy and Efficiency: VP of Manufacturing, Armando Rodriguez, noted the dynamic pricing benefits of Epicor CPQ. Unlike their previous Excel-based system, which quickly became outdated, Epicor CPQ provides real-time cost calculations. This allows FHC to offer customers accurate pricing for configured products.
    3. Streamlined Engineering and Customer Service: Epicor CPQ eliminated manual engineering work from 90% of orders, freeing up valuable resources for more creative tasks. Moreover, non-specialist team members are now able to configure complex products.

    Sharing Success

    What truly sets FHC apart is their willingness to share their optimization journey with others in the Epicor community. 

    This knowledge-sharing has helped other companies learn from FHC’s experiences and optimize their own operations more effectively.

    Watch the full conversation with Jesse Dorado, Armando Rodriguez, Omar Chang, and Reid Lehner here.

    Read more about FHC’s customer story here.

    School Specialty: Epicor CPQ Innovation Champion

    Our Innovation Champion award goes to School Specialty, a leading provider of educational products and services in the United States. 

    This award celebrates School Specialty’s groundbreaking use of Epicor CPQ’s Augmented Reality (AR) functionality and their valuable contributions to improving our AR capabilities.

    Company Background

    School Specialty offers a vast array of products, from furniture to curriculum solutions and supplies, catering to the needs of K-12 students and educators. 

    Their commitment to enhancing the learning environment through innovative solutions has made them a leader in the education supply industry.

    Innovating Through CPQ

    School Specialty’s creative use of Epicor CPQ, particularly its AR capabilities, has set new standards in the industry. 

    Adam Halfmann, Senior Director of Program Management at School Specialty, described the challenges that led to them choosing Epicor CPQ: 

    “We found ourselves with millions of SKUs, which meant it was hard to shop, price, quote…hard to do everything! When we found Epicor CPQ, it was an ‘aha’ moment. We knew we could deliver a great customer experience and meet a lot of business goals at the same time.”

    The implementation of Epicor CPQ’s AR technology has been a game-changer for School Specialty, as Halfmann explained: 

    “With augmented reality being an out-of-the-box capability of Epicor CPQ, our customers can, on their phone, configure a piece of furniture down to the pattern and exact finish they want. If their school color is Cardinal Red, they’ve got that right in the configurator. They can push the augmented reality button and see it right in their media center or classroom.”

    Exceptional Impact on Sales Performance

    School Specialty’s innovative approach has yielded impressive results:

    • 16% higher engagement with the configurator
    • 375,000 product options explored by customers
    • 22% more custom configurations added to cart
    • Valuable pre-sale data on customer behavior and preferences

    The impact on the sales process has been significant. Halfmann shared:

    “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.’ It’s a game-changer for them.”

    Continuous Innovation

    School Specialty’s commitment to innovation extends beyond their current achievements.

    They’re actively working on expanding their use of Epicor CPQ. Halfmann outlined their vision:

    “We eventually want to get to add-on accessories. So if I have this table, these chairs go with it, we can start to build out the environment. Then we want to get to full room building. I’d like to build a full classroom, to be able to fully and freely move everything around.”

    Watch the full conversation with Adam Halfmann here.

    Read more about School Specialty’s customer story here.

    Wrapping Up

    The Epicor CPQ Champion Awards celebrate the best of what’s possible when innovative companies partner with powerful, flexible technology. 

    CMTP, FHC, SKO Solutions, and School Specialty each demonstrate unique applications of Epicor CPQ, driving efficiency, accuracy, and customer satisfaction in their respective industries.

    We congratulate our winners and look forward to seeing how they and other Epicor customers will continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible with CPQ. 

    Here’s to the innovators, collaborators, and optimizers who strengthen our community!

    To learn more about how Epicor CPQ can transform your business, feel free to request a demo today

    Join the ranks of these champions and discover how Epicor CPQ can revolutionize your operations, enhance customer experiences, and drive growth in your industry.

    Emily Stevens

    Emily Stevens

    Emily is a marketing professional with knowledge across branding, digital strategy, and creative content. She enjoys educating her audience on the benefits of products and how their ease and use can help with efficiency and problem solving.

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