Recently, ETS NORD rolled out a new configurator. It is designed to streamline the ordering process for clients looking for silencers, while also simplifying tasks for the sales team. Let’s chat with Margus Napp, ETS NORD’s product manager, to delve into how this configurator meets the needs of both customers and staff.
Margus, could you tell us about the products ETS NORD offers and who its primary customers are?
Well, at ETS NORD, we specialize in developing and manufacturing ventilation equipment. Our main clientele consists of designers and installers. Designers select the products they need for their projects, but it’s typically construction companies that make the purchases.
In broad strokes, our product range can be divided into standard offerings and customizable options. The former encompasses specific items, while the latter presents a vast array of variations.
Now, selecting the right product from our customizable range can be quite laborious without any assistance. In larger projects, we’re talking about potentially hundreds of these products being involved. Previously, navigating through all these choices and performing price calculations required a significant amount of manual work from our sales department.
Could you walk us through how the idea for the configurator came about?
Certainly. As a company, we’ve been placing a strong emphasis on digitalizing our processes for some time now. We already have several product selection programs, or iQs, in place. Recognizing the need for a similar tool for our noise suppressor product line to expedite the selection process, we reached out to Wenture. This collaboration resulted in the development of SilenceriQ, our noise suppressor selection program.
What initial task did you assign to Wenture?
From Wenture, we wanted a web application that would cater to the needs of various stakeholders. It had to satisfy the sales department, installers, and designers alike.
When developing such an application, it’s crucial to carefully consider the entire customer journey—how different parties would utilize the application to streamline their tasks.
The sales department needed to use the application to prepare quotes and generate technical printouts to expedite orders to production. Installers required the ability to perform noise control calculations for ventilation systems and select suitable noise suppressors. Designers needed to swiftly and easily choose the most suitable noise suppressor for their projects.
How did the development process of the configurator unfold?
Configurator development is a lengthy process, and in the initial stages of the project, not all challenges can be anticipated. Therefore, we divided the development into stages. The first stage involved creating a web-based configurator that would allow for easy selection of noise suppressors. So, we began with simpler, rounded noise suppressors.
We then progressed to more complex products, such as configurable square-shaped noise suppressors, where more choices needed to be made.
The result was a configurator where selecting a noise suppressor required entering various pieces of information: room volume, room absorption, decibels, and noise source. After inputting the data, the configurator provides the client with various types of noise suppressors, with the option to further narrow down the selection. For example, specifying the required material, dimensions, or connections.
What else was important for the configurator to function?
Simply having the application isn’t enough; it’s crucial to have data exchange between different software. For designers, an integration with MagiCAD was created, through which the designer can choose the SILENCERiQ plugin, integrated with both AutoCAD and Revit software. From there, they can access our SILENCERiQ web configurator and select the most suitable noise attenuator for their project.
Additionally, an integration with our own ETS NORD Webshop software was established, where selected noise attenuators can be directly sent to the ETS NORD online store through an API, which calculates prices for the selected products and allows for placing orders.
How did the work at ETS NORD change after the configurator was completed?
All calculations – preparing a quote, selecting the appropriate product, and calculating noise attenuation – have significantly sped up. Previously, we had to configure the attenuator in one software and then manually input the information into another software. Such manual work can lead to errors.
Now that the software is integrated, the product can be configured in the same place, data can be automatically transmitted for price calculation, and then the product can be directed straight to production.
Today, the SILENCERiQ configurator is capable of calculating an entire project quote for the customer based on product information.
