When is Combeenation not suitable?

Author: Walter Burgstaller

Is Combeenation the right solution for you? This is a valid question that should definitely be clarified before placing an order. While we have many satisfied and successful customers, we also want to be transparent and let you know that there may be certain features that we cannot offer. If one or more limitations also apply to you, we encourage you to still contact us and discuss them in detail so you can make an informed decision.
 

What we can not offer technically

Offline

Our platform runs exclusively in the cloud, specifically in the Microsoft Azure Cloud. This means that the configurator does not run "offline", i.e. it does not work without an Internet connection. This fact can be important for customers, especially if the configurator is to be used in areas where no Internet connection is available. Sales staff who are on a flight and do not have an Internet connection cannot access the configurator either.
 

On Premise

Some companies have concerns about storing their data in the cloud and prefer to install and run the configurator on a server in their own network. At Combeenation, however, we do not offer an on-premise solution. Nevertheless, we would like to emphasize that with us, all prodauct information is stored securely and exclusively in the cloud. This means that sensitive data never ends up on users' end devices and is therefore protected at all times. Compared to other configurator manufacturers, who sometimes transfer sensitive information to the end devices to enable configuration, Combeenation only transfers the result of the configuration to the device. With this approach, your data is always kept safe in the Mircrosoft Cloud.

Price factor: When are we not suitable?

One-time payment

Since our Combeenation platform is operated in the cloud, we also do not offer a buy-out model where the configurator can be purchased through a one-time payment. Why is that not possible? Our configurator solution consists of three elements:

• The development environment for creating the configurator: This is, so to speak, the platform on which the configurator runs. All our know-how is collected here. Therefore it is property of Combeenation and cannot be sold.
• The runtime system that runs the configurator.
• The configurator itself, which contains your data. This is your property. This means that all customer data that is uploaded or entered, such as photos, images, 3D models or information, belongs to you. They are your property and you have the IP rights to them. You can use this data even if you prefer to switch to another manufacturer.

No monthly costs

Configurators from Combeenation run on one platform. To ensure that our platform is always up to date and offers the best performance, we have to perform regular maintenance, further developments and technical adjustments. Therefore, monthly fees from customers are necessary. These fees include not only database maintenance and backups, but also the implementation of new features and plugins to make configurator building easier and to ensure smooth integration with store, PIM and ERP systems. Although we offer many free features, the use of the Combeenation platform is associated with monthly costs,

For which customers are we not suitable?

In addition to the question of what we cannot do technically, we should also consider the question of which customers we are not suitable for.
 

Large solution space, small quantity, small selling price

With this in mind, let's look at three key factors:

• Solution space: How many different options can be configured?
• Units per month: How many products do I sell per month?
• Sales price: What is the average sales price?

It is always the combination of these three factors and not a single factor which can lead to an exclusion criterion.

• If a company has a very large solution space, sells very few products per month, and the selling price is very low, then the effort of building a configurator may not pay off. Except the configurator results in internal time savings and error prevention.
• If the solution space is very large, the number of units is small and the price is high, for example for a house, the configurator will still pay off.
• In the case of a very small sales price - of 20 euros, for example - but very high quantities (10,000), the configurator and the monthly costs will pay off very well.

To determine the profitability of a configurator, you can try ROI calculator.

Not enough traffic on the website.

With regard to successful B2C configurators and the associated increase in sales, it is of utmost importance to generate sufficient traffic on your website. For small, unknown companies like startups, this is often the first hurdle. Because if no one knows you exist and your website is not visited, your configurator can also not be found and provide more sales. More info about this can be found in the blog article "Sales increase throug product configurator".

 

Checklist: When is Combeenation not suitable?

If you answer yes to any of the questions below, we are unfortunately not the right provider for you. We place great emphasis on honesty and want to ensure that any concerns are clarified in advance to avoid any nasty surprises.

• I would like an offline or on-premise solution
• I prefer one-time costs
• I do not want monthly costs
• I have products with a very small product price
• I have very little traffic on our website