Quote the conveyor system before engineering validates every section
Your rep already knows which modules go together. The problem is getting that knowledge into a price before the customer decides.
Where conveyor quotes break down
Four reasons the price arrives after the decision
These are not workflow problems. They are what happens when engineering knowledge lives only in people, not in rules.
Every layout change restarts the price
The customer adjusts the floor plan. A curve moves. An incline changes. Each revision loops back to engineering before sales can update the quote, so the customer sees numbers only after their budget is fixed.
Valid combinations exist only in engineering's heads
Which belt surface goes with food-grade sections? Which drive can take that incline at that load? Sales cannot answer without asking, and engineering cannot answer until they look. Every question is a day.
The quote document arrives in two parts
Modules on one spreadsheet, drives and motors on another, installation and commissioning in an email. The customer assembles the price. So do you, every revision.
Add-ons priced outside the quote
Safety guarding, sensors, controls, and service contracts are not in the same document as the conveyor itself. The customer asks. Someone calls back. The quote reopens.
The conveyor sale
Six decisions in every conveyor system sale
Your reps make these decisions on every opportunity. CPQ runs the compatibility rules at each one so the price stays current.
- 01
Application and environment
What moves, at what rate, in what environment. Food-grade, dusty, wet, or explosive-atmosphere requirements narrow the component range before a module is selected.
- 02
Layout and routing
Straight runs, curves, inclines, and transfer points. The floor plan determines which section types connect and how long the system is.
- 03
Belt, surface, and carrying capacity
Belt type, surface finish, and load per metre. These drive the frame selection and, downstream, the motor sizing.
- 04
Drive, motor, and controls
Motor power calculated from incline, load, and speed. Controls and safety category selected for the application and region.
- 05
Guarding, sensors, and integration
Safety guarding, photocells, barcode readers, and PLC or WMS interface points. On the same quote as the conveyor.
- 06
Installation, commissioning, and service
On-site installation, start-up support, and the maintenance or service level agreement. Part of the price the customer compares, not an add-on after award.
Who does what
Engineering defines the rules. CPQ applies them. ERP executes.
CPQ does not replace layout design or factory acceptance. It puts the rules engineering would give into the quote so sales does not need to ask every time.
| What owns it | What it covers | What it does not cover |
|---|---|---|
| Engineering / design | Valid combinations: which sections connect, which drives work at which load and incline, which components are excluded for food or hazardous environments. These rules feed CPQ. | Building the commercial quote, applying regional option lists, or producing the customer document. |
| Mercura CPQ | A valid commercial configuration within the rules engineering has defined: compatible modules, drives sized for the selected layout, options on the same document, regional pricing, and the quote package. | Layout design, structural calculation, factory acceptance testing, or manufacturing BOM release. |
| ERP / production | Purchase orders, production scheduling, shipping, and invoicing after the configuration is accepted. | Guided selling during the quote stage. |
The same opportunity
Two ways of quoting the same conveyor system
With Mercura CPQ
- Sales selects modules, layout, and drive in the quote tool. Compatibility rules check each step. No engineering loop for standard configurations.
- Guarding, sensors, controls, and service are options on the same document. One price, one revision.
- When the layout changes, the rep updates the configuration. The price updates with it.
Current process
- Layout to engineering, wait for validation, modules to one spreadsheet, drives to another, price assembled manually.
- Add-ons quoted in a separate email after the main document. Customer compares partial prices.
- Layout revision means a new round with engineering. Quote arrives after the customer has already looked elsewhere.
FAQ
Questions from a conveyor sales team
Straight answers for manufacturers selling configure-to-order conveyor lines to plant engineers and intralogistics buyers.
Does this replace our engineering team or layout design process?
No. Engineering still defines which combinations are valid, which drives work at which load, and which components are excluded for specific environments. CPQ applies those rules at quote time so sales does not call engineering for every standard configuration. Custom layouts, non-standard applications, and anything outside the defined rules still go to engineering.
Does CPQ replace ERP?
No. ERP remains the system of record for purchase orders, production, and invoicing. When a configuration is accepted, it can be handed to production so the order is not re-entered. That handoff is set up in your production environment. CPQ does not become the factory system.
We sell highly customised systems with few repeating configurations. Is this relevant?
CPQ earns its place where repeatable decisions exist, even in predominantly custom businesses. The base conveyor type, standard section lengths, known belt and drive combinations, and the add-on list are usually consistent. CPQ handles that repeatable layer. Everything above it follows your engineering process. If every system is truly one-off from first principles, catalogue plus ERP may be sufficient.
How do regional certifications (CE, ATEX, FDA) work?
Regional and application requirements can be conditions in the configuration: a food-grade environment shows different belt and surface options than a general-purpose one; an ATEX zone restricts certain drives. The rep selects the application and environment early. CPQ narrows the option list accordingly. This is not automated compliance sign-off: that still sits with engineering.
What about non-standard sections or bespoke profiles outside our catalogue?
Sales marks them for engineering review. Standard catalogue sections, known drive combinations, and the defined add-on range stay in CPQ. Bespoke fabrication follows your existing engineering process. The gain is that standard configurations stop consuming engineering time, leaving capacity for the genuinely custom work.
How does CPQ handle multi-zone systems or systems with several conveyor lines?
Each line or zone can be a separate configuration within the same quote. Shared elements (controls, installation, service) can appear once at quote level rather than duplicated per line. This is a modelling decision made during setup. It does not require a new product from Mercura.
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