BigMachines Updates Configuration, Proposal Generation Software

Version 6.0 of Lean Front-End adds Web services connector to integrate provider's online product configurator into other applications using SOAP

Version 6.0 of Lean Front-End adds Web services connector to integrate provider's online product configurator into other applications using SOAP

Chicago, IL  June 10, 2005  BigMachines, a provider of Web-based configuration and proposal generation software, has released the latest version of its Lean Front-End (LFE) solution, featuring a Web services connector for its online product configurator and a new administration interface.

Version 6.0 of LFE will allow customers to tie BigMachines' product configurator into other applications using the standard object access protocol (SOAP), as well as to model and automate front-end business processes including quoting, ordering, pricing, collaboration and approval processes.

BigMachines' LFE is a lean front-end solution designed to meet the selling requirements for providers of complex products and services. The software's capabilities are intended to help manufacturers automate and integrate customer-facing processes from inquiry to order.

Support for Web Services

The full support for Web services, a set of programming standards used to make different types of software talk to each other over the Internet, introduced in LFE v 6.0 provides BigMachines' customers with the capability to integrate applications and systems across the enterprise, the solution provider said.

This extends the Web service integration capabilities that BigMachines offers to applications, such as its Sforce-certified integration to salesforce.com's on-demand customer relationship management (CRM) solution.

"The release of BigMachines LFE v6.0 supports our ongoing development of a flexible, easy-to-use, service-oriented architecture (SOA) that caters to organizations with complex products and sales processes," said Godard Abel, CEO of BigMachines. "Current and prospective customers will benefit from the added functionality designed to improve everyday operations and yield greater business returns," added Abel.

More New Features

Additional new features and functionality for BigMachines' customers include, but are not limited to:

  • Configuration API with SOAP  enables customers to call BigMachines' configurator from another application using XML and SOAP.


  • Improved File and Document Manager  designed to make it easier for admin users to manage an organization's key selling and marketing documents online and to provide them to their users at the optimal point in a guided selling process.


  • Commerce Admin Navigation  enables an organization's processes to adapt to a changing business environment by streamlining commerce process setup and administration. A new deployment center allows the admin users to deploy their processes at a scheduled time.


  • Commerce Process Document Generation without Line Items  enables users to create a commerce document such as a quote or order without having to first pick or add a line item from the catalog or configurator.


  • Aftermarket Serial Number Search Updates  enables customers to search for and find aftermarket parts and services by providing custom search fields and allowing wildcard search options.


  • Customer Search Filters  intended to make it easy to find the right customer record when generating a quote or order by using all single-select customer attributes to filter customer master search results.


  • Improved Global Table Management  enables system administrators to organize and sort their company's data tables. Global tables can be assigned to folders, and sorting is possible on the table name, date modified and date deployed columns.
To further enhance the LFE user experience, various additional technical and functional improvements have also been incorporated relative to displays, navigation, image flexibility, configuration arrays and commerce functions, according to BigMachines.


Additional Articles of Interest

 Is your company getting the most from its supply management function? For a step-by-step look at how to phase in a successful "end-to-end" supply management strategy, read the article "Roadmap to a Comprehensive Supply Management Strategy," an In Depth article on SDCExec.com.

 A survey of consumer healthcare decision-makers shows opportunities for manufacturers to gain competitive advantage by focusing on some key points in their supply chains. Read more in the SDCExec.com In Depth article "Leveraging the Supply Chain for Competitive Advantage."


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