Industries > Packaging Machines Manufacturers

Shorten the packaging line offer cycle without bypassing engineering

Your sales team already knows the steps. The problem is how long each step takes.

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The offer cycle

How a packaging line offer works today

  1. The request

    A prospect calls. They want a filling and sealing line for a new format: pouches, 60 packs per minute, three SKU widths, with a vision system and an integrated labeller.

  2. First cut goes to engineering

    Your sales rep builds the first cut in a spreadsheet and sends it to engineering.

    • Is the sealer compatible with that infeed at 60 ppm?
    • Can the labeller mount on the right side at that line speed?
    • Do the change parts for the three widths come from one supplier or two?

  3. Cycle repeats

    Revised quote, then another add-on

    Engineering answers in a few days, sometimes more. The quote goes back to the customer, revised. The customer wants to add a checkweigher.

  4. The quote lands too late

    By the time a final quote lands, the format may have changed, the customer has looked at competitors, and your engineering team has spent time on a deal that may not close.

This is the offer cycle for modular packaging machines. CPQ does not remove engineering from it. It puts the rules engineering would answer into the quote tool, so sales can close the first loop faster.

What CPQ validates and what it does not

Engineering keeps the technical authority. CPQ keeps the commercial loop moving.

The boundary matters. CPQ is not a configurator that replaces a layout review or a factory acceptance test.

What owns it
What it covers
What it does not cover
Engineering / PLM
Module compatibility limits, format change feasibility, safety and layout approval, revision control of product data.
Building the commercial quote or applying regional pricing.
Mercura CPQ
Valid commercial configuration within the rules engineering has defined: compatible modules, peripherals on the same quote, regional option lists, pricing, and the quote document.
Layout approval, factory acceptance, manufacturing BOM release, or ERP posting.
ERP / MES
Order creation, planning, procurement, and production scheduling after the configuration is accepted.
Guided selling during the offer cycle.

The offer path

Seven decisions in every packaging line sale

Your reps already make these decisions. CPQ runs the rules at each one so the loop does not go back to engineering.

  1. 01

    Machine platform

    Which base machine family: form-fill-seal, wraparound, flow wrapping, tray sealing, or the platform your catalogue starts from.

  2. 02

    Pack format and SKU range

    Pouch, carton, bottle, or tray. Primary dimensions and the number of format widths the line must handle.

  3. 03

    Throughput and line speed

    Target packs per minute or units per hour. This drives module selection, motor sizing, and change part lead times.

  4. 04

    Infeed, discharge, and layout

    How product enters and leaves. Left or right hand drive. Floor footprint constraints. Module interconnection.

  5. 05

    Materials, sealing, and dosing

    Film specification, adhesive type, fill volume, sealing method, and any dosing or filling technology tied to the product.

  6. 06

    Peripherals, services, and compliance

    Checkweighers, printers, vision systems, guarding, installation, commissioning, and regional certifications — on the same quote as the line.

  7. 07

    Commercial terms and quote package

    Lead time, warranty, service level agreement, and the document the customer signs. Not a spreadsheet attachment — a structured quote.

Before and with CPQ

The same offer cycle, compressed

With Mercura CPQ

  • Sales builds the line in the quote tool. Module compatibility rules run immediately — no engineering loop for standard configurations.
  • Peripherals, change parts, and services appear as options on the same quote. No second spreadsheet or follow-up email.
  • Regional option lists and pricing apply automatically. The customer gets one document.

Current process

  • Sales builds a spreadsheet cut, sends to engineering, waits for compatibility answer, revises, sends again.
  • Peripherals are quoted separately or forgotten. The customer asks about them after the main quote.
  • Regional pricing is applied manually. Errors go unnoticed until the order is placed.

FAQ

Questions from packaging machine sales teams

Common questions from OEMs and line builders who are evaluating CPQ for the first time.

Does CPQ replace the layout review or the factory acceptance test?

No. CPQ validates the commercial configuration: which modules are compatible, which peripherals go together, what the regional option list allows. It does not generate installation drawings, sign off on floor plans, or replace the FAT. Those stay with engineering, as they should.

What happens when the customer asks for a configuration that is not yet in the rules?

Sales marks it as a special or flags it for engineering review. CPQ handles the standard catalogue. Specials follow whatever process you already use. The gain is that standard configurations stop consuming engineering time.

How do format changes and change-over kits get quoted?

Change parts and tooling kits can be modelled as options in the same configuration. The customer sees the base line and the change parts on one quote. If the kit pricing depends on the number of formats, that logic goes into the pricing rules.

How are regional certifications and compliance handled?

Certification requirements by market (CE, FDA, ATEX, or others) can be conditions on options. A machine for the US market shows different safety options than one for the EU. The rep does not apply this manually. The rules do.

Does CPQ replace PLM or the product BOM?

No. PLM or your product data system remains the master for module definitions, revision history, and manufacturing BOM structure. CPQ generates a quote-level BOM for the customer's accepted configuration. Manufacturing release stays in PLM or ERP.

We sell highly engineered specials, not a modular catalogue. Is this relevant?

CPQ works where you have repeatable decisions: even predominantly engineered-to-order businesses usually have a base platform, a set of known module families, and a standard peripheral offering. CPQ handles that repeatable portion. The engineered content above it follows your existing engineering process.

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