Distribution How TII Reinvented Its Sales Processes With CPQ

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The TII Group has digitized its sales processes with a CPQ solution (Configure, Price, Quote). The result: quotes every minute, fewer errors and the basis for scalable growth.

"Scalability, speed and susceptibility to errors—these were our three biggest construction sites," says Jonas Uhlmann, summarizing the initial situation at the TII Group (Transporter Industry International GmbH). As Head of Business Development, his department was responsible for introducing the CPQ solution at TII.

The pressure to act resulted not least from the company's extraordinary product and variant diversity, which posed particular challenges for sales:

The broad portfolio of heavy-duty and special transport solutions includes modular platform trailers, self-propelled transport vehicles and individual special solutions. The products are characterized by maximum flexibility, load capacity and innovative technology. The company's vehicles, which have German production sites in Pfedelbach and Ulm, are used worldwide in industry, infrastructure and aerospace for the transportation of heavy and complex goods.

The initial situation was characterized by established structures that had worked reliably for years—but had reached their limits with increasing growth. Quotations were prepared manually and relied heavily on individual expertise, which made them precise but time-consuming. A higher volume of inquiries could only be handled to a limited extent, as scaling would have required additional human resources.

The system landscape at TII had grown organically over the years and consisted of tried and tested solutions: Price lists were maintained in Excel, customer data was managed in the CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system Salesforce and quotations were created via SAP. Each of these tools fulfilled its purpose—however, the interaction of these established systems required a great deal of coordination. As the market became increasingly dynamic and demand grew, it became clear that an integrated solution could further increase efficiency and at the same time create room for future growth.

A large part of the sales success was based on the in-depth product knowledge of experienced colleagues. "They knew every screw in the product," continues Uhlmann. But with the generational change and the growing international dealer network, it was clear that this knowledge had to be digitized.

Why CPQ—And Why Now?

Years earlier, TII had already been considering the introduction of a CPQ system. At that time, however, the move was not yet ready. The turning point came at the end of 2023: "The challenges were no longer sustainable—and at the same time, we were in the midst of a comprehensive digitalization process anyway," Uhlmann continues. CPQ was an ideal fit for the IT roadmap.

Expectations were correspondingly high. "We wanted quotes in minutes. The salesperson should be able to generate a quote and even an order confirmation directly from the customer with just a few clicks. It was equally important to us that new sales employees could be trained with the tool within days and no longer need years to build up product knowledge."

Systematic Provider Selection—With A Gut Feeling

The selection process followed a clear plan: an interdisciplinary project team defined requirements, drew up a longlist of around ten providers and condensed this into a shortlist of three finalists. In the end, SAE was chosen.

On the one hand, hard criteria such as the seamless connection to CRM (Salesforce), ERP (SAP) and PLM systems were decisive. In addition, TII required interactive configuration directly in the 3D model and automated creation of dimensioned 2D sketches. But soft factors also counted: "SAE was the only provider with whom we had the feeling: They really engaged with us. The offer was individually tailored to us. We had immediate trust. The chemistry was just right," emphasizes Uhlmann.

From Launch to Go-Live—In Under Twelve Months

The go-ahead was given in March 2024 and the official go-live took place in spring 2025—less than a year later. The launch was deliberately pragmatic: instead of a lengthy concept phase, the company started with one product—low-loaders, specifically the Eurocompact model. This product is representative of TII, consisting of standardized modules such as axle modules or goosenecks, but also parametric or customer-specific modules and accessories.

Over the course of the launch, teams worked in parallel on pricing structures, configuration logic, interfaces and layouts. Particularly important: the separation of production start and go-live. "We wanted real user experience in the system before the go-live—that has proven to be successful."

The entire introduction was carried out remotely—with a surprisingly positive experience. Although the teams did not know each other beforehand, the remote setup worked extremely well—also because the colleagues at SAE were very open and committed. In addition, travel time and costs were saved and the TII team was able to integrate the project work into their daily work routine as comfortably as possible.

A New Level of Efficiency—And Motivation

Today, many areas of the company benefit from the CPQ solution. The effect is most evident in the field service: quotations can be created and approved directly at the customer's premises. This not only saves time, but also increases the closing rate.

Work in the back office has also changed fundamentally for the better. Whereas back office staff used to be busy with sorting work, they can now concentrate on value-adding activities. Controlling and Business Development also receive consistent data for evaluations—without any Excel monsters.

High Acceptance—And Increasing Demand in-House

A key success factor: the sales force was involved in the project at an early stage. One sales employee was part of the core team, while others were continuously involved in tests and feedback rounds. This led to a high level of acceptance and even a kind of competition within the company as to which product would be included in the CPQ solution next.

Further low-loader variants are currently being mapped. Next on the agenda are logistics vehicles such as swap body trailers and tractor units. At the same time, the system will be functionally integrated further into the sales process—for example, with the aim of giving dealers the opportunity to create end customer offers directly in CPQ.

Conclusion: More Than A Tool—A New Sales Logic

For Jonas Uhlmann, one thing is certain: "People think that with a CPQ you are simply introducing a tool. In fact, you are digitizing—and revolutionizing—your sales and order processes. It's much more than software: it's a new way of thinking about sales."

The CPQ system was not seen as an isolated solution in sales, but as an integral part of the overall strategy. "We have laid a foundation stone—a foundation for our future business model. And we can now build on that."

Susanne Henkel is Managing Director of Sae Applications for Digitalization GmbH.

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