I stumbled upon this great product configurator (PC) at http://vtx.honda.com, which helps prospective motorcycle buyers visualize the various models and configurations of the Honda VTX motorcycle.

This is a great example because it provides a self-service interface that helps consumers experiment with various configurations and immediately answers key questions, such as "How much will this cost if I add this feature?", "What does it look like in Blue?" and "Where can I get it?".

I'm still hoping for the day when these product configurators are tightly integrated with ERP Bill of Materials (BOM) systems so that Marketers and Engineers can collaborate and quickly make product configuration and part changes (price, source, look) and then immediately publish the changes live to their web site.

But the low-hanging fruit for most relationship marketers is simply to get some basic customization capabilities and images available on their web site.

I recall reading a case study where the conversion rate of customers who actually used the online PC and requested a quote was phenomenally high (> 30%). It may cost anywhere from $10K-$200K for a really good configurator (depending on product complexity) but with 30%+ conversion rates that can be easily be measured in closed-loop reporting environment, who can afford not to consider that investment?

Of course, an organization must be MTO capable (Made-To-Order) to truly recognize the benefits of a PC.