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1 – Business context: where does the bottleneck lie?
The field observation
The totems are selling well, but manufacturing them takes too long and creates urgent situations. The recurring pattern: an approved quote, an incomplete product sheet, incorrectly configured business rules, and a workshop receiving an incorrect production order.
Concrete impact:
- Incorrect quotes or inconsistent prices (front/back, multiple materials).
- Manual rework in design office and workshop: recalculations, replanning and urgent subcontracting.
- Poorly monitored stocks and subcontracting (platforms, curved shells, moldings).
These symptoms are not just software bugs: they stem from incomplete information flow and poorly described products between sales, research and production.
2 – Method: how to structure the product configuration for totems
Guiding principle
Redesign the product architecture around clear layers and reduced typologies to limit the accumulation of ad hoc rules.
Operational steps:
- Map the workshop process before touching the catalogue: list steps, machines, rates and constraints (RIP, printing, lamination, cutting, welding…).
- Segment the totems into 3–4 families (basic / standard / curved / premium) to create dedicated calculators and avoid a single overloaded product.
- Separate the commercial catalog (SKUs visible for sale) from the technical repository (materials, machines, production rates) to avoid ghost slugs and inherited options.
- Standardize and document each business formula: one formula = one challenge (welding time, tube flow rate, cross members). Define explicit units and conversions (mm → m) and translate fuzzy constants (+2…) into justified times or quantities.
- Build clear exclusion rules (hide irrelevant options) and configure the imposition automation by testing them on real workshop cases.
- Consolidate missing components (plates, gussets, shells) via a harmonized and versioned import framework to avoid duplicate references.
- Train salespeople and researchers in complete data entry: a good product sheet should allow the operator to produce without calls or adjustments.
3 – Practical implementation: rules and points to consider
Methodological points to apply from the first audit
Technical and organizational actions:
- List recurring dimensions and create closed variations for standard sizes (e.g. 900×2200, 1200×3000, 1370×4000, 1500×3000).
- Cost lighting per linear meter or based on precise dimensions (milling + LED) rather than per total surface area to avoid cost overestimations.
- Manage the curved shells as subcontracting stock references (batches), or create a separate product for the curved totem to facilitate statistical and purchasing tracking.
- Configure the types of fixing (plate / sealing) and link the plates to the stock for automatic counting and traceability of purchases.
- Calculate the crossbeams and frames according to the relevant dimensions (short side for the crossbeams, threshold rule at 3 m to go from 2 to 4 crossbeams).
- Document each formula: who modifies it, why, and how to test it (video tutorials and formula sheet).
4 – Concrete impacts and measurable gains
Results observed after structured redesign
Profits reported by companies that have applied this method:
- Administrative time savings: -30 to -50% on hours related to corrections and support requests related to configurations.
- Reduction of pricing errors and material duplicates: better management of front/back printing and flexible media.
- Fewer technical emergencies and configurator maintenance (ghost slugs, ad hoc rules).
- Better visibility on subcontracting and inventory, therefore fairer pricing and improved operating margin.
- More stable production flow: shop floor requirements and tasks aligned with actual practices, better machine planning.
5 – Job evolution: what this approach reveals for the sector
Field trends
Three observable and actionable developments:
- Product modularization: clear separation between commercial product and technical variants to facilitate calculations by typology.
- Standardized business formulas: converting workshop gestures into audited and documented formulas (rates, conversions, calculation rules for crossbeams/frames).
- Intelligent automation: automate imposition and pre-filling of shop tasks while retaining the possibility of manual adjustment for exceptions.
6 – Priority Action Plan (quick start)
Complete these four actions this week
- Identify and list 3 types of totems (basic, standard, curved) and decide which options are managed by product or by additional line (lighting, concrete base, shells).
- Export the existing SKU list, identify ghost slugs and duplicates, prepare a consolidated import for plates, shells and moldings.
- Map the critical formulas (welding, tube flow, cross members): document variables, units and justification of the constants used.
- Plan an internal workshop (2–4 hours) bringing together production, sales and administration to validate standardized business rules and exception cases.
An operational question to ask is: when a totem moves from a quote to the workshop, does the sheet contain all the necessary information to produce without appeal or adjustment?
Short answer: if the answer is no, the priority is organizational — classify the totems, separate catalogue and formulas, document and audit each rule.
Conclusion
Stopping ad-hoc "patching" and opting for organized restructuring reduces reactive work, stabilizes workshop workflows, and protects margins. Launch a 2-4 hour session to map 3 to 4 types of totems and list missing components: in two weeks, you can significantly reduce reactive interventions and regain time for strategic management.