Excel programming of a product configurator

Development of a product configurator with Microsoft Excel for MANN+HUMMEL GmbH

The globally active mechanical engineering and automotive supplier MANN+HUMMEL GMBH (Ludwigsburg) supplies its international customers with filter technology products and services for the development and maintenance of systems, ...

... and commissioned eWorks to develop a software tool for product calculation and configuration: a "product configurator".

eWorks designed and implemented a customized software solution for the client's individual requirements. Using the developed product configurator application, the client's sales representatives in Germany and abroad can easily and accurately configure a product to be delivered, determine its total cost and place an order. The incorrect configurations that inevitably occur with manual orders due to the technical complexity are prevented by plausibility checks that guide the representative through the ordering process and prevent incorrect entries. A shopping cart function also makes it possible to place several orders "in one go". The developed solution provides AD employees and the client's customers with more timely price information and greater cost transparency - while at the same time significantly reducing process costs.

The software was developed on the basis of Microsoft Office 2003 in order to minimize installation support. The implementation as an Excel workbook made it possible for the client to enter future changes to the product portfolio, the price structure or the specialist logic themselves without any programming knowledge. In addition, a CSV import function was developed so that more extensive changes to the product portfolio could be integrated into the Excel solution quickly and without errors. The actual functionalities were developed using VBA macro programming ("Visual Basic for Applications"), a stable and proven Microsoft technology for integrating individual functions into Office documents.

eWorks programmed the software solution, including the required VBA macros, and handed it over to the client as a turnkey solution, who has since distributed it to his sales representatives. Following completion and acceptance, eWorks is available to the client for troubleshooting (warranty) and any change requests.

Used technologies

VBA
Microsoft Office
CSV

Related references

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