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BuyDesign® is a suite of web-based software applications from by TDCI Inc. It is comprised of a product configurator with multiple product visualization and data generation capabilities, and configurator-based applications for quoting, proposal generation, guided selling, and other sales and manufacturing functions. BuyDesign helps companies manage sales and manufacturing processes for configure-to-order products. As such, it is an enabler of the mass customization approach to product manufacturing and marketing.

Overview
The BuyDesign® product configurator guides sales people and other users through a product’s available features, options, and dimensions, ensuring that only valid combinations are selected. It generates the product price based on selected options and other criteria. It can display configuration-specific images, drawings or 3D models for product visualization, and can generate configuration-specific part numbers, bill of materials (BOMs), process routings, detail drawings, and other information to drive the manufacturing process. Rules and constraints defined and maintained using a visual point & click product modeling studio control the configuration and data generation process. Besides being embedded within other BuyDesign applications, the BuyDesign product configurator can be integrated into any application software or web portal using standard application programming interfaces (APIs).

BuyDesign also includes applications for quoting, proposal generation, ordering, guided selling and other sales and marketing functions. These applications all utilize the BuyDesign product configurator and product visualization capabilities. BuyDesign can be deployed for use by a company’s sales people, dealers, and distributors as a web-based application for online access via the Internet, or it can be distributed to individual desktop or laptop PCs using Internet-based synchronization for changes to software and product data.

Background
TDCI began development of BuyDesign in 2001, working with initial customers in several different industries to define requirements, test various capabilities, and perform pilot deployments. The first formal version of BuyDesign was released in 2004. Since then, new versions have been released each year.

In 2006, TDCI formed a partnership with Infor Global Solutions (Infor), the third-ranked ERP software company in the world whereby Infor would embed the BuyDesign product configurator into that company’s Infor ERP SyteLine, SX Enterprise, and e-Storefront software products. Earlier the same year, TDCI formed a partnership with Adobe whereby TDCI would embed Adobe’s Scene7 On-demand Rich Media Platform into BuyDesign to provide photo-realistic product visualization capabilities.

Industry Adoption
As of the end of 2008, the company’s BuyDesign software product was being used by thousands of manufacturers’ dealers, distributors, and sales people around the world to configure, price, quote, and order numerous types of configure-to-order products. BuyDesign is used in conjunction with many different ERP systems including Infor ERP SL (SyteLine), Infor ERP XA (MAPICS), Infor ERP LX (BPCS), Microsoft Dynamics GP (Great Plains), Microsoft Dynamics NAV (Navision), Oracle eBusiness Suite, Friedman Frontier, MAC-PAC, and others. It is also used in conjunction with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software such as Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

Companies are using BuyDesign to help sell and manufacture a diverse range of products, including:
 * Building products such as windows, doors, cabinets, staircases, toilet partitions, public seating, basketball flooring
 * Equipment & machinery such as: farm equipment and implements, construction equipment, commercial HVACR equipment, elevators, pumps & valves, power generation equipment, material handling equipment, medical equipment
 * Specialty vehicles and boats such as busses, custom vans, recreational boats, Tank trailers
 * Other configure-to-order products such as commercial furniture, gaskets, heating elements, manufactured homes, truck seating, packaging, measurement devices, and more…