Over many years, I have worked with dozens of customers who use Product Configurators or Configure Price Quote (CPQ) solutions. One of the most overlooked areas is ongoing maintenance, which is essential for configurator accuracy and usability. This article outlines key Product Configurator best practices in maintenance and upkeep — including:
- Who should maintain them
- How much time should be allocated for maintenance
- What happens if maintenance lapses
If you don’t already know what a Product Configurator is, you should read my article, “What is a Product Configurator?“
Product Configurator Best Practices at a Glance
To avoid the risk of configurator failure, follow these best practices:
- Assign a dedicated Configurator Owner and backup
- Document all configuration logic and changes
- Review and update product/pricing data regularly
- Conduct quarterly validation/testing of rulesets
- Use source control and version tracking
- Avoid reliance on a single developer or tribal knowledge
- Plan for turnover with a training and backup strategy
For a broader look at implementation strategies beyond configurators, you might also find this article on Business Central implementation best practices from Sabre Limited helpful.
Why Product Configurator Maintenance Is Critical
A well-maintained configurator reduces errors, shortens quote times, and improves production efficiency. Following consistent product configurator best practices ensures your system stays accurate, up-to-date, and aligned with your operations. Without proper upkeep, configurators can become outdated or unusable, leading to operational delays and lost revenue.
The Risks of DIY Product Configurators
Let’s address a common issue right away: companies who build their own configurators from scratch.
Often, they assign a lone developer to create a custom solution—but when that person leaves the company, chaos follows. Without documentation, shared ownership, or proper source control, it becomes nearly impossible to bring in someone new.
Even if you have development experience, unless:
- You’ve created proper specifications
- You’ve stored your code in a source control system (e.g., Git or DevOps)
- You’ve conducted peer reviews and internal knowledge transfers
…you’re in trouble. In most cases, the original developer becomes the sole owner of the configurator—and once they’re gone, you’re better off starting over.
If you’re still in the early stages of planning your solution, check out our guide on how to choose a product configurator to avoid these pitfalls before they happen.
Why You Need a Configurator Owner
Whether you’ve created your own Configurator (not at all recommended) or you have purchased an “out of the box” solution, you must designate at least one person to be the “Configurator Owner.” This position is the person who is responsible for updates, changes and maintenance. They are going to load new products, change pricing, and update the rules.
You need to also designate a backup for this role. Who covers for them if they are not available. This can be the product vendor (whoever you bought the configurator from) but that’s rare.
Rulesets and rules in a configurator are not static. They evolve as your business changes — whether you’re releasing new products or expanding existing options. One of the core product configurator best practices is ensuring these rules stay up to date, and that responsibility falls to the Configurator Owner and their backup.
Many (almost all companies) that I have encountered who had not designated a configurator owner AND a backup find themselves in a bind. They’ve lost the ability to maintain and update the configurator.
The Configurator Owner’s Responsibilities:
- Load new products
- Update pricing
- Adjust logic and business rules as offerings evolve
- Coordinate with stakeholders to ensure accuracy
This person is not optional. And they must have a backup.
What to Do if You Lose Your Configurator Owner
Usually all you can do if you lose your configurator owner is go back to the product vendor (whoever wrote it) and ask for training. If this was a disgruntled ex employee, that is a real problem. Most businesses who find themselves in that position just start over with a new product.
If you are lucky enough to have a product vendor that has a training program, that is the best way to rebuild your skills. Be sure to have a backup as well!
If your Configurator Owner leaves, you have limited options:
- Contact the vendor and ask for retraining (assuming they offer it).
- Hire a new person and start the onboarding process from scratch.
- In worst-case scenarios, rebuild your configurator entirely.
If your former owner left on bad terms or failed to document their work, recovering is significantly harder.
What if You Can’t Designate a Backup?
The configurator owner is a very technical skill. It combines engineering and IT skills in a single individual. Many small businesses with a product configurator don’t have an IT department large enough to have two people with this skill set available.
This is a problem for those businesses. It can cost $15,000 to $20,000 to put someone through the configurator training courses for most of the top tier product configurators. It also takes months to arrange and complete, and months more the “reverse engineer” what has been done.
Imagine inheriting a spreadsheet that you don’t know how to use (you don’t recognize the formulas and functions) and having to both learn the new spreadsheet software, and then reverse engineer the 1000s of formulas created by the previous staff member.
This is why so many businesses just choose to start from scratch from a new CPQ.
Configure Price Quote 365 Backup Support Plan
At CPQ 365, we offer a Backup Support Plan designed to safeguard your configurator investment. This service directly supports product configurator best practices by maintaining continuity, preserving tribal knowledge, and providing technical backup when you need it most. If your Configurator Owner becomes unavailable, we can step in and:
- Support temporary maintenance
- Train a new owner at a lower cost than going through the vendor
- Assist during vacations, sick leave, or emergencies
Note: We do not act as the primary Configurator Owner. Our support is strictly as a backup and training resource.
We provide product support for the configurators we have partnered with. We train new configurator owners at dramatically reduced cost compared to hiring the vendor to do the training. We backup the owner when they are away, on vacation or can’t figure out how to make a change.
Read about the best Business Central Product Configurator add-ons.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How often should a configurator be updated?
A: At least quarterly, or any time you release a new product or change pricing.
Q: What skills does a Configurator Owner need?
A: A blend of technical (logic, rules, systems) and business (pricing, product knowledge) skills — plus great documentation habits.
Q: What if my company is too small to have a backup?
A: In that case, partnering with someone like CPQ 365 can step in. Our Backup Support Plan is designed to uphold essential product configurator best practices — especially for smaller companies that can’t staff a full support team.
Conclusion
Product Configurator best practices aren’t just about how you set up the tool — they’re about how you maintain it. Without proper maintenance and a backup plan, even the best configurators will eventually fail. Make configurator upkeep a priority, designate responsible owners, and have a contingency plan in place.
Need Help With Maintenance?
Want to ensure you’re following the right product configurator best practices and never lose control of your CPQ system?
Contact CPQ 365 to learn how our Backup Support Plan can keep your configurator running — no matter what.
