Beyond the 'What': Tacton's New Tool Reveals the 'Why' of Product Success

CHICAGO & STOCKHOLM – June 30, 2026 – For years, manufacturers have found themselves in a frustrating paradox: they are drowning in data yet starving for wisdom. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems detail what was produced and sold, while Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platforms track every sales opportunity. Yet, when a product manager asks why a specific configuration consistently outsells another, or a CFO questions why margins on a flagship product are eroding, the answers often dissolve into a fog of speculation. This critical gap between data and insight is precisely what CPQ specialist Tacton aims to close with its latest announcement.

The Stockholm- and Chicago-based company has unveiled Portfolio Performance Intelligence, a new analytics capability embedded directly within its Configure, Price, Quote (CPQ) software. Set for release in July 2026, the tool promises to move manufacturers beyond historical reporting into a new realm of predictive, actionable intelligence by finally connecting the dots between customer choices and commercial outcomes.

The Analytics Gap in Modern Manufacturing

The challenge is not a lack of data, but a lack of context. The modern manufacturing environment is a complex web of interconnected systems, each generating a torrent of information. However, this data often resides in isolated silos, a condition frequently described as the "data-rich, information-poor" (DRIP) syndrome. One industry analyst explained, “Manufacturers can tell you how many units they shipped and what the final price was, but the story of how they got there—the specific features a customer valued, the trade-offs they made, the pricing levers that worked—is often lost in translation between systems.”

Traditional business intelligence (BI) tools, while powerful, frequently fall short when faced with the unique complexity of configurable products. To analyze performance, teams must often extract data from multiple sources, manually recreate intricate product and pricing logic, and then wait for IT or external consultants to generate reports. This process is not only slow and inefficient but also prone to errors, creating significant bottlenecks and leading to decisions based on incomplete or outdated information. Research indicates that this fragmentation carries a heavy price, with one recent industry report finding that 62% of manufacturers experience moderate to significant margin loss between the initial quote and final delivery, a problem exacerbated by siloed teams.

This gap is most apparent when trying to understand the performance of highly variable products. In configure-to-order (CTO) and engineer-to-order (ETO) environments, a single product line can have millions of potential variations. Without a system that understands the underlying configuration rules, it becomes nearly impossible to discern which features drive demand, which combinations protect margins, and which add unnecessary complexity without contributing to the bottom line.

From Data to Decision: Introducing Portfolio Performance Intelligence

Tacton’s new offering is designed to attack this problem at its source: the CPQ system itself. The CPQ is the digital crucible where customer needs are transformed into a specific, priced product configuration. By embedding its analytics engine directly within this environment, Portfolio Performance Intelligence gains native access to the rich, contextual data that other systems lack.

“As product complexity increases and margin pressure continues to grow, manufacturers need more than just historical reporting,” said Jesper Alfreddson, Chief Product Officer at Tacton, in the company's official announcement. “Portfolio Performance Intelligence extends Tacton CPQ with configuration-aware commercial intelligence, helping teams get direct visibility into how product, pricing, and configuration decisions impact business outcomes, so they can act faster and more confidently.”

This “configuration-aware” approach is the core of the innovation. The system doesn't require users to rebuild product logic because it’s already part of the CPQ’s DNA. It can directly correlate specific feature selections, material choices, and pricing adjustments with their ultimate business impact. For product, sales, and commercial teams, this translates into concrete, actionable insights. They can identify the specific configuration patterns that consistently lead to wins, understand which product combinations are most profitable, and pinpoint the features that may be creating unnecessary engineering and supply chain complexity for little commercial gain.

Furthermore, the tool provides visibility into the sales process itself, highlighting where deals tend to slow down or stall. This allows sales leaders to identify bottlenecks in the quoting process, whether they are related to complex configuration choices, pricing approvals, or other factors, and take corrective action to improve sales velocity.

Unlocking Strategic Value in a Competitive Market

In a crowded CPQ market populated by enterprise giants like Salesforce, SAP, and Oracle, and manufacturing-focused players like Infor, Tacton is differentiating itself by doubling down on its deep expertise in complex manufacturing. While many competitors offer robust analytics, they often exist as part of a broader CRM or ERP ecosystem, which can still require significant integration work to make sense of granular configuration data. By embedding this intelligence directly, the CPQ specialist aims to provide a more streamlined and powerful solution for its core audience.

The potential ROI is compelling. By optimizing product portfolios based on real performance data, manufacturers can reduce inventory costs and focus R&D on features that customers truly value. The ability to surgically analyze and protect margins is a critical advantage in an era of volatile supply chains and intense price competition. One manufacturing consultant noted, “The holy grail for any product manager is to understand not just what customers are buying, but why they are buying it. A tool that provides that insight directly from sales data could fundamentally change how products are designed, marketed, and priced.”

This shift empowers teams to move from reactive analysis to proactive strategy. Instead of looking back at quarterly sales figures, a product manager can see in near real-time which new options are gaining traction and which are being ignored. A sales director can replicate winning quote strategies across different regions and segments, armed with data on what truly works.

A Signal for the Future of Smart Factories

Tacton’s launch is more than just a new product feature; it’s a reflection of the manufacturing industry’s broader evolution toward Industry 4.0 and the concept of the “smart factory.” A truly intelligent factory is one that not only automates production but also uses data to learn, adapt, and optimize itself in real-time. The ability to create a tight feedback loop between buyer engagement, product configuration, and commercial performance is a foundational element of this vision.

This development aligns perfectly with the growing trend of mass customization. As customers demand more personalized products, the complexity of managing an ever-expanding portfolio of options becomes a major challenge. Analytics that can make sense of this complexity are no longer a luxury but a necessity for survival. By providing a clear view into which customizations add value and which simply add cost, Portfolio Performance Intelligence enables a more strategic approach to product variability.

As manufacturers continue their digital transformation journeys, the ability to translate vast stores of data into strategic action will be the ultimate competitive differentiator. Tools that bridge the gap between operational data and commercial insight represent a significant step forward, promising a future where every decision—from the factory floor to the sales desk—is informed by a deep understanding of what truly drives the business forward.