Porsche Configurator
Posted: Fri Sep 09, 2022 10:01 am
I'm about a month away from having my new Cayman GTS 4.0 delivered. However, whenever I need a stress relief, I go on to the Porsche Configurator and create "masterpieces". But, I'm made a few observations that I'm sure are well know, but have me scratching my head.
1. If you order the GTS in any trim, the "GTS Interior Package" price is actually split between two different line items. The interior colors/seats selection at the top comes with a multi-thousand $ price tag. But, then you're forced to select another GTS Interior package item, tacking on an addition several thousand $ line item. Why not just group this as one selection? I realize it makes it less palatable to see the cost for colored stitching and a little more mouse fur. But it seems silly how they have it listed. In all honesty, I went with all leather because it's less expensive, more durable, and looks just as nice.
2. Supply chain continues to impact builds, with options available one week disappearing the next. Some will be parsed out, with others totally unavailable. The Bose system was recently removed from many Premium Packages, but is still a stand-alone option. But, the PLDS options have been removed altogether. It makes you wonder if there will be a retrofit option later, or if some 2021-2023 models will be more desirable because of the scarcity of options.
3. The addition of options such as PDK or specific color choices vastly differ in cost based on the model selection. The difference in cost-of-goods and labor in each application is likely negligible. But it can be several thousand dollars for the same item in different models.
4. The technical geek side of me wants to help with the user experience on the site. The way options are listed and nested among the different selections is confusing. It takes a lot of time to determine which options can/can't be selected. In many cases, you paint yourself into a corner and the configurator errors out when selecting something that can't be added based on previous entries. It would be nice to see which wheel options are available with each selection instead of having to guess. Or which seat options allow for ventilation and which don't. When a previous package has been selected, greying out or disabling other packages that are unavailable. Some of it can get a bit complex, but I'm sure some workflow modeling could help with the design.
Any other things you guys have noticed while building out cars on the configurator?
1. If you order the GTS in any trim, the "GTS Interior Package" price is actually split between two different line items. The interior colors/seats selection at the top comes with a multi-thousand $ price tag. But, then you're forced to select another GTS Interior package item, tacking on an addition several thousand $ line item. Why not just group this as one selection? I realize it makes it less palatable to see the cost for colored stitching and a little more mouse fur. But it seems silly how they have it listed. In all honesty, I went with all leather because it's less expensive, more durable, and looks just as nice.
2. Supply chain continues to impact builds, with options available one week disappearing the next. Some will be parsed out, with others totally unavailable. The Bose system was recently removed from many Premium Packages, but is still a stand-alone option. But, the PLDS options have been removed altogether. It makes you wonder if there will be a retrofit option later, or if some 2021-2023 models will be more desirable because of the scarcity of options.
3. The addition of options such as PDK or specific color choices vastly differ in cost based on the model selection. The difference in cost-of-goods and labor in each application is likely negligible. But it can be several thousand dollars for the same item in different models.
4. The technical geek side of me wants to help with the user experience on the site. The way options are listed and nested among the different selections is confusing. It takes a lot of time to determine which options can/can't be selected. In many cases, you paint yourself into a corner and the configurator errors out when selecting something that can't be added based on previous entries. It would be nice to see which wheel options are available with each selection instead of having to guess. Or which seat options allow for ventilation and which don't. When a previous package has been selected, greying out or disabling other packages that are unavailable. Some of it can get a bit complex, but I'm sure some workflow modeling could help with the design.
Any other things you guys have noticed while building out cars on the configurator?