Epicor CPQ configurators can generate over 23 different types of documents – such as CAD files, Excel charts, PDF documents, images, and even e-books. These output documents are generated by an output builder – a program that connects to Epicor CPQ, follows your output rules and uses your output templates to create a document, and saves the document back to Epicor CPQ.
By having an output builder create your document, your users need no special software installed on their computer or smart phone. They simply use your configurator, submit it for processing, and the builder does all the work to generate whatever documents that configurator requires.
Cloud builders or local builders: what's the difference?
Two types of output builders are available to generate your documents:
- Cloud builders which we maintain in our infrastructure, at no cost to you.
- Local builders which you maintain on your own infrastructure. These are often called CAD builders, because CAD documents can only be built on a local builder.
Usually, our cloud builder is all you need, depending on the type of document you want to create.
| Example Task | Cloud Builder |
Local Builder |
|---|---|---|
| Create a document based on a Microsoft Word file |
|
* |
| Create a document based on a Microsoft Excel file |
|
* |
| Export a Word file into PDF format for customer use |
|
|
| Export an excel file into CSV format for a downstream automated process |
|
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| Gather a collection of multiple files into a single PDF file or ZIP archive |
|
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| Create a drawing based on supported CAD software. |
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* Word or Excel documents are usually made by cloud builders, but a local builder can also do the job if those documents must remain inside your own network to comply with security or legal requirements.
In summary, use our cloud builder for all your document needs, unless you have to create a CAD drawing or have special security or legal concerns.