How to Get Started with a CPQ Solution [CPQ Series, 5 of 5]

This is the fifth and final installment in a five-part series that looks at the Configure, Price, Quote (CPQ) process and outlines the fundamentals of CPQ and how to get started with a CPQ solution.

Thus far in our five-part series on examining CPQ, we have addressed all of these questions: What is CPQ? Who needs a CPQ solution? Why do companies want to invest their time and money into a CPQ solution? When do companies need to invest in a configure, price, quote (CPQ) solution? As we wrap up our five-part series on CPQ, the final question is: How do I select and get started with a CPQ solution?

Deciding which CPQ solution is right for your business will require you to evaluate the following questions:

• Which CRM system is currently being used?
• What is your budget and how quick do you want the program implemented?
• Do your sales reps work from the office or are they mobile?

When choosing a CPQ software you will want an app that is built natively on the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform that is currently in use. This will allow a seamless integration and flow of data that can be customized and administered without your team having to learn a completely new program. An added benefit to choosing an app that is built on your CRM platform is the CPQ software scales with your CRM so growth and upgrades will not cause future issues.

A CPQ software is intended to simplify the sales process so choosing the right program and vendor requires additional research. Once you have chosen the software that bests meets criteria of your business, research vendors, ask for references, and talk to others in your industry using the software. How long did software implementation take? Was the software implementation seamless, did they receive customer support during implementation and deployment? Were promises made by the vendor kept? Implementation that is not seamless is frustrating for the sales team and delays the ROI of the software affecting your bottom line.

If your sales team is mobile, look for a CPQ software that is optimized for use on mobile devices. With mobile capabilities your sales reps will never be caught off guard in a meeting if a customer asks to see a quote. The mobile app will allow the rep to create and show the quote on a tablet or even a cell phone in a matter of minutes. Mobile quoting will help to give your sales team a competitive advantage.

In addition to the above considerations, choose a CPQ software that allows your team to implement changes to the program that make it seamless to use. Besides ease of installation and the implementation of the software, you should consider the following questions:

• Does it allow changes to page layouts?
• Can you create customized product bundles?
• Does the software allow you to set up a variety of discount schedules?
• Does the software have a default template?
• Does the software allow the creation of quote templates that can be customized to your business including your company name, logo, and terms and conditions?

Additionally, ask the vendor about software upgrades. Can upgrades be tested before they are pushed to production and used by the sales team? Does the software have advanced options that provide for multi-lingual use?

Companies that deploy a CPQ software experience the perfect balance of functionality, ease of use, and affordability.

Now that you have an understanding of what CPQ is and how implementing a CPQ solution can increase sales, improve sales processes, and grow your business, what's your next step?