Salesforce CPQ vs Oracle CPQ - Who Wins the CPQ Championship

Ever feel like creating quotes takes forever? If you're like many sales reps, you probably spend way too much time tangled up in configurations and pricing.

That’s where CPQ (Configure, Price, Quote) software comes in to save the day. But when you’re faced with giants like Salesforce CPQ and Oracle CPQ, deciding on the right one can seem like a battle of its own.

Don’t worry, I’m here to guide you through this CPQ showdown.

Let's first define what these CPQs are and then move towards their technicalities to distinguish.

Salesforce CPQ

Salesforce CPQ is a robust sales tool integrated within the Salesforce ecosystem, designed specifically to streamline the configuration, pricing, and quoting processes. It automates critical aspects of the sales cycle, making it a breeze for sales teams to manage discounts, apply pricing rules, and generate accurate quotes quickly. This seamless integration with Salesforce CRM enhances the user experience, promoting efficiency and reducing errors through familiar tools and interfaces.

Moreover, Salesforce CPQ's powerful functionality doesn't just simplify sales operations; it enhances them. With features like guided selling and advanced analytics, sales teams can not only work faster but also smarter. The system provides insights and suggestions that help sales representatives upsell and cross-sell effectively, thereby increasing deal sizes and improving the bottom line.

Oracle CPQ

Oracle CPQ is crafted for companies that handle complex and varied product configurations. It excels in providing detailed control over every aspect of the quote-to-cash process, making it highly effective for industries such as manufacturing where product specifications are extensive and varied. Oracle CPQ ensures that all components of a proposal are precise, meeting the intricate demands of diverse customer bases.

While Oracle CPQ is incredibly powerful for complex configurations, its integration with other systems, like CRM or ERP, can sometimes require more customization and effort compared to Salesforce CPQ. Oracle provides comprehensive support for global sales operations, yet for businesses already leveraging Salesforce for CRM and other processes, the cohesive, unified experience offered by Salesforce CPQ generally aligns more naturally with their workflows, potentially offering a smoother, more streamlined adoption and higher overall utility.

Features of Salesforce CPQ

1. You can configure products and services with customizable options and dependencies, enabling tailored solutions for each customer that align with their specific requirements.
2. You can manage pricing dynamically, applying discounts, promotions, and custom pricing rules automatically to ensure accuracy and consistency across all sales transactions.
3. You can automate the quote generation process, creating detailed and accurate quotes that can be quickly converted into proposals or contracts, reducing manual errors and saving time.
4. You can implement guided selling strategies, which help sales teams by suggesting cross-sells and upsells based on the customer’s selections, boosting potential revenue per sale.
5. You can manage subscriptions and renewals directly within the platform, streamlining the billing cycle and ensuring continuous customer engagement and revenue flow.
6. You can generate detailed reports and analytics, providing insights into sales performance, quote conversion rates, and customer buying patterns, helping to inform future sales strategies.
7. You can leverage the benefits of Revenue Cloud, which integrates Salesforce CPQ with billing solutions, allowing for a comprehensive quote-to-cash process that adapts to business needs, supporting various revenue models and compliance with financial standards.

Features of Oracle CPQ

1. You can handle complex product configurations, which is ideal for companies with intricate product setups requiring detailed customization options for their customers.
2. You can manage global sales processes, supporting multiple currencies and languages, which makes it suitable for international businesses operating across various markets.
3. You can align sales channels, ensuring consistent pricing and discounting across direct, indirect, and e-commerce sales platforms.
4. You can automate the proposal and contract generation, streamlining the document workflow and reducing the time from quote to close.
5. You can integrate seamlessly with Oracle ERP systems, allowing for a unified flow of information across the business processes which enhances data accuracy and operational efficiency.
6. You can utilize advanced rule capabilities, helping to enforce pricing and discount policies consistently across the organization.
7. You can employ powerful analytics tools, offering deep insights into sales performance and customer preferences which assist in making informed business decisions.

While Oracle CPQ is robust and offers extensive capabilities, especially for businesses that require advanced product configuration and have a global reach, Salesforce CPQ provides a more seamless experience for users already within the Salesforce ecosystem.

Salesforce CPQ’s integration with Salesforce CRM and other Salesforce modules via Revenue Cloud makes it a particularly compelling choice, simplifying the implementation and use of CPQ capabilities within a familiar environment. This not only enhances user adoption but also maximizes the overall effectiveness of sales processes.

Comparing Salesforce CPQ and Oracle CPQ

Customer Bases

Salesforce CPQ - 3,044 customers

Oracle CPQ - 1,095 customers

Market Share

Salesforce CPQ - 21.46%

Oracle CPQ - 7.72%

Customers by Geographical Location

Salesforce CPQ - Canada, USA, UK, France, Germany, Netherlands

Oracle CPQ - Denmark, Italy, Australia

Integration Capabilities

Salesforce CPQ - Seamless integration with Salesforce CRM and other Salesforce tools

Oracle CPQ - Good integration, especially with Oracle ERP and other Oracle systems

Ease of Use

Salesforce CPQ - Highly user-friendly with intuitive interfaces and native Salesforce integration

Oracle CPQ - Robust but can be complex, requiring more training due to its extensive customization options

Pricing Flexibility

Salesforce CPQ - Highly flexible pricing configurations that accommodate a wide range of business models

Oracle CPQ - Strong in handling complex and customizable pricing scenarios, but may require more manual setup

Support and Community

Salesforce CPQ - Extensive support network and a large community of users for shared learning and problem-solving

Oracle CPQ - Strong support but a smaller community, potentially leading to fewer readily available solutions or shared experiences

Product Innovation and Updates

Salesforce CPQ - Continuous innovation with regular updates that enhance functionality and keep pace with sales trends

Oracle CPQ - Consistently updates and improves features, but may prioritize integration with other Oracle products

Which CPQ is Ideal for which customer?

Salesforce CPQ is ideal for:

1. Businesses already deeply integrated with Salesforce CRM, looking for seamless synchronization between their sales and CRM operations.
2. Companies requiring robust analytics and advanced reporting within their CPQ processes to drive data-driven decisions.
3. Organizations seeking a user-friendly CPQ solution that offers easy adoption and minimal training for users familiar with the Salesforce interface.
4. Enterprises needing a scalable solution that can grow with their business and easily adjust to changing sales strategies and structures.

Oracle CPQ is ideal for:

1. Companies with highly complex product configurations and sales processes, requiring detailed customization options in their CPQ system.
2. Businesses operating on a global scale that need strong multi-currency and multi-language support to accommodate diverse markets.
3. Organizations that use Oracle's ERP and other back-office systems, benefiting from Oracle CPQ’s robust integration capabilities.
4. Enterprises looking for a CPQ solution that can handle sophisticated rule-based pricing and discounting structures effectively.

Who Wins

Determining the "winner" between Salesforce CPQ and Oracle CPQ depends heavily on your business’s specific needs, existing systems, and strategic goals. Here’s how to decide which might be the best fit for you:

Salesforce CPQ

Wins for businesses that:

• Are already leveraging the Salesforce ecosystem. Salesforce CPQ integrates seamlessly, providing a unified platform that reduces the complexity and cost associated with maintaining separate systems.
• Value ease of use and rapid user adoption. The familiar Salesforce interface and user experience make it easier for teams to adopt and use the tool effectively.
• Need strong reporting and analytics capabilities. Salesforce CPQ provides powerful built-in analytics tools that are deeply integrated with Salesforce's comprehensive data system.
• Require scalability. Salesforce CPQ is designed to scale easily, making it a suitable option for both growing businesses and large enterprises.

Oracle CPQ

Wins for companies that:

• Deal with highly complex product configurations. Oracle CPQ excels in environments that require detailed and intricate product setups.
• Operate globally and need robust support for multi-currency and multi-language capabilities, ensuring that they can cater to a diverse customer base.
• Are already using Oracle's suite of products, especially ERP systems. Oracle CPQ integrates well within the Oracle ecosystem, maximizing the value of integrated operations.
• Require customization beyond standard offerings. Oracle CPQ provides extensive customization capabilities that can be tailored to very specific business processes.

Conclusion

No single CPQ solution dominates across all industries or company types.

Salesforce CPQ could be considered the more advantageous solution for companies seeking deep integration with CRM, ease of use, and scalability. It's particularly strong in environments where sales processes are deeply tied to customer relationship management and analytics.

On the other hand, Oracle CPQ might be the better choice for enterprises needing a powerhouse tool to manage complex and global sales operations with high levels of customization and product detail.

Ultimately, the right choice depends on matching the specific strengths of each CPQ solution to the strategic needs and existing technological infrastructure of your business.

Consulting with a CPQ expert provide deeper insights into how well each tool conforms to your unique requirements.

If you want to leverage Oracle CPQ into Salesforce CRM, check out this blog - Oracle CPQ Integration with Salesforce CRM.