At a glance
CPQ systems help to configure products quickly and error-free, calculate the price automatically, and create the right offer directly.
They ensure that every configuration is technically feasible and is offered at the correct price.
They automatically inform users of cross-selling and upselling potential and thus contribute to higher sales.
Sales staff spend less time preparing quotations and can devote more time to their customers.
The Salesforce Revenue Cloud enables its users to manage CPQ processes directly in the CRM system.
What is CPQ?
The abbreviation CPQ stands for Configure, Price, Quote. It describes the sales process, from putting together individual products and calculating prices to the final quotation.
Above all, sales processes should be fast, flexible and scalable. This is exactly where CPQ software comes in: It helps to configure products easily and error-free, calculate the price automatically, and create the right quote directly. This reduces manual effort and supports teams, especially when dealing with complex products and services.
The sales process with CPQ
The three steps Configure, Price, and Quote organize every sales process – regardless of product or service, scope or industry. CPQ systems can provide targeted support and optimization in all phases.
1 Configure
The first step is product configuration. Sales employees define the right product together with the customer – tailored to their requirements. CPQ systems ensure transparency and efficiency.
Important functions:
Product configurations are created based on rules – this minimizes errors.
The CPQ system automatically shows which product combinations are permitted and which are not – and why.
Configurations can be visualized directly in the application.
Sales employees are automatically made aware of cross-selling and upselling potential.
2 Price
In the pricing phase the CPQ system relieves the sales department considerably – automated, comprehensible, and flexible.
Important functions:
Prices are calculated dynamically on the basis of the configured products.
Discounts, special prices, or individual contract conditions are automatically included in the calculation.
The system recognizes price structures and individual discount limits. It ensures that they are adhered to and immediately triggers the approval process if they are exceeded.
Different pricing models, such as volume or usage-based, can be easily mapped.
3 Quote
Once the product and price have been determined, the final step follows: the final, customized offer. Here too, the CPQ system ensures speed and accuracy.
Important functions:
Quotation documents are automatically created in the corporate design and can then be personalized.
International customers receive offers in their national language on request.
Different versions of offers can be easily saved, compared, and managed.
Interfaces to CRM and ERP systems are used to clearly assign offers to the respective customer profiles.
What advantages do CPQ systems offer?
In many companies, preparing quotations is one of the most time-consuming tasks in sales. It often involves a great deal of manual effort. The process quickly becomes time-consuming and error-prone, especially with complex products and a wide range of customization options. CPQ systems streamline the processes, accelerate them, and make them more precise.
Advantages for your sales team | Advantages for your customers |
|---|---|
Ordering and processing errors are noticeably reduced. | Prefabricated products and services serve as the basis for individual customization. |
The quality of the configurations increases. | Customized solutions can be configured easily and intuitively. |
Configurations, orders and quotations can be completed much faster. | The quality of the product configuration remains consistently high. |
Resources can be used more efficiently, while sales increase. | Customers receive targeted support in the decision-making and configuration process. |
The workload for the sales team is reduced. Capacities are freed up for strategic tasks and personal sales meetings. | Products are better tailored to the needs of your customers. |
New employees find their feet more quickly and are up and running in no time. | Transparent prices and optimal conditions create trust. |
Who is CPQ software suitable for?
CPQ solutions can offer many companies great added value. Especially companies with a wide variety of products and individual customer requirements. The advantage is obvious: CPQ software ensures that every configuration is technically possible and is offered at the right price.
However, the area of application is not just limited to manufacturing companies. Service providers and retailers also benefit. In addition to physical products, CPQ software also calculates services, always based on the stored data and parameters. Master data can be easily shared with different systems without time-consuming exports or error-prone entries. This saves time and costs and gives companies a decisive competitive advantage.
Whether their use makes sense, however, always depends on the individual case. Typical signs are:
The sales team needs a lot of time to create qualified offers. More and more often, deadlines are not being met.
Incorrect product configurations and offers cost valuable business opportunities.
Sales employees need extensive knowledge and a lot of experience to create an offer. They often lack an overview of the entire portfolio, meaning that cross-selling and upselling potential remains untapped.
A lot of knowledge is lost as soon as experienced employees leave the team. At the same time, onboarding new colleagues is time-consuming and laborious.
Price calculations are difficult to understand. A lack of transparency and internal coordination further delay the process.
It is difficult to convince customers of the added value of the product. The reasons for this are incomplete or outdated information, a lack of visualization options, and overly technical offer documents.
Would you like to get more out of your sales with a CPQ system? Talk to us without obligation!
Revenue Cloud: The CPQ solution from Salesforce
There are many CPQ solutions. One of the strongest: the Revenue Cloud of the CRM market leader Salesforce. This allows companies to control their CPQ processes directly in the CRM system. Calculate prices, create quotations, linking data from the Sales Cloud or Service Cloud – all of this runs centrally and efficiently.
The Revenue Cloud is particularly suitable for business models with subscriptions or usage-based prices. Dynamic pricing, flexible product packages, and real-time data from different departments ensure a consistent, optimized sales process. And provide a holistic view of sales.
If you want to map a complete quote-to-cash solution, you can flexibly add billing functions to the Revenue Cloud. Contract data flows automatically after the sale has been concluded – for invoicing, monitoring incoming payments, and revenue recognition. The solution also scores points with partner management functions, real-time KPIs, and seamless integration into existing Salesforce solutions. This gives sales teams maximum flexibility.
What does the Salesforce Revenue Cloud cost?
The Salesforce Revenue Cloud costs 200 euros per user per month – including all CPQ functions. Prices for additional billing functions are quoted individually by Salesforce on request.
Salesforce CPQ and Salesforce Billing
Since the beginning of 2025, Salesforce has been replacing the previous Salesforce CPQ and Salesforce Billing solutions with the new Revenue Cloud. Existing licenses remain valid and can also be upgraded. For new customers, CPQ functions are only available in the Revenue Cloud.
CPQ alternatives to Salesforce
Alternative 1: SAP CPQ
SAP also has a powerful CPQ solution in its portfolio. SAP CPQ can exploit its full potential, especially in combination with other SAP systems such as SAP S/4HANA.
The software enables rule-based product configuration, automates pricing, and reliably protects margins. Customizable templates, multilingual documents, and digital signatures speed up the quotation process. Cross-selling and upselling functions as well as artificial intelligence ensure efficient workflows and smooth sales processes.
Alternative 2: camos CPQ 365
camos CPQ 365 is primarily aimed at companies that sell technically complex and multi-variant products. The solution simplifies the sales process: sales guidance, plausibility checks, and information in the event of rule violations guide users safely through configurations.
With 3D product visualizations, precise engineer-to-order calculations, and flexible discount models, camos CPQ 365 extends its functionality. Like its competitors, the software also supports transfer pricing, customizable layouts, quotation versioning, and multilingual printing options.
Conclusion: Competitive advantage thanks to Configure, Price, Quote
In highly competitive markets, a CPQ solution is no longer an option, but a necessity. Especially for companies that want to streamline their sales processes and increase their competitiveness. The growing variety of products and services and rising customer expectations are further increasing the importance of systems.
When implemented correctly, they help companies to position themselves as agile organizations with a clear customer focus. CPQ thus becomes a strategic investment and a driver for sustainable growth.
