CONFIGURE,

PRICE, QUOTE
Solution Study

Insights, Landscape, & Vendor Analysis

 CONFIGURE, PRICE, QUOTE
Solution Study

Table of Contents
1 Executive Summary 03

2 What is Configure, Price, Quote? 05

3 Benefits of CPQ 09

4 CPQ Deployment Lifecycle 12

5 Vendor Selection Criteria 17

6 CPQ Solutions Landscape 20

7 Analyst Bottom Line 24

Action Plan 25

Our Solution Study Methodology 36

About 37
 CONFIGURE, PRICE, QUOTE
Solution Study

Executive Summary
 CONFIGURE, PRICE, QUOTE (CPQ) SOLUTION STUDY 4

Executive Summary
Effective Sales Enablement is a multi-stage process.
This Solution Study covers:
In our Sales Enablement Solutions Study Series, we examine each key
stage of Sales Enablement, from initial marketing and sales alignment to
the final deal close and revenue capture. What is Configure, Price, Quote?
In this report, we focus on the critical sales function of Configure, Price,
Quote (CPQ) to provide marketers with a comprehensive understanding
of the CPQ landscape. Benefits of Configure, Price, Quote
If your organization is considering CPQ software, currently using a
CPQ system, or providing a CPQ product or service, this report will
provide you with fresh insights on the technology, strategies, and CPQ Deployment Lifecycle
vendor solutions.

Vendor Selection Criteria

CPQ Solutions Landscape

Action Plan
THE EVOLUTION OF SHOPPER MARKETING CONFIGURE, PRICE, QUOTE (CPQ) SOLUTION STUDY 5

CONFIGURE, PRICE, QUOTE

Solution Study

What is Configure, Price, Quote?

THE EVOLUTION OF SHOPPER MARKETING CONFIGURE, PRICE, QUOTE (CPQ) SOLUTION STUDY 6

What is Configure, Price, Quote?

Demand Metric defines Configure, Price and Quote (CPQ) as: FIGURE 1
Classic CPQ Solutions

Comprising the strategies, processes, technol-

Approval
ogies, and tools that support the organization’s Product
Pricing Engine Workflow
ability to effectively configure products/services Configurator
Management
from a set of options, price a customized solution
based on relevant internal and external factors, and
provide a digitally generated quote for customer Proposal
signature and payment. Classic CPQ
Management Quoting System
System Solutions

As the name implies, Configure, Price, Quote (CPQ) solutions provide

functionality to support complex sales transactions.

CPQ systems enable sales teams to custom design or configure a solu-

tion for a customer from different product sets, options, or piece parts;
price the solution appropriately; and prepare a quote for the customer in
a negotiated sales situation.

A typical CPQ system includes a design/configuration engine, pricing

engine, and quoting system driven by business rules or constraints,
supported by a proposal management system, and augmented by
approval workflow systems.
WHAT IS CONFIGURE, PRICE, QUOTE? CONFIGURE, PRICE, QUOTE (CPQ) SOLUTION STUDY 7

Primary industries that have heavily relied on CPQ systems include FIGURE 2
Manufacturing, Transportation, Telecom, High Tech, Healthcare, Retail, Modern CPQ Solutions
Insurance, and Financial Services.

Today, new solutions and cloud technology have enabled CPQ Product Contract, Order,
eSignature
systems to be used by small and mid-size companies in various Configurator, Pricing Proposal & Workflow
Compatibility
industries, including general Business Services, Real Estate, and System & Quoting Management
Media/Publishing.

Modern CPQ systems have moved way beyond the classic model of Product Modeling,
“Configure, Price, Quote” to offer an array of advances, including:
Quote-to-Cash Modern CPQ
Design &
Functionality Solutions Catalogues
Product design & modeling tools to extend configuration choices
Value pricing, modeling, & communication tools to enhance pricing
ROI and TOC calculators to optimize quoting Guided Selling & ROI/TCO
Value Pricing Tools
Contract management and guided selling to improve operations and
Sales Playbooks Calculators
sales performance

In short, these are not your father’s CPQ systems! We will detail the
range of standard, advanced, and specialized functions and features in
the Vendor Selection Criteria section of this report.
 SALES ENABLEMENT
Roles Matrix

ROLES RESPONSIBILITIES PROCESSES TECHNOLOGY CONTENT METRICS

Revenue Accountability Budgeting & Planning CRM Thought Leadership Blog Revenue by Channel
Senior
Staffing & Channel Management Performance Reviews & QA Business Intelligence Webinar Presentations Customer Lifetime Value, NPS
Management
Reporting to CEO/Board Recruitment & Retention MRM Conference Keynotes Return on Customer (ROC)

New Product Development Product Launch Product Mgmt. System Data Sheets, Whitepapers Market Share, Profitability
Product
Create Sales Tools/Guides Win/Loss Analysis Enterprise Feedback/Survey Case Studies/Testimonials Brand Equity
Management
Messaging & Positioning Competitive Analysis Content Management Competitive Analysis Content Usage

Build Reports & Dashboards Sales Forecasting CRM Compensation Model % Quota Achieved
Sales Operations Monitor Sales Productivity Territory Management Proposal/CPQ TCO/ROI Calculators Sales Cost/Revenue Ratio
Data Management Sales Compensation Sales Content Portal Sales Playbooks Incentive vs. Quota Ratio

Build Reports & Dashboards Marketing Budget CRM & Marketing Automation Buyer Personas Sales Qualified Leads
Marketing
Marketing Systems Admin Campaign Analysis Analytics & B.I. Customer Journey Map Cost Per Lead (CPL)
Operations Proposals, Presentations
Data Management Lead Scoring & Nurturing Asset Mgmt. & MRM Cost of Acquisition (CAC)

Lead Generation & Events Advertising/Sponsorship Marketing Automation/Email How-To Guides Campaign ROI, Email Metrics
Demand
Branding & Social Media Lead Generation & Appointments Digital Asset Management Research Reports Marketing Qualified Leads
Generation
Content Marketing Tradeshows & Webinars Event/Survey Management Webinars Contribution to Pipeline

Customer Acquisition Sales Process CRM New Features/Ideas for R&D % Quota Achieved
Sales/Account
Customer Retention Opportunity Management Proposal/CPQ Objection Responses Renewal Rate, Revenue
Mgmt. Opportunity Metrics
Up-sell/Cross Sell Contact Management Sales Content Portal Sales Scripts

Staffing for Sales Enablement Recruiting & Hiring HRIS Job Descriptions Avg. Time to Achieve Quota
Human
Sales Training New Rep Onboarding Learning Management System Quality Assurance/Coaching % Unsuccessful Hires
Resources Performance Management Performance & Firing LinkedIn & Job Websites Sales Training Manual # CV/Resume Submissions

Customer Service/Support Helpdesk (phone support) Customer Support, Twitter New Features/Ideas for R&D Avg. Time to Resolution
Customer
Identify Sales Opportunities Email Support (case/ticket) CRM, Order Management Support Scripts % Escalations to Tier 2
Support Accounting/Billing/ERP
Customer Insight/Feedback Online Community Requests FAQs, SLA Net Promoter Score (NPS)
THE EVOLUTION OF SHOPPER MARKETING CONFIGURE, PRICE, QUOTE (CPQ) SOLUTION STUDY 9

CONFIGURE, PRICE, QUOTE

Solution Study

Benefits of CPQ
 CONFIGURE, PRICE, QUOTE (CPQ) SOLUTION STUDY 10

Benefits of CPQ
CPQ systems provide significant benefits to the organizations that employ them.

Benefits for Sales Benefits for Marketing

On the frontlines, CPQ systems have multiple benefits CPQ systems enable marketing teams to better enable
for the sales organization, including: sales with more accurate marketing materials and value-
based sales tools. Key benefits of CPQ solutions for
Faster sales cycles from lead to close
marketing include:
Reduced sales complexity by giving reps
Providing branded proposal documents and contracts
pre-optimized solutions
Ensuring all marketing documents have accurate
Reduced prospect decision time
up-to-date pricing and product configuration
More opportunities to upsell products/services information
Faster responses to market & competitive pricing Developing customer-facing product catalogs
pressures
Providing sales playbooks that increase win rates
Increased sales time by spending less time on
Providing value-based sales tools like value
proposal development
propositions, white papers, ROI/TOC calculators, and
benefit estimators
BENEFITS OF CPQ CONFIGURE, PRICE, QUOTE (CPQ) SOLUTION STUDY 11

Benefits to Channel Partners Benefits for Marketing and

Sales Operations
CPQ systems allow companies to support, promote,
and control the configuration and pricing through their CPQ systems enable operations to reduce errors, protect
distribution channels. This benefits the channel network by: margins, and effectively manage standardized contracts
Improving cross-channel visibility and management for profitability by:

Enabling quick roll-outs of new products and pricing Reducing pricing and quoting errors through
configurations locally and globally managing constraints and rules

Streamlining channel order flow from lead to close Formalizing change control processes

Reducing errors by allowing users to centrally access, Viewing and managing commissions in real-time
manage, and control offer and document content Reducing risk and ensuring compliance
Tracking and measuring channel activity by product Standardizing proposal management
and price
Building process efficiencies with workflow
Protecting channel margins and preventing authorization and approval process
unauthorized discounting
Maintaining approved contract repository
THE EVOLUTION OF SHOPPER MARKETING CONFIGURE, PRICE, QUOTE (CPQ) SOLUTION STUDY 12

CONFIGURE, PRICE, QUOTE

Solution Study

CPQ Deployment Lifecycle

 CONFIGURE, PRICE, QUOTE (CPQ) SOLUTION STUDY 13

CPQ Deployment Lifecycle

Role in Sales Enablement Core Components
Demand Metric considers CPQ to be an integral part of Sales Enablement, Vendors across the CPQ Landscape fall into five tiers
as illustrated by our Sales Enablement Roles Matrix (page 8). based on the features and functionality of their offerings:
As you will see in the Roles Matrix, CPQ products and services are Product Configurator – Product configurator software
associated with Sales Operations and Sales/Account Management, can be as simple as controlling your existing inventory
although many CPQ functions are used in collaboration with Marketing of products and parts for assembly or bundling, or
and Marketing Operations. as complex as designing a new version of a product
from scratch for a specific use case through design,
modeling, and 3-D visualization tools. Choose a vendor
that matches the level of complexity for your product
configuration needs.

Pricing Engine – The pricing engine automatically prices

the chosen configuration based on rules or constraints
set by operations to maintain profits and margins.
Pricing by combinations of customer category, product
classification, sales channel, deal size, and volume are
standard. When choosing a pricing engine, consider not
only product inventories but channel and market needs.
Make sure they can support all your sales channels and
geo-market reach.
CPQ DEPLOYMENT LIFECYCLE CONFIGURE, PRICE, QUOTE (CPQ) SOLUTION STUDY 14

Quoting System – Quotes should be delivered eSignatures – eSignature systems enable customers to sign
immediately, accurately, and with your company proposals and contracts from anywhere on any device. Beyond
and/or channel partner brand embedded. Beyond that basic functionality, eSignature vendors provide templates
that, consider vendors that offer Quote-to-Cash for document design, authentication functions, workflow
systems that automate each step of the process management, reporting features, legal/industry compliance. Two
from pricing through negotiation, approval, contract vendors dominate this space: DocuSign and Adobe EchoSign.
signing, invoicing, and payment receipt, with tracking Most CPQ vendors integrate with one of these two vendors.
analytics and activity alerts.
Business Rules and Constraints – Business rules drive CPQ
Proposal Management – Proposal management configuration and pricing engines. The sophistication of the
systems manage the proposal process from creation business rules has historically determined the inherent capability
to customer delivery. A solid proposal system should of the CPQ functionality. In the drive toward ease of use and away
offer pre-built templates for fast proposal creation with from legacy ERP systems, today vendors are working to simplify
company/channel branding options. It should manage the use of business rules. One option gaining ground is the use of
the proposal lifecycle via workflow authorization & simple constraints (or pre-defined limits) on choices to augment
approval systems, and integrate with an eSignature or replace traditional business rules.
system for fast, accurate, and legal signature-to-close.
Technology Infrastructure – Most CPQ vendors today operate
Contract and Order Management – Contract as SaaS applications, in the cloud, with support for the range of
management systems manage the contract and presentation devices, including mobile devices. A few also offer
order process. Your contract management solution on premise options.
should include a searchable contract repository and
CRM/ERP Integration – Most CPQ vendors provide CRM and/
authoring tools & templates. Choose a vendor that
or ERP integration with vendors like Salesforce, SAP, Microsoft,
offers lifecycle management from creation through
NetSuite and Oracle as well as small SMB players like Sage and
negotiation, approval, execution, auditing, reporting
Selligent. Others also offer integration with legacy/niche systems
and renewal. Automatic alerts embedded at key
like CAD, CAM and product lifecycle management (PLM) suites.
stages in the process is a plus.
CPQ DEPLOYMENT LIFECYCLE CONFIGURE, PRICE, QUOTE (CPQ) SOLUTION STUDY 15

Key Niche Functionality Vendor Company Considerations

Channel Management – CPQ for channel management Vendor Size and Maturity – The size, maturity, and
is about information dissemination and control for global reach of your CPQ vendor is an important
multi-tiered sales environments. Solid solutions include consideration. Vendors, such as Cincom Acquire
channel-level product & price configuration options, (owned by Cincom Inc.) and Big Machines (recently
support for multiple price lists & currencies, offering acquired by Oracle), can offer a product breadth
multi-tier discounting, and providing product catalog other vendors cannot. FPX, founded in 1983, offers
and pricing information by channel and user role. a high level of solution maturity and legacy system
experience. Newcomers like Paperless Proposal and
Value Pricing – Value pricing systems enable sales
LeveragePoint offer advanced options for proposal
reps to position themselves better in competitive
management and value-based pricing.
selling situations. Standard value pricing options
are ROI/TOC calculators. More advanced solutions Industry focus – Vendors specialize in different
offer value price modeling & value proposition tools industries. Make sure your vendor has experience in
(benefit estimators & justification tools). your industry.

Guided Selling – Guided Selling systems help sales reps Customer Size and Type – As with industry focus,
to quickly find the best configuration or bundle for each make sure the vendor has experience with your size
prospect. As the name implies, guided selling systems of company.
use the CPQ system augmented by searchable product
catalogs to guide the rep to the products/services that
Deployment Stages
are best suited for each customer.
A typical CPQ deployment lifecycle begins with the basic
Playbooks – CPQ-oriented sales playbooks are
CPQ engine and advances as the organization expands in
focused on sales support and include personalized
size, sales channels, and/or product/service complexity.
sales presentations for sales reps to quickly learn the
company’s product lines, and can help onboard new Figure 3 (on the next page) illustrates a typical CPQ
reps faster. Deployment Lifecycle.
CPQ DEPLOYMENT LIFECYCLE CONFIGURE, PRICE, QUOTE (CPQ) SOLUTION STUDY 16

FIGURE 3
CPQ Deployment Lifecycle

Product Design, Modeling & Catalogs; 3D Visualization Tools, ROI/TOC Calculators, Quote-to-Cash
ADVANCED CPQ Functionality, eSignature Compatibility, Guided Selling, Sales Analytics; CRM, SAP and/or ERP Integration

STANDARD Contract & Order Management, Proposal Management, Workflow Approvals & Authorization

Product Configurator, Pricing Engine, Quoting System, Business Rules & Constraints, Cloud-based
BASIC
(SaaS) Application

Channel Management, Value Pricing & Modeling, Benefit Estimators, Sales

NICHE SOLUTIONS Playbooks, CAD, CAM & PLM Integration, eSignatures
THE EVOLUTION OF SHOPPER MARKETING CONFIGURE, PRICE, QUOTE (CPQ) SOLUTION STUDY 17

CONFIGURE, PRICE, QUOTE

Solution Study

Vendor Selection Criteria

 CONFIGURE, PRICE, QUOTE (CPQ) SOLUTION STUDY 18

Vendor Selection Criteria

Is CPQ For You? 1 Your line of products and services is large, complex, and growing.
Managing the sheer number of products and managing product
Not all companies are ready to embrace a CPQ system. Your company changes has become a barrier to sales.
should consider a CPQ system if you meet the following sales, marketing,
Your current system is no longer adequate to meet your organization’s
or organizational conditions. 2
customer and sales needs. It might be a too-simple spreadsheet or a
Choosing the right vendor for your CPQ requirements is an important cobbled together set of processes or manual paperwork. Whatever
business decision. Demand Metric recommends using the following the reason, the system is broken and beyond repair.
criteria to evaluate the vendors and their solutions.
Your configuration, pricing and quoting systems, and processes
3
Table 1 (next page) highlights key functionality according to the level of are silo’ed causing duplicate work, slow response times, and quote
complexity of their solution on the four tiers from basic to cutting-edge. and order errors.
There’s a growing disconnect between field sales and operations
4
that is creating customer, pricing, or margin errors.
Sales cycles are too long. Sales teams are spending too much time
5
trying to figure out the right product for the prospect and the proposal
process is bogged down.
Channels or distribution methods have changed. Your company has
6
added new channels that need to be managed.

7 Global expansion. Your organization has expanded globally and

you need a process for handling multi-tiered, multi-cultural, multi-
currency sales.
Competitive pressure is heating up. Sales needs a better win rate
8
and/or needs to respond faster to competitive bidding situations.
VENDOR SELECTION CRITERIA CONFIGURE, PRICE, QUOTE (CPQ) SOLUTION STUDY 19

TABLE 1
CPQ Vendor Selection Criteria by Functionality Tier

Comprehensive

Comprehensive
Cutting-Edge

Cutting-Edge
Standard

Standard
Basic

Basic
Product Configurator x x x x Metrics, Insights x x

Pricing Engine x x x x Value-based Pricing x

Quoting System x x x x Quote-to-Cash System x

Business Rules & Constraints x x x x Guided Selling x

Proposal & Order Management x x x Playbooks x

Channel Management x x x Predictive Analytics x

eSignatures x x x SaaS Infrastructure &

x x x
CRM/ERP Integration
Product Design & Modeling x x

To quickly and efficiently evaluate several CPQ vendors and their

solutions at one time, utilize Demand Metric’s CPQ Vendor Evalu- VIEW RESOURCE
ation Matrix.
THE EVOLUTION OF SHOPPER MARKETING CONFIGURE, PRICE, QUOTE (CPQ) SOLUTION STUDY 20

CONFIGURE, PRICE, QUOTE

Solution Study

CPQ Solutions Landscape

 CONFIGURE, PRICE, QUOTE (CPQ) SOLUTION STUDY 21

CPQ Solutions Landscape

History Playing Field
The market segment generally known as CPQ has grown rapidly since Vendors across the CPQ Landscape fall into five tiers based on the features
the introduction of CPQ functions associated with ERP systems for and functionality of their offerings:
global enterprises in the late 1980s.
Basic – These solutions offer the pure Configuration, Price, Quote
Early CPQ systems focused primarily on the configuration aspect of the capability (configuration engine, pricing engine, quote generator) and little
solution for industries like manufacturing. In the mid-1990s, companies more. All of the vendors in this space, except niche players, offer the basic
like Selectica (1996) built “selection and configuration systems” focused solution.
on guiding sales teams to make better decisions during the sales
Standard – Standard solutions offer a CPQ solution (configuration engine,
process, even with very complex and complicated product lines.
pricing engine, quoting system) that includes key supporting functionality,
In the 2000s, companies like Alinean (2001) and LeveragePoint (2009) such as contract, order & proposal management, workflow approval &
extended the functionality of the CPQ segment with niche products like authorization, and eSignatures. Vendors in this tier include Altatl and FPX.
value-based selling systems and ROI and TCO applications.
Comprehensive – These options extend the operational effectiveness
That evolution has accelerated in the last five to ten years with the of the core CPQ functionality. They include: product design & modeling,
explosion of the Sales Enablement market segment. 3D visualization tools, and integration with CRM, SAP, and/or ERP
systems. Vendors in this tier include Apttus, Cincom, and Cameleon
Today, CPQ systems are considered a critical link in the Sales
Software.
Enablement value chain.
Cutting-Edge – These options extend the operational effectiveness of
the core CPQ functionality into a full Sales Enablement Solution. Options
include ROI/TOC calculators, Quote-to-Cash functions, guided selling,
and predictive sales analytics. Vendors in this tier include Selectica and
Big Machines.
CPQ SOLUTIONS LANDSCAPE CONFIGURE, PRICE, QUOTE (CPQ) SOLUTION STUDY 22

Niche – Within the CPQ segment are niche solutions that provide Evolution of the Landscape
a specific functionality, which enhances the value of a CPQ solution
Demand Metric expects the CPQ landscape to be characterized by
but is not central to its core effectiveness. These solutions include:
increasing integration and consolidation.
eSignatures, channel management, value-based pricing and
modeling systems, benefit estimators, proposal automation, and Demand Metric expects current niche functionality, such as value-
sales playbooks. Integration with CAD, CAM, and product lifecycle based pricing and modeling, and sales playbooks, to be integrated into
management (PLM) suites may be offered. Vendors in this tier include core CPQ solutions.
Alinean, Docusign, Adobe EchoSign, Paperless Proposal, Tinderbox,
Acquisitions like Oracle’s buyout of Big Machines, and PROS Holdings’
LeveragePoint, and Qvidian.
purchase of a controlling interest in Cameleon Software, will accelerate
Deployment of a CPQ solution depends on the needs of each organization. as CPQ functionality becomes more integrated with CRM and Marketing
CPQ vendor solutions vary widely in feature/function depth and breath. Automation platforms.
It is critical to choose one that encompasses the entire scope of your
organizational needs rather than just the first step or two.

Table 2 (next page) shows the progression of the vendors and their
product/service offerings.
CPQ SOLUTIONS LANDSCAPE CONFIGURE, PRICE, QUOTE (CPQ) SOLUTION STUDY 23

TABLE 2
CPQ Vendor Solutions Landscape

Stage/Tier Features Primary Use Vendor

Adobe Echosign, Alinean, Docusign,

Basic Configuration engine, pricing engine, quote generator Configure, price, quote system LeveragePoint, Paperless Proposal,
Tinderbox, Qvidian

CPQ with key supporting functionality (contract,

CPQ extends to support distribution
Standard order & proposal management; workflow approval Altatl, FPX
channels and value-based selling
& authorization and eSignatures)

CPQ to support configuration industries

Standard functionality plus product design & modeling, Apttus, Cincom, Cameleon
Comprehensive with heavy requirements, such as manufac-
product catalogs and 3D visualization tools Software
turing, insurance and telecommunications

Comprehensive functionality plus ROI/TOC

CPQ extended with added Sales
Cutting-Edge calculators, Quote-to-Cash functions, guided selling Selectica, Big Machines
Enablement functionality
and predictive sales analytics

Options at this tier include channel management, value- Adobe Echosign, Alinean, Docusign,
Specialty products & services that extend
Niche based pricing, benefit estimators sales playbooks; LeveragePoint, Paperless Proposal,
the functionality of a CPQ solution
can be standalone or integrated with CPQ systems Tinderbox, Qvidian

To get a more in-depth look at some of the key vendors within the
CPQ landscape, download Demand Metric’s CPQ Vendors Matrix.
VIEW RESOURCE
This database describes a wide-range of vendors based on indus-
tries, product/service, key features, and others.
THE EVOLUTION OF SHOPPER MARKETING CONFIGURE, PRICE, QUOTE (CPQ) SOLUTION STUDY 24

Analyst Bottom Line

CPQ systems are an important element of effective Sales Companies with large and growing product inventories,
Enablement. expanding markets, and new distribution channels are the
best fit for a CPQ solution.
They offer new opportunities and benefits for organizations
looking to streamline the sales process, expand their markets,
and grow their sales channels.

CPQ systems that are properly implemented, carefully

maintained, and quickly adopted by a majority of the sales &
marketing teams can:

Reduce sales cycles and eliminate costly errors

Ensure all marketing documents have accurate up to date
pricing and product configuration information
Standardize contract and proposal management
Manage pricing, discounting and margins through sales
channels
THE EVOLUTION OF SHOPPER MARKETING CONFIGURE, PRICE, QUOTE (CPQ) SOLUTION STUDY 25

CONFIGURE,PRICE,QUOTE
ACTION PLAN

Follow this simple, step-by-step methodology to develop a CPQ plan that increases sales, builds
customer insights, and grows brand awareness.
ACTION PLAN CONFIGURE, PRICE, QUOTE (CPQ) SOLUTION STUDY 26

1 Evaluate

2 Review Evaluate Your CPQ Maturity

3 Develop Utilize our CPQ Readiness Assessment to evaluate if your orga-

nization is ready for a CPQ initiative and system implementation.

4 Understand

VIEW RESOURCE
5 Request

6 Identify

7 Select

8 Strategize

9 Train

10  Measure
ACTION PLAN CONFIGURE, PRICE, QUOTE (CPQ) SOLUTION STUDY 27

1 Evaluate

Understand The Roles Required For World

2 Review
Class CPQ
3 Develop
Evaluate the organizational impact of making the change from
your current systems and processes to a CPQ solution.
4 Understand
Use our Sales Enablement Roles Matrix to review the company
roles, responsibilities, processes, and technology that may be
5 Request impacted by the change.

6 Identify

7 Select VIEW RESOURCE

8 Strategize

9 Train

10  Measure
ACTION PLAN CONFIGURE, PRICE, QUOTE (CPQ) SOLUTION STUDY 28

1 Evaluate

2 Review Build a CPQ Plan You Can Share With

Stakeholders

3 Develop
Develop a solid plan and goals for the next 12-18 months for
your CPQ initiative with our CPQ Strategy Scorecard.
4 Understand

5 Request
VIEW RESOURCE

6 Identify

7 Select

8 Strategize

9 Train

10  Measure
ACTION PLAN CONFIGURE, PRICE, QUOTE (CPQ) SOLUTION STUDY 29

1 Evaluate

2 Review Discover and Research Key CPQ Vendors

3 Develop Review our CPQ Vendors Matrix to learn about the key vendors
in the CPQ space, and to understand which vendors may work
best for your organization.

4 Understand

5 Request VIEW RESOURCE

6 Identify

7 Select

8 Strategize

9 Train

10  Measure
ACTION PLAN CONFIGURE, PRICE, QUOTE (CPQ) SOLUTION STUDY 30

1 Evaluate

2 Review Obtain Proposals From Your

Short List of CPQ Vendors
3 Develop
Request proposals from potential vendors to gather informa-
tion on products/services.
4 Understand
Use our CPQ System RFP Template to create a standard
proposal template for your organization.
5 Request

6 Identify
VIEW RESOURCE

7 Select

8 Strategize

9 Train

10  Measure
ACTION PLAN CONFIGURE, PRICE, QUOTE (CPQ) SOLUTION STUDY 31

1 Evaluate

2 Review Learn More About Your Potential Vendors’

Product and/or Service
3 Develop
After receiving RFPs from potential vendors, schedule and attend
product/service demos with 3-4 vendors to get an up-close-and-
4 Understand
personal view of their solutions.

Follow these best practices:

5 Request
prioritize your requirements and use cases
send your use cases to vendor in advance of demo
6 Identify
define meeting length (max 1 hour) up front
don’t let vendor control the demo
7 Select
rate each vendor using a scorecard
have vendor demo their solution to your top use cases
8 Strategize
make list of key items that vendor doesn’t have clear answers for
set clear expectations around follow-up and timeframes
9 Train

10  Measure
ACTION PLAN CONFIGURE, PRICE, QUOTE (CPQ) SOLUTION STUDY 32

1 Evaluate

2 Review Find the Best Fit by Evaluating Vendors Using

Selection Criteria
3 Develop
Evaluate the 3-4 vendors at the top of your list with our CPQ
Vendor Evaluation Matrix in order to help you make your
4 Understand
selection.

5 Request

VIEW RESOURCE
6 Identify

7 Select

8 Strategize

9 Train

10  Measure
ACTION PLAN CONFIGURE, PRICE, QUOTE (CPQ) SOLUTION STUDY 33

1 Evaluate

2 Review Follow Proven Best Practices to CPQ Success

3 Develop Develop an implementation strategy and communication plan

to roll-out the initiative across the organization and through your
channels.
4 Understand
Use our Sales Enablement Playbook to create your plan.

5 Request

6 Identify VIEW RESOURCE

7 Select

8 Strategize

9 Train

10  Measure
ACTION PLAN CONFIGURE, PRICE, QUOTE (CPQ) SOLUTION STUDY 34

1 Evaluate

2 Review Train Your Team About CPQ

3 Develop Develop an education and training plan for all affected personnel:
sales, marketing, operations, and channels.

4 Understand

S TA R T L E A R N I N G
5 Request

6 Identify

7 Select

8 Strategize

9 Train

10  Measure
ACTION PLAN CONFIGURE, PRICE, QUOTE (CPQ) SOLUTION STUDY 35

1 Evaluate

2 Review Track Key CPQ Metrics

3 Develop Measure and track the progress and results of your CPQ initia-
tive with our CPQ Program Metrics Dashboard.

4 Understand

VIEW RESOURCE
5 Request

6 Identify

7 Select

8 Strategize

9 Train

10  Measure
THE EVOLUTION OF SHOPPER MARKETING CONFIGURE, PRICE, QUOTE (CPQ) SOLUTION STUDY 36

Our Solution Study Methodology

The Modern Marketing landscape is an ever changing, ever evolving Our Digital Marketing report series includes Solution Studies on:
environment in which new strategies, technologies, vendors, and
Content Marketing
products appear continually.
Configure, Price, Quote (CPQ)
Demand Metric Solution Studies provide marketers with a focus
on a specific technology solution set or focus area so that they are Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
armed with the knowledge, information, and tools they need to Email Marketing
develop effective strategies and action plans for their organizations.
Enablement Knowledge Management
Each Solution Study involves hours of analyst research, draws infor- Marketing Automation
mation from interviews with vendor executives and established
Mobile Marketing
vendor clients for a specific technology solution, and is usually
accompanied by a mini Tool-kit of practical resources. Public Relations

Solution Study Tool-kits are designed to provide marketers with the Sales Communication
tools & templates they need to plan for an initiative in a given focus Sales Intelligence
area, analyze the vendor landscape, and select the best vendor for
Social Media Marketing
their organization.
Video Marketing
 CONFIGURE, PRICE, QUOTE (CPQ) SOLUTION STUDY 37

About Demand Metric

Demand Metric provides Agile Marketing software powered

by 1,000+ practical tools and resources to help our members
complete their work faster and with more confidence.

Our community of 125,000+ global members is composed of

CEOs and business owners, marketing consultants and agen-
cies, marketing executives and managers, and professionals
who specialize in: product management, marketing operations,
sales enablement, customer engagement, demand genera-
tion, content marketing, project management, account-based
marketing, and other disciplines.
VIEW WEBSITE
To learn more about Demand Metric, sign up for a free member-
ship at www.demandmetric.com
 38

© Demand Metric Research Corporation.

All Rights Reserved.

www.demandmetric.com

Follow us on Twitter

Join Linkedin Group

Like us on Facebook