Configure, Price, Quote (CPQ) software has revolutionized how businesses handle complex sales processes. By streamlining the creation of accurate quotes and proposals, CPQ systems enhance efficiency, reduce errors, and accelerate the sales cycle.
This blog post explores the key features that make CPQ solutions indispensable for modern sales teams.
Let’s start discussing the top features of CPQ:
1. Guided Selling
CPQ systems often include guided selling functionalities. This feature uses predefined rules and logic to guide sales reps through the configuration process, ensuring that only valid product combinations are selected. It simplifies the sales process and helps reps make the best customer choices.
Step 1. Design/create product-level fields that can be filtered by the guided selling prompt.
A. Mattress Size (picklist field) with value King, Queen, Double bed.
B. Mattress Type (picklist field) with value Memory Foam, Hybrid.
Note: You can create any type of field with your desired name and values based on which you want to guide your selling rep
Step 2. Create the same fields as above on the process input object.
Note: Make sure you are using the same API name, labels, and values as used in the Product object. Also, for picklist values make sure values order the same as the product object.
Step 3. Add the fields API name created on the product object previously under the “Product Field” and “Input Field” on the Process Input object.
Note: This action will connect our input fields in the guided selling quote workflow to the previously created product fields. Ensure that the field names conclude with “__c”
Note: Add values to the product details section for which you want the guided selling work like in the below example
Step 4. Search for the Quote process from the CPQ app and create a new quote process
Step 5. Click the Related tab > Process Inputs > New to create Process Input under the quote process.
Note: This will allow the sales reps to identify Mattress type and Mattress size.
Step 6. The final step is to attach the Quote Process ID to your quote or quote line group’s Quote Process ID field.
Note: Copy the Quote process ID from the URL and paste it to the quote you want to apply this quote process manually can set it as default.
Now it’s time to test this feature.
2. CPQ Favorites
CPQ Favorites is a versatile and often overlooked feature in Salesforce CPQ. It allows users to save configured bundles or quote line groups as “Favorites.” This means that once a user configures a bundle, they can easily reuse it, saving valuable time and effort. This feature is particularly beneficial for users with extensive product catalogs, as it simplifies the selection process.
By marking specific products or groups of products as favorites, users can quickly access and reuse them without needing to reconfigure them each time. This streamlined approach not only enhances efficiency but also reduces the repetitive task of selecting multiple products from the catalog.
2. Steps to Set CPQ Favorites:
Step 1. Search for the Favorite tab and create a Favorite record by clicking on New and adding your desired products under it.
Note: You can create multiple Favorite records and add different products accordingly.
Step 2. Click the dropdown arrow on the Add Products button under the quote line editor, then click Add Favorites.
Note: You can also click the star icon on the Product Selection page.
Step 3. Select the favorites that you want to add. Click on the “Select” button to return to the quote line editor, and to add more favorites, you can simply tap on “Select & Add More.”
Note: You can add up to 10 favorites per each instance of the Favorite Lookup page.
3. Quote Line Groups
The Salesforce CPQ feature known as ‘Quote Line Groups’ offers numerous applications. Rather than setting parameters at the overall quote level, it enables users to organize products into distinct groups. This functionality is useful for scenarios such as grouping products that need to be shipped to different business units or locations but billed to a single account. Additionally, it allows for presenting customers with multiple configurations, such as offering a quote with both annual and two-year options.
Step 1. Click on Add Group on the quote line editor.
You will see that the products are now under Group 1
Step 2. You can add multiple groups by clicking on the Add Group Button and any time can ungroup them by clicking Ungroup.
Note: You can add products under multiple groups by clicking the Add Products button of that particular group or by simply dragging and dropping line items from other groups
You can also clone groups, delete a particular group, and add more options which you can find under the dropdown icon next to the Add Products button of that group.
You can Rename groups by clicking the edit icon next to the group name and also can put different start, and end dates, subscription terms, and other details of particular groups.
4. Twin Fields:
Twin Fields is one of the most effective and advantageous tools in Salesforce CPQ. These tools enable accurate calculations and centralized data management. It is used when we want, field values to be transferred from one object to another upon creation if the following conditions are met:
► The fields are editable. ► They share the same API names. ► They have identical field types
Consideration:
- The field on the source object should have read access, and the field on the target object should have edit access.
- We cannot map standard fields.
- Twin fields work only when you are creating a record.
5. Package Product Code (Dynamic Product Code)
When dealing with bundle products, automating the creation of custom codes to dynamically represent bundle components is highly advantageous. Salesforce CPQ provides this capability along with the ability to generate customized descriptions for each bundle component by setting up Package Product Code.
It allows users to retrieve product details based on product codes.
Configuration types and patterns can be defined to generate codes.
Generate a custom code to dynamically represent bundle internals.
Initiate a custom description to dynamically represent bundle internals.
Step 1. Click the bundle product > Related ****tab > Option > Advance Setting under option detail
Step 2. For Component Code, enter a code in the alphanumeric format, and For Component Code Position, assign a number (eg, 1) to indicate the order of the options in the final configured code.
Step 3. Click Save.
Step 4. Repeat the above steps for all the necessary options.
Step 5. Access the product record and select the Edit option.
Step 6. In the Configured Code Pattern field of the product record, input a template that defines the pattern. This template may include fixed text that remains constant and placeholders enclosed within brackets.
These placeholders correspond to the Component Code Position field of the product option, as set in step 4. An example of a finalized configured code pattern might appear as follows: PRODUCT-001-{1}-{2}-{3}.
Now it is time to check how this Package Product Code works on the Quote line editor Select the bundle product and its option as required.
Based on option selection the package product code with generated dynamically.
6. Summary Variables
Summary variables function similarly to roll-up summary fields by summarizing data such as quantity or price. Additionally, they provide the flexibility to apply criteria based on attributes like product code or product family.
Summary variables can be applied to quote lines, product options, subscriptions, or assets. They perform calculations such as SUM, AVERAGE, MIN, and MAX on numerical fields and can also COUNT records based on specified filter criteria. Once configured, these variables can be referenced in price conditions, actions, rule error conditions, product actions, quote term conditions, and even in other summary variables.
Note: You cannot store the values of Summary variables within the system as they are available within the quote line editor.
Create a summary variable
You can use this summary variable for the Product rule or Price rule. Below is an example of a product rule where the above summary variable is used, to sum up all line items having product codes containing USB.
In the above error condition specifying if the sum of the summary variable is greater than value 1 then fire the product rule.
In the below example there are 2 options selected containing product code USB so the product rule fires and displays the error message on the screen. This is how we can use summary variables to configure product rules.
It’s time to try all these feature implementations by yourself. Go and play with this feature to understand deeply how it functions.
Conclusion:
CPQ software has become an essential tool for businesses looking to streamline their sales processes and improve overall efficiency. By offering dynamic product configuration, flexible pricing management, automated quoting, and robust integration capabilities, CPQ solutions empower sales teams to deliver accurate, personalized, and timely quotes.
Additionally, features like analytics, mobile accessibility, and compliance management ensure that businesses can respond quickly to market demands while maintaining control and compliance.
Investing in a CPQ solution is a strategic move that can drive growth, enhance customer satisfaction, and provide a competitive edge in today’s fast-paced business environment. And for more blogs, stay tuned!
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