A New Take on Advanced Configuration

Evolving CPQ for the New Era of Complex Selling

A New Take on CPQ

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The Time is Now for Next-Gen Configuration

In the two decades since CPQ first emerged on the sales scene, virtually every industry has evolved–and in most cases, grown vastly more complex. 

Between all the ways to package, bundle, and deliver products and services, sales complexity is at an all-time high. 

You know firsthand that selling complex offerings requires lots of time and heavy IT lifting to configure, price, and quote the right solutions in order to get the right deal over the finish line. 

But most companies are still using a CPQ that was built for simpler times.

It’s no secret that CPQ is typically a challenging point in the sales process, however CPQ shouldn’t disrupt your ability to configure a winning deal and deliver an experience that meets modern buyers’ expectations. The purpose of CPQ has always been to increase sales efficiency and productivity, but in reality, it often falls short.

If status quo CPQ is holding you back, the time is now for a new take on advanced configuration that's built for the next era of complex sales.

How Did We Get Here? A Brief History of CPQ

Configuring, pricing, and quoting products for specific customer needs is a point in the sales process that requires its own tools, so we built the template.

CPQ Timeline

2000: CPQ gets its start with the founding of BigMachines, a company built to help manufacturing sellers with configuration, pricing, and quoting processes.

2013: Oracle purchases BigMachines to expand their CPQ capabilities, creating the Oracle CPQ Cloud.

2014: SteelBrick emerges as a next-generation CPQ offering.

2016: Salesforce acquires SteelBrick, which became Salesforce CPQ and Salesforce QTC.

2021: BigMachines and SteelBrick founders create Logik.io, the new CPQ solution designed for modern sales operations.

Logik.io’s founders created the CPQ category over 20 years ago, and we're still pioneering guided selling tools to this day (with no intention of stopping any time soon).

Reimagining CPQ with Advanced Configuration

The way we see it, who better than the original category creators to reimagine what advanced configuration can be?

We're the first to admit: the CPQ we created in the early aughts was built for a different time. Sales processes, buyer expectations, and the level of complexity of products and deal structures have evolved lightyears from where we all were in the year 2000. 

You’ve likely felt the pain of a mismatch between the CPQ created for the Y2K era, and your sales needs today. 

For example, most CPQ tools are SKU- or product-based only, which essentially requires sellers to search for or memorize long lists of product names and codes. As businesses grow and solution sets expand, this can become a tough challenge, especially if it's the only mode you've got. 

Another area where sellers have been scarred by CPQ is the sheer level of IT involvement required to implement and manage traditional CPQ tools. This translates to higher costs and extra time needed to get deals done, and often diminishes rather than enhances sales productivity.

In truth, most companies leveraging traditional CPQ tools today face a variety of specific challenges, which usually a combination of the following: 

  • Complex Implementation: Deploying traditional CPQ systems can be a complex process, especially for large enterprises with intricate product catalogs and existing legacy systems. Integration with existing CRM, ERP, and other business systems can pose challenges.
  • Data Accuracy and Integrity: Legacy CPQ systems rely on accurate and up-to-date product and pricing data. Maintaining data integrity across various systems and databases can be a challenge, leading to potential quoting errors.
  • User Adoption: Convincing sales teams to embrace and fully utilize legacy CPQ systems can be difficult. If the tools are not user-friendly, sellers may resist adopting them.
  • Customization Complexity: Some companies require highly customized CPQ solutions to meet their unique business needs. Developing and maintaining such tailored systems is often challenging and costly.
  • Scalability: As businesses grow and add more products or services to their catalog, its CPQ system must be able to handle increased complexity and volume of data and quoting processes. But legacy systems aren’t equipped for scale.
  • Integration with eCommerce: Integrating CPQ capabilities with e-commerce platforms can be challenging, particularly for companies looking to provide their buyers with self-service quoting and ordering options.
  • Changing Business Rules: Organizations might face difficulties in quickly adapting to changing market conditions and business rules. Updating traditional CPQ tools and pricing rules to align with new strategies can be time-consuming.
  • Mobile and Offline Access: Sales teams often work in the field and may struggle with limited internet connectivity. Ensuring seamless mobile access and offline capabilities can be a challenge for legacy CPQ solutions.
  • Costs and ROI: Implementing and maintaining traditional CPQ systems can involve significant upfront costs. Measuring your return on investment and demonstrating the system's value to stakeholders is crucial.

The bottom line? The world has changed, but traditional CPQ hasn’t. 

Modernizing Your Configuration for a New Era

Companies everywhere have been examining the need for digital transformation and are also beginning to consumerize their buying and selling processes. Across sectors and industries, organizations are expanding their omnichannel strategies and looking at ways to sell even their most complex products across self-service channels.  

This all would have been a far-fetched dream way back in 2000, so it should be no surprise that CPQ was never designed for where we are today.

It’s time for CPQ to catch up to what buyers and sellers need today. So, we’re pushing CPQ forward with a new take on advanced configuration. 

Logik.io has ushered in a new era for advanced configuration, with a modern approach and intuitive tools that simplify CPQ challenges in the consumerized era of B2B and complex sales.

This new take on advanced configuration helps to prevent and eliminate challenges associated with traditional CPQ. With a modern, scalable model, the Logik.io approach offers: 

  • Point & Click Setup & Implementation: Our approach is designed for business admins to set up and manage, with less reliance on IT for complex integration and implementations.
  • Intuitive Customizable UI: We  enable you to design the layouts that make quoting fast and easy for your sellers with a UI that feels custom helps to increase adoption, and enables your sellers to focus on selling. 
  • Performance as a Must: Legacy CPQ tools can put performance and speed into question for end users. Our new take on advanced configuration supports complex selling without sacrificing performance.  
  • Headless & Composable Architecture: A main culprit of CPQ challenges is the monolithic, inflexible nature of legacy CPQ solutions. Our take on advanced configuration offers composable capabilities that give you the flexibility to design the experience that works best for your business.

What You Gain (and Lose) with Modernized CPQ Configuration

With a new take on advanced configuration, there are several things you can gain—and a few you’ll be happy to lose.

With Modernized Configuration, you GAIN…

 

Increased sales efficiency with a smoother process to configure complex products and deal structures

Faster time to sale, through a guided selling process that streamlines CPQ

Flexibility to sell across new channels and for more use cases

Adaptability to offer consumerized buying experiences, regardless of your business

An enhanced ability to solve for your customers’ most complex requirements

With Modernized Configuration, you LOSE…

 

Uncertainty of whether your configured solutions are correct and completely solve your customers’ challenges

Potential wasted time configuring deals that don’t match to your customers’ needs

Year+ implementation timelines that are often costly and frustrating

Heavy ongoing IT involvement that can slow down the sales process and hurt productivity

A non-intuitive UX that clashes with modern commerce expectations

Curious if our new take on advanced configuration is right for your business?

Download the CPQ RFP Guide

Ready for a New Take on Advanced Configuration?

Modern advanced configuration is here. 

If you’re ready for a new take on advanced configuration and want to simplify your complex CPQ, we’ve got you covered.

At Logik.io, we think it’s high time that CPQ administrators, IT architects, and operations leaders explore a new approach that can enhance sales productivity and deliver superior experiences for buyers.

If you’re ready to banish CPQ headaches, supercharge sales productivity, and meet modern customers’ expectations for consumerized buying experiences, we’d love to chat.

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