Across industries and sectors, businesses are pushing for innovation and seeking new ways to increase revenue, offer next-level customer experiences, and accelerate digital transformation initiatives. But if underlying systems and practices aren’t aligned with the needs of a business' future state, it’s next to impossible to achieve these strategic goals.
One system that underpins transformation initiatives is CPQ. But in many cases, legacy CPQ tools are unable to flex to the future.
Since the early 2000s, virtually every industry has evolved lightyears from the humble beginnings of CPQ. From sales processes and buyer expectations, to product complexity and nontraditional deal structures, practically everything has changed. Yet, many companies are still using a CPQ that was built for simpler times.
To build toward the future, we can’t continue relying on a CPQ built for yesterday’s challenges. So, how can you evolve your CPQ to meet your needs today and future-proof for tomorrow?
It’s time to future-proof CPQ.
A key way you can future-proof CPQ is by revamping your CPQ RFP and vendor evaluation process.
CPQ RFPs haven’t evolved at the pace of innovation within the businesses they’re intended to support. This has led to some companies adopting (and feeling stuck) with CPQ solutions that are not aligned with their future vision. For many companies—perhaps even yours—CPQ has been anything but future-proofed and future-ready.
Without a modern take on your RFP, your resulting solution may not even address today’s needs, let alone the future challenges CPQ needs to solve. A future-proofed CPQ solution should be able to offer a wide variety of capabilities and results, including:
- Customization and flexibility
- Efficient implementations
- Data integrity and security
- Extensibility and scalability
- Omnichannel capabilities
- Integration with eCommerce
- ROI
We all know that CPQ should support, streamline, and supercharge buying and selling processes. So CPQ RFPs need to use a new line of questioning so that companies can arrive at a solution that meets an evolving list of business needs.
So, let’s change the game. Ask yourself…
What needs to change?
- What are the specific challenges you have with your current CPQ?
- What types of issues do you want to leave behind?
- What are deal-breakers in a new CPQ solution?
What is most important to you?
- What are the key features and capabilities that are most important to you in making a switch to a new CPQ?
- What types of results do you need to see for your new CPQ to be considered successful?
What might the future hold?
- How might your business model evolve or change?
- How might your buyers demand new types of commerce experiences?
- Can your CPQ deliver for your future scenarios?
it’s time to ask some big questions to ensure that your CPQ solution is aligned with your business’ goals and future plans (even if they’re still just ideas). In order to future-proof your CPQ, you need to uncover how well your chosen solution can support your needs for efficiency, performance, and enhanced user experiences today – while offering the flexibility, scalability, and vision that can grow with you tomorrow.
The future is on its way. Is your CPQ ready?
Future-proof your CPQ with our new guide.
