Everyone may have their own opinion on the most important items of the CPQ implementation project. I have mine as well. This is what I think now, and the list can of course be longer for bigger and more complex projects.
The list
Please find the short list of the important elements that can make your project closer to success:
- Go agile. Focus on goals and work, not the paperwork.
- Make sure you have the pricing documented in the Excel spreadsheet with all the formulas in.
- Know all the bits and pieces of the product catalog.
Agile
With a trust between the customer and the partner, agile gives much flexibility and enough control mechanisms (if done wisely) to make the project success. And allows not to burn time on the unnecessary paperwork. Paperwork is important, but sometimes it just block the flexibility and the speed of the delivery.
Pricing
It’s easy when OOTB (Out Of The Box) functionalities are used to deliver pricing algorithms, but when it goes custom (even with configuration tools like Price Rules) the easiest way to cooperate is to have an Excel spreadsheets with all the math formulas and calculation in. That enables the team to write the algorithm in CPQ (for example by using Price Rules) and makes it very easy later on to test if the pricing component of the implementation is done right.
Product Catalog
The bigger the project the bigger the impact of this item. Especially in the configuration piece. The design of the catalog and configuration process impact pricing, quote templates, orders, invoicing, subscriptions, renewals, amendments.
And what are your key CPQ implementation project elements?
