General Resources
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Salesforce CPQ Implementation Guide
This Salesforce CPQ Implementation guide is an 8-step guide to ensure a successful CPQ implementation for your organization.
Salesforce CPQ (Configure, Price, and Quote) is one of the most challenging Salesforce products to implement. There are several steps you need to execute to ensure a successful implementation—and there’s plenty of room for error.
But it’s well worth the effort.
CPQ being a tough product implement doesn't mean you should steer clear of it. In fact, we believe it's one of the most powerful products out there. We've talked a lot about Salesforce CPQ in the past, including:
To sum it up, CPQ allows you to re-think your organizations processes, to keep innovating. Its flexibility means your tech stack can grow and change alongside your business and while that can present challenges, CPQ also presents opportunities that few other tools offers.
An 8-Item Salesforce CPQ Implementation Checklist
It’s time for the main event—here’s our checklist for CPQ implementation:
1\. Define Your Implementation Goals
2\. Choose an Implementation Methodology
3\. Document Your Quote Generation Process
4\. Define Product Features & Integrations
5\. Configure CPQ Features
6\. Test implementation
7\. Support User Adoption
8\. Measure Progress and Optimize
Let's look at each step more closely.
1. Define Your Implementation Goals
The first step? Define your goals with the implementation process.
While this may seem like generic advice (and in many ways, it is), it’s incredibly important nonetheless. You need to understand the challenges your sales team faces to take full advantage of Salesforce CPQ as a solution.
You’ll want to look at both:
Business Issues: What workflows and processes are slowing down sales? (e.g., delivery timelines, payment terms)
Technical Issues: What are the ways that your current solution(s) are meeting your needs, and what could be improved? (e.g., accuracy, scalability)
Then simply translate these key issues into clear, measurable goals.
For example, “to improve response times by 20%” or “to reduce manual errors by 50%.”
2. Choose an Implementation Methodology
The implementation methodology you choose can be the difference between an orderly implementation and complete chaos.
Choosing any methodology is better than not choosing one at all. But ideally, you should take some time to consider which methodology meshes best with your team, project timeline, resources, etc.
For CPQ Implementations, we recommend establishing either an Agile or Waterfall methodology.
If you’re working with a CPQ Consultant, they should be able to recommend what makes sense for your particular processes.
3. Document Your Quote Generation Process
Having a CPQ workflow penciled in before implementation will make the whole project a lot simpler.
That means you need to spend time documenting your current quote generation workflow, including:
Products
Value-added services
Payment terms
Pricing
Discounts
Process ownership
Approval rules
Then you’ll want to transform your current workflow into a Salesforce CPQ workflow.
If you don’t have any prior experience with the product, it can be helpful to work with an experienced Salesforce CPQ consultant who can walk you through the entire project—from planning to development.
4. Choose Features & Integrations (Sparingly)
Salesforce CPQ supports tons of features and integrations—some you’ll use, many you won’t.
Your goal at this stage is to get Salesforce CPQ up and running quickly so that it can start generating value. That means avoiding “nice-to-have” features and integrations (for now) and focusing on core capabilities that will help you meet business goals.
For many businesses, that means focusing on core product features like:
Configure Products
Fix Prices
Generate Quotes
Guided Selling
Product Bundles & Product Rules
Quote Line Groups
If you’re migrating data from an existing CRM or ERP, these are must-have integrations to add to the list.
5. Configure Features
Once Salesforce CPQ is installed, it’s time to start configuring features and objects. This can be a complex process—there’s no shame in calling for backup.
At FoundHQ, we connect businesses with a talented network of Salesforce professionals from around the world who can help you configure your features. From end-to-end implementations to rescue missions, our services are transparent, cost-effective, and flexible.
Here’s a breakdown of the work that needs to be done:
Approvals: Setting up a quotation approval flow based on approval level and quote attributes.
Branding: Adding logos, colors, and fonts to match your company’s brand.
Discounting: Setting up discounting rules and permissions.
Package Settings: Configuring account settings, currency, and pricing rules.
Products and Price List: Configuring products, bundles, add-ons, and price lists.
Quote Status: Customizing statuses to match internal policies.
Need help understanding the configuration process? Get matched with a Salesforce CPQ expert risk-free.
6. Test Initial Implementation
Once your CPQ implementation is complete, it is important to test the system to ensure that it is working properly. This testing should be done in two phases:
Unit testing should be done by the implementation team to verify that the individual components of the system are working as expected.
System testing should be done by a team of end users to verify that the system meets the needs of the business and that it is easy to use.
The system testing should include a variety of test cases, covering all of the different ways that the system will be used. Some examples of test cases include:
Creating a new quote
Editing an existing quote
Generating a proposal
Sending a quote to a customer
Approving a quote
Rejecting a quote
The system testing should also be done with a variety of data, including both valid and invalid data. This will help to ensure that the system is able to handle all of the different types of data that it will encounter.
7. Support User Adoption
It’s time to get your sales team up to speed with Salesforce CPQ.
To do this, appoint a Salesforce CPQ champion to guide your user adoption efforts. They’ll be responsible for:
Diving into the product head-first and developing a deep understanding of it.
Leading product demos and workshops for sales teams.
Fielding questions and providing feedback to the team.
Creating (or locating) and distributing user guides, tutorials, and reference materials.
If the Salesforce CPQ champion notices any employees with above-average CPQ skills or knowledge, they can rely on them for support when it comes to educating the team.
8. Measure Progress and Optimize
You’re through the deployment phase—congratulations! The road ahead is much easier, but there’s still a bit of work to be done.
Remember those goals you identified earlier? Well, it’s time to gather data that allows you to definitely say whether you achieved them or not. That means monitoring relevant team and system KPIs for a while to paint a reliable picture.
If your goal was “to improve response times by 20%”, you’ll need to collect data on your post-deployment response times and compare them to the pre-deployment benchmark. Not seeing great results? Don’t worry. Optimization is a big part of this process.
Keep measuring, testing, and tweaking (with justification)—you’ll find the right path eventually.
5 Common CPQ Implementation Challenges
As with any complex process, Salesforce CPQ implementations are rife with challenges—especially without the guidance of an expert CPQ consultant.
Here are a few of the most common (along with ways to avoid them):
Lack of Continued Support: Implementation services may end up being useless if they don’t offer post-implementation support. Choose a provider like FoundHQ that offers flexible support—throughout the project and afterward.
Lifting and Switching: CPQ becomes the most powerful tool of your arsenal if you implement it right. Lifting your current process from another tool and migrating it to Salesforce CPQ isn't how you set up your team and tech stack for success.
Lack of Alignment With Business Goals: On a similar note, you need to make sure your implementation (and implementation goals) are aligned with business goals—things like a streamlining of sales processes, improved customer experience/satisfaction, and a decrease in operational costs. This helps ground your implementation in the reality of the organization.
Data Issues: Inaccurate, incomplete, or inconsistent data can lead to a failed implementation. Make sure you validate and clean your data before implementation to prevent errors.
Integration Issues: Integration can be a tricky process, depending on the products you’re trying to integrate and what level of data transfer you need. Make sure your partner is up to the task by looking at their experience.
Ensure the Best CPQ Implementation
To ensure the best CPQ Implementation, you need a great Consultant on your side. We don't mean Consulting Partners who are incentivized to upsell whatever product crosses their mind. We mean an Independent CPQ Consultant who can come into your organization, understand your goals, teams and processes; and guide (or execute) your CPQ Implementation.
At FoundHQ, we've built a network of over 3,000 Consultants of incredible backgrounds and expertises who have worked with the likes of Deel, Auditboard, G2 and more.
How it Works
You share your project requirements and budget.
We shortlist 2-3 candidates that fit your project's needs.
You get to interview these candidates and pick the one you like best. That's it!
There are no rigid SOWs, no minimum commitments and no recruiting fees.
All Freelancers are subcontractors of FoundHQ.
FoundHQ handles all on-boarding, timesheets, payroll, and compliance.
You only pay a flat hourly rate for all approved hours, invoiced at the end of each month.
Get started by clicking on the bottom right button.
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