WE ARE HIRING!
4PACE-Logo
WE ARE HIRING!
CONTACT

Ready for CPQ? How to Prepare Your Business for a Quote Configurator

What You’ll Learn in This Article

Why a Quote Configurator? An Overview of the Typical CPQ Project Phases

The introduction of a Configure-Price-Quote (CPQ) system – i.e. a powerful quotation configurator – is a strategically important step for industrial companies. However, before such a system can develop its benefits, every CPQ project usually goes through four phases:

  • Potential Analysis – Is a CPQ project even worth it?
    Which challenges should it solve? Where are efficiency and revenue opportunities?
  • Readiness Check – The focus of this article.
    What preparations or changes are needed before a configurator can be technically and organizationally implemented?
  • Concept Design – What should the solution include?
    Which rules, product logic, interfaces, and user journeys need to be mapped?
  • Implementation – How can the solution be realized?
    System selection, technical implementation, integration, and rollout.
The 4 phases of a CPQ project.

The readiness check phase in particular – i.e. the assessment of your own level of readiness – determines how smoothly the design and implementation will go later on. The following list of questions makes your starting position visible and shows where the foundations may still need to be laid.

Your Readiness Checklist for a CPQ Project

6 core areas to assess your configurator readiness.

Strategy and organization

A successful CPQ rollout starts with a clear strategy. A quote configurator affects more than just sales – so roles, goals, and responsibilities must be clearly aligned.

STRATEGY & ORGANIZATION

  • Which business units are asking for a solution?
  • Which departments are involved or have specific requirements?
  • Who are the stakeholders – and are they already engaged?

GOALS

  • What goals do you want to achieve with a configurator?
  • What is the priority of these goals?
  • Is there already a roadmap?

TIMELINE

  • What does your timeline look like?
  • Are there any constraints?
  • Do prerequisites need to be completed first?
  • Is there a target go-live date?

Product portfolio and degree of modularization

The configurator is only as good as the structure of your product portfolio. A clear architecture acts as an accelerator, while inconsistencies increase effort and complexity.

PORTFOLIO & PLATFORM STRATEGY

  • How are your products and portfolio currently structured?
  • Do you already have a modular platform strategy?

MODULARIZATION

  • How modular are your products?
  • What is the current level of standardization?
  • What is the target state?
  • What degree of standardization is envisaged?
  • Are you planning to modularize existing products or introduce new generations?

BOM & STRUCTURE

  • How are modular products represented in engineering, manufacturing, and sales?
  • Do BOM structures exist, and how consistent is their interpretation?

Customer expectations and competition

A modern configurator should not only optimize internal processes but meet – or exceed – customer expectations.

CUSTOMER VIEW

  • What do your customers expect?
  • Which expectations can't be met with your current setup?
  • How well do customers understand your portfolio – how much prior knowledge do they need?
  • Why do customers (not) buy from you?

COMPETITION

  • How does your competition operate?
  • Where are you ahead
  • Where are you behind?
  • What competitive advantages can a configurator offer you?

Processes and data situation

A configurator affects quote cycles, pricing logic, internal workflows, and especially your data model. Assessing your current processes is therefore essential.

PROCESSES

  • How do customers currently find the right product on your website?
  • What do your quote and order processes look like today?
  • Where are the major bottlenecks?
  • Are there differences between regions or subsidiaries?
  • Which processes can be standardized – and which cannot?

DATA

  • What data is needed to achieve your goals?
  • What data already exists?
  • Is the data quality sufficient?
  • Where should additional data be created in the future – and how will it be maintained?
  • Do BOMs or modular structures already exist?
  • How is your ruleset currently maintained?

IT infrastructure and system environment

To unlock its full potential, a quote configurator must seamlessly interact with your IT landscape – from ERP to CRM, CAD, and e-commerce.

IT-SYSTEMS

  • Which systems are currently in use?
  • Which systems should stay – and which might be replaced?

CONFIGURATORS

  • Do you already use in-house or standalone configurators?
  • Which tasks currently lack appropriate IT support?

SYSTEM LANDSCAPE

  • How do your systems interact today?
  • What does a simplified “big picture” of your landscape look like?
  • How is data quality across backend systems?

Employees and know-how

Every CPQ project is a change project. Without the right mindset, capacity, and competencies, sustainable implementation is not possible.

STAFF & ACCOUNTABILITY

  • Are key people convinced of the project’s necessity?
  • Who else needs to be involved?
  • Where does responsibility lie?
  • Is there enough management attention?
  • Are roles for preparation and project leadership clearly assigned?

CAPACITY & EXPERTISE

  • Are sufficient resources available?
  • Can external support be involved?
  • Does the team have the required expertise?
  • Can missing expertise be sourced externally?

Why Clear Project Preparation Makes All the Difference

Taking a proactive approach to these questions is the key to a successful CPQ project. A well-prepared starting point significantly reduces the effort required for conceptualization and implementation – and accelerates the overall project timeline.

It also enables a realistic, prioritized roadmap that creates internal alignment. And ultimately, it improves project acceptance across the company: the clearer the foundations, the greater the buy-in from sales, engineering, and management.

holgerr-rund

HOLGER REIMSBACH
Head of Projects & Operations

LinkedIn

This might also interest you

WIR STELLEN EIN!
WE ARE HIRING!