Are CPQ Tools for Salesforce Bad?

Are CPQ Tools for Salesforce Bad? ======================================================================= Salesforce CPQ does what it claims to do, and it does it exceptionally well. But it lacks a few key features. This guide explains critical areas where Salesforce CPQ falls short, how it might affect your business, and identifies superior CPQ tools for Salesforce that bridge the gaps.

Here’s what we cover in this article: Why Salesforce CPQ Isn’t Amazing • It Can’t Handle Unlimited Product Configurations • It Lacks Visual Capabilities • It Doesn’t Have a Robust Self-Serve Component Whether You Should Still Use the CPQ in Salesforce Anyway What Impact Third-Party CPQ Tools For Salesforce Can Have 1. Improve Customer Experience 2. Enable Buyers to Self-Serve 3. Offer Infinite Production Configurations 4. Make Processes Error-free 5. Improve Profitability with Automation How to Make Salesforce CPQ More Powerful with Epicor CPQ for Salesforce Why Salesforce CPQ Could be Better Salesforce CPQ lacks some core functionality of today’s best-in-breed standalone CPQ solutions.

Below we outline the key areas where Salesforce CPQ comes off as inadequate.

It Can’t Handle Unlimited Product Configurations Salesforce CPQ is made for companies with a limited number of standardized products. If that’s you, then read no further–Salesforce CPQ is all you need. Your buyers can select a product from your catalog, and the CPQ in Salesforce will provide them with a price and quote in real time.

The thing is, today’s B2B buyers want custom products—80% of consumers are more likely to purchase from brands that offer personalized experiences. You need a personalization mechanism that allows buyers to choose products best suited to their needs.

The best CPQs can offer a lot more value if your product configurations tend to be complex. With the right CPQ, you’ll be able to extend your product portfolio infinitely, where buyers have the freedom to choose a product configuration you’ve never manufactured before.

It Lacks Visual Capabilities Salesforce CPQ doesn’t have a built-in visual configurator. This missing feature means your sales reps or buyers can’t view and configure products in real time. Instead, they have to rely on generic images and product descriptions.

A visual configurator is critical for a modern manufacturer. It helps sales reps provide buyers with a clearer understanding of configurable designs. Moreover, buyers can operate configurators independently, selecting configurations by looking at and interacting with 3D renderings. Not only is this a delightful experience, but it gives buyers the confidence they need to move to the next step in their buying journey.

It Doesn’t Have a Robust Self-Serve Component Visual configurators allow buyers to self-serve, which, according to the 2022 B2B Buying Disconnect report from TrustRadius, 100% of buyers want to be able to do.

The best 3D visual configurators enable buyers to explore your products without ever speaking to a sales rep. Instead of reading product descriptions, they can watch lifelike visuals of your products on your website. This elevates the buyer’s journey to another level, providing a delightful, immersive experience.

According to the Gartner Future of Sales 2025 report, 80% of B2B sales will occur via digital channels in a few year’s time. The demand for speed, convenience, and customer experiences similar to B2C websites will likely increase as your competitors try to gain an edge. What’s the best way to offer speed and great customer experiences? The option to self-serve online.

Should You Still Use the CPQ in Salesforce?

If you’re an existing Salesforce CPQ user, you can easily fill the functionality gap by leveraging thirdparty CPQ integrations. A leading option is Epicor CPQ, which integrates with Salesforce seamlessly.

Once integrated, you’ll be able to provide buyers with a visual configurator and infinite product options.

Below are the benefits you can expect from leveraging Epicor CPQ in conjunction with Salesforce.

Third-Party CPQ Tools For Salesforce Have the Following Impact: 1. Improve Customer Experience By integrating Epicor CPQ and Salesforce, you can provide your customers with a visual configurator with 3D, AR, and VR capabilities.

Whether your customer deals directly with a sales rep, one of your partners, or your website, they can access your configurator to experience a 360-degree view of their final product before it’s manufactured.

2. Enable Buyers to Self-Serve The visual configurator helps buyers find a configuration that matches their needs without involving a sales rep. All the information they need to make an informed decision is available along with a 3D rendering, empowering buyers to move from research to checkout without the help of an expensive, hardto-hire sales team.

3. Offer Infinite Product Choice Buyers want the flexibility to select a product based on their use case and specific needs. If you offer products with hundreds or even thousands of potential configurations, integrating Epicor CPQ with Salesforce will allow you to extend your product line with as many combinations as possible.

4. Eliminate Errors Have you ever quoted an incorrect price? It’s embarrassing.

But accurate pricing isn't a cakewalk when offering thousands of potential configurations. Volume discounts, market demand, competitors' prices, inventory levels, customer-specific prices, shifting costs, and approvals can all come into play.

Integrating Epicor CPQ–with its no-code rules engine for building pricing rules–is the best way to guarantee pricing accuracy. It speaks directly to your ERP to access the latest prices and inventory levels

before buyers make their final selection. If a particular part is out of stock, it can inform the user of the current lead time and automatically place an order with suppliers.

5. Improve Profitability with Automation Salesforce CPQ automates sales, but integrating Epicor CPQ helps you automate the entire end-to-end engineer-to-order process, from the shopping cart to the shop floor.

Once a buyer orders, Epicor CPQ relays the information to relevant teams and applications (like CRM, ERP, and CAD). It auto-generates CAD files, CNC cut sheets, and BOMs for the shop floor, helping you process orders faster and helping you scale your business. Rather than investing in staff, you can rely on automation, achieving more with the human resources at your disposal. Engineering and sales teams can focus on strategic tasks that require a human touch instead of time-sucking, mundane work.

Make Salesforce CPQ More Powerful with Epicor CPQ for Salesforce Salesforce CPQ isn’t the best configure price quote solution for manufacturers selling complex, highly configurable products. However, if you’re already using it, you can avoid switching costs and make up for its shortcomings by integrating a solution like Epicor CPQ. Integrating a third-party CPQ solution with Salesforce can help you improve customer experience and automate processes on which you currently spend a lot of time and resources. It’s a surefire way to boost profitability in competitive markets.