What decision criteria need to be considered when choosing the right CPQ software?
1. industry specialization
CPQ providers often specialize in certain industries or a certain level of complexity and align their software accordingly. It is important to know, for example, how pronounced the ETO (engineering to order) and CTO (configure to order) functionality of the CPQ solution is. 2. ability to handle complexity
Complex products should be intuitively configurable. But how easy is it to actually control the platform and thus the complexity – even without product expertise and programming knowledge? Test the functions and performance of the platform in a PoC (proof of concept) – if you already have existing configurations (e.g. from SAP®), ask for a live demo with your individual configurations. 3. feature & function focus
Functions that seem less important at first glance are often key elements in the end. For example, a DIY approach, the modular expandability of the platform, import and export options, offline functionality and the graphical recording of rules and regulations should not be neglected in the selection process. 4. integration capabilities
CPQ solutions only develop their full potential when they are networked with the existing system landscape. The connection options to ERP, CRM or PLM systems, for example, are therefore particularly important for bidirectional data exchange. 5. cloud vs on premise
For a long time, on premise was the common standard in companies, but cloud applications (public or privately hosted) offer great advantages: Usability on any end device and 24/7 availability.