There are three basic things to consider when looking.for the best CPQ for Dynamics 365 Sales: cost, support, and the technology itself.
Yes, we made “the technology itself” point #3. Because with quoting software, we’re usually considering a commodity, comparable to choosing between a green Honda Accord and a blue Honda Civic.
The difference among technological features and benefits between CPQ solution X and CPQ solution Y is rarely that far ranging: unless it’s a CPQ in name-only, most solutions have sales proposal templates (your mileage may vary), a dynamic product/pricing configuration engine, contact/document storage, and reporting.
Sometimes, choosing a CPQ is often a matter of personal taste (“I like those templates/that interface/these dashboards”) more so than meeting a specific business strategy. In most cases, though, it often comes down to factors like price and support.
How much should CPQ for Dynamics cost?
Cost is easy, right? It’s per user/per seat, plus set-up. Shouldn’t be that much variation no matter which CPQ solution you go with… but you’d be surprised.
Some CPQ solutions can run as high $100 per user month (and have “10 users” minimum requirements), and that’s not including set-up and other initial costs that can push six figures. Whereas others can cost as little as $40 or so per user per month, have no minimum user requirements, and have set-up fees in the low four figures.
Like we said, CPQ (like many apps), is in many ways a commodity. Think of other commodities: station A sells gas for $3 a gallon; station B, for $30 a gallon. Where are you filling up?
But it’s not just licensing costs to consider: it’s TCO (total cost of ownership), and here’s where support figures in.
Does CPQ for Dynamics require support?
Perhaps the best place to start with an answer to this question is with a quick look at your sales team and tech support staff: do they need help with new solutions? Usually, the answer is yes. Even if they’re early-adopters, tech-savvy millennial/gen-z types, new tools often need some form of support to ensure proper adoption across the enterprise.
When you’re looking for the best CPQ for D365 Sales, look for one that has support as part of the package (and not as an additional cost on top of a six-figure set-up fee). You may not need it every day, but when you do, it’ll help to know that support is available — and doesn’t require you to revisit your monthly budget.
Finally, features
Even though we listed them last, CPQ features are important. It’s simply that at this point in the quoting software solution’s existence, the features are now expectations: sales proposal templates, product/pricing configuration engine, centralized control over pricing and discount structures, monitoring and reporting tools, etc.
It’s akin to features, in, say, a word processing software. No one needs to ask if Word or Google Docs “has a cut and paste function?” It’s an expectation. As are templates, etc., in CPQ.
There’s difference in the details, of course (some CPQ templates look better than others, for example), but the essentials are usually the same. With one exception…
Don’t get a CPQ for Dynamics that doesn’t offer SSO as a standard feature. To fully ensure sales reps are using CPQ as intended, it should “feel” like part of Dynamics, and that means no additional sign-on: it’s accessible through the main nav, etc.
The best CPQ for Dynamics should work right inside of Dynamics. It should have all the support you’ll ever need. And it should NOT break the bank. Happy shopping!
