Spreadsheet-based quoting works until it does not. The breaking point usually hits when a rep sends a proposal with last quarter’s pricing, an unapproved discount slips through, or finance cannot reconcile what was sold versus what was contracted. CPQ (Configure, Price, Quote) tools exist to eliminate these problems, but choosing the right one requires understanding where you are today and where you are headed.

Signs You Have Outgrown Spreadsheet Quoting

If three or more of these apply to your team, it is time to evaluate CPQ:

  • Pricing errors appear on more than 5% of proposals
  • Discount approvals happen over Slack or email with no audit trail
  • Multi-product bundles require manual calculations and frequently result in mistakes
  • Ramp deals, usage-based pricing, or tiered structures are part of your pricing model
  • Quote-to-close cycle takes more than 48 hours because of manual steps
  • Revenue recognition is complicated by inconsistent deal structures

Reality check: If your company sells a single product at a flat price with minimal discounting, you probably do not need a CPQ yet. A well-designed CRM quote template will suffice.

CPQ Evaluation Criteria

When comparing CPQ platforms, score them across these dimensions:

Criteria What to Look For
Pricing model support Can it handle your specific pricing - subscriptions, usage, ramps, tiers?
Approval workflows Configurable approval chains based on discount %, deal size, or product mix
CRM integration Native or deep integration with your CRM; bi-directional data sync
Document generation Professional quote/proposal output in PDF or web format
Analytics Quote-to-close rates, average discount, approval cycle times
Implementation complexity Time-to-live and ongoing admin burden

Platform Comparison

Salesforce CPQ (Revenue Cloud)

Best for: Salesforce-native organizations with complex pricing and large deal desks.

  • Deep integration with Salesforce objects - Opportunities, Products, Price Books
  • Advanced pricing rules, multi-dimensional quoting, and amendment/renewal flows
  • Steep learning curve; typically requires a dedicated CPQ admin or consultant
  • Pricing: Starts at $75/user/month; total cost including implementation often exceeds $100K in year one

DealHub

Best for: Mid-market teams that want CPQ, contract management, and a deal room in one platform.

  • Guided selling workflows that walk reps through product selection
  • No-code configuration - business users can update pricing without developer support
  • Native integrations with Salesforce, HubSpot, and Microsoft Dynamics
  • Pricing: Starts around $45/user/month; implementation typically runs $15-30K

PandaDoc

Best for: Teams that need quoting and e-signature in a lightweight, fast-to-deploy package.

  • Drag-and-drop document builder with embedded pricing tables
  • Built-in e-signature eliminates the need for a separate DocuSign contract
  • Integrates with most CRMs but lacks the deep pricing logic of Salesforce CPQ or DealHub
  • Pricing: From $35/user/month; most teams are live within 2-4 weeks

Implementation Tips

  1. Start with your top 3 deal types. Do not try to configure every pricing scenario on day one. Build for your 80% case, then iterate.
  2. Get finance involved early. CPQ decisions affect revenue recognition, so finance must validate the pricing model configuration.
  3. Train on real deals. Have reps build actual upcoming quotes during training, not hypothetical scenarios.
  4. Plan for ongoing maintenance. Pricing changes, new products, and approval threshold adjustments will require regular CPQ updates - budget 5-10 hours per month of admin time.

Key Takeaways

  • Evaluate CPQ when pricing errors, discount leakage, or manual quoting bottlenecks start costing real revenue
  • Match the tool to your complexity - PandaDoc for simple quoting, DealHub for mid-market, Salesforce CPQ for enterprise
  • Involve finance from the start and plan for ongoing configuration maintenance