Manufacturers need more than speed and precision – they need scalable systems that actually grow revenue. Yet quoting remains a common choke point. Complex configurations, dynamic pricing, and custom requirements still trap many teams in spreadsheet limbo.
That’s where CPQ (Configure, Price, Quote) enters the chat. This isn’t just a software upgrade; it’s a growth multiplier. With AI streamlining decisions and self-service portals empowering buyers to configure and quote on their own, CPQ is fueling faster sales cycles, fewer errors, and higher deal values, while freeing sales teams to focus on strategy, not spreadsheets.
The Hidden Costs of Manual Quoting
If you’re still quoting out of spreadsheets or clinging to outdated systems, you’re leaving money on the table. Plain and simple. Manual quoting leaves room for pricing errors, slow turnaround times, and inconsistent configurations – frustrating buyers, stalling deals, and driving customers to more responsive competitors.
Take one of our customers: a $1B global industrial equipment manufacturer. After years of acquisitions, they were left with fragmented product lines and siloed teams, each working with disconnected systems. Their quoting process? Run through a single spreadsheet, managed by just three people across the entire organization. Not only does that create major bottlenecks, but those three team members are nearing retirement. If the spreadsheet breaks, or they walk out the door, that company’s quoting engine comes to a halt. That’s not just inefficient. It’s risky.
The CPQ Advantage
CPQ is gaining serious momentum as a must-have in the B2B sales tech stack. It’s no longer just about faster quotes; it’s about unlocking new revenue at every stage of the sales process. While many manufacturers have already made the leap and invested in CPQ systems, too often, CPQ lives deep inside sales or engineering teams – disconnected from the broader commerce journey. What’s missing is the bridge between your complex back-end logic and the real-time front-end experience your buyers and reps expect. Aleran actually unifies the quoting experience across your channels and systems.
Here’s how:
- Faster Time to Quote
CPQ automates the quoting process, allowing sales reps or even customers to configure complex products and generate quotes in minutes, not days. Speed leads to more quotes sent, more deals closed, and less time wasted. - Accurate Pricing, Every Time
With built-in pricing rules and real-time cost updates, CPQ ensures that quotes are consistent and profitable. No more margin-eating mistakes or approvals stuck in inboxes. - Built-In Upsell and Cross-Sell
CPQ guides users to complementary products, bundles, or upgrades, increasing average order value without additional sales effort. - Self-Service Selling
CPQ powers portals that enable buyers or distributors to quote themselves, which is especially valuable for repeat orders or highly specified products. This frees your sales team and accelerates buying decisions. - Lower Sales Friction
By removing manual steps, CPQ lets salespeople focus on relationships and strategy instead of quote-building. It also integrates with ERPs, CRMs, and fulfillment tools to ensure smooth handoffs and fewer dropped balls.
Together, these capabilities add up to higher win rates, stronger margins, and scalable sales performance.
Why CPQ Matters More Than Ever
Right now, manufacturers are under pressure to sell faster, with greater accuracy, and in increasingly dynamic market conditions. Buyers expect a seamless experience, and internal teams need tools that help them move at the pace of today’s fast paced market landscape.
Whether you’re selling complex industrial systems or highly configurable components, CPQ gives you the control and responsiveness to deliver quotes in real time with confidence. And when it’s connected to the rest of your sales experience through platforms like Aleran, CPQ becomes more than a tool, it becomes the engine behind smarter, faster, more scalable growth. In today’s sales landscape, that’s what it takes to win.
Ready to Multiply Your Revenue?
CPQ doesn’t just make quoting easier. It makes selling smarter. If you’re ready to accelerate quoting, protect your margins, and empower both your team and your buyers, Aleran’s Connected Commerce platform can help.
