1. Focus on solving concrete problems
Always start with a concrete product and set a goal to get the product live in a production environment. With today's SaaS-CPQ-solutions, efficient product modeling/pricing tools and a straightforward system configuration, it is not at all impossible to launch a first product within a month or two.
2. Be aware of the limitations of CPQ
In the field of psychology, the Dunning–Kruger effect is a cognitive bias in which people mistakenly assess their knowledge in a specific field is greater than it is. It is related to the cognitive bias of illusory superiority and comes from the inability of people to recognize their lack of ability. Without the self-awareness people cannot objectively evaluate their competence or incompetence.
When you try to launch a CPQ-system, it is easy to fall into this trap.
To describe the logic that limits how the product can and may be sold in a general way is somewhat cumbersome.
Here it is important to understand what you need to understand before you start with product logic. Then the way to a working CPQ will be as straight as it can now be.
3. Listen to everyone involved – and to the customers
For some, external assistance may be required to ensure that the CPQ system provides useful results.
Ideally, if you kick-start a project with a whiteboard meeting where all the key people involved spend an afternoon figuring out details and documenting the requirements you have.
4. Take on industry expertise
More and more companies have begun to realize that CPQ is not a miracle cure in itself.
Many companies that start working with CPQ assume that "we have a lot of product data – plug in a CPQ and let it tell us something interesting".
Here we see that we as consultants have an important role to play in moderating, questioning and provide industry best practices.
5. Realize the value of tests in reality
By making a rapid first version of your CPQ-system you’ll get a quick take part in multicultural, multilingual and even intergenerational insights and learn from them.
By going live quickly and exposing the CPQs ability of the organization, you can quickly make customizations that make the system several hundred percent better.
6. Be aware of the "black box-problem"
Trust is another subject that CPQ is forced to face when it comes out in reality – something that is known as the black box problem.
How can this be overcome?
An important part is not to complicate things more than that they can be explained.
Often it is domino effects in product logic/price models that gives weird (but accurate) effects.
Here it is important to be well prepared to explain and describe the logic in an educational way.
7. Establish clear measurements
Having clear operational measures for your CPQ-project is important to prove that it works – and deserves continued support. But many companies do not give this aspect sufficient attention in their CPQ projects.
This is a problem with emerging new technologies such as CPQ.
The result is likely to be CPQ projects that are bridges to nowhere, pilots that are not scaled up and projects without any business value.
Therefore, we do not make pilots. We make sure to go directly to production and in this way are the goals we set up linked to the company sales.
It makes it very easy to judge what works and not.
8. Look inward
Where do you find people who can both understand CPQ and the requirements from the business? It is not an easy task.
There is a clear lack of CPQ skills.
One often overlooked method to bring down skills shortages is to look internally to find people who can take CPQ trainings. This way you can work so that there are people who have both CPQ and industry expertise.
This is a very important part of our deliveries. We see no long-term benefit of the system if it cannot be managed internally. Our role should only be consultative once we have released the first product.
