"Are your pricing models as dynamic as your market?"
Get Started, Then Get Smarter: Why CPQ Projects Shouldn't Wait for Perfect Pricing
Many manufacturers believe they need perfect pricing before they can start a CPQ (Configure, Price, Quote) project. It’s an understandable thought — but it’s wrong. Waiting for your pricing to be flawless before launching CPQ is like waiting to get in shape before you start exercising. It sounds logical, but it delays the very progress you need.
The smarter move? Start now — and get smarter over time.
At cpq.se, we work with companies every day who are worried that their pricing structures aren’t clean enough for a CPQ implementation. And they’re right. Pricing is rarely "ready" at the beginning. But that’s not a problem. It’s the reality. What matters is having the right mindset: accept where you are, set up your CPQ system to reflect it honestly, and build a plan to improve continuously through Business Intelligence (BI) insights after go-live.
CPQ Is Not Just About Faster Quotes
Most people think about CPQ systems in terms of operational efficiency: faster, more accurate quotes; easier configuration; less manual rework. And yes, those are all important outcomes. But the real long-term power of CPQ lies somewhere else — in the Business Intelligence it generates.
Once your CPQ system is up and running, it starts collecting real data:
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Which product configurations are most popular?
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Where do discounts cluster?
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Which customer segments are more price-sensitive?
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Where are we winning — and where are we leaking margin?
Without CPQ, these patterns are hard to see. With CPQ, they become crystal clear. And that’s where pricing evolution begins.
Why Waiting for Perfect Pricing is a Mistake
In theory, it sounds sensible to clean up your pricing before implementing a system. In practice, it almost never works. Pricing complexity is often deeply embedded in the way companies operate. Different regions have different habits. Legacy customers have unique discounts nobody remembers setting up. Product bundles have grown without centralized oversight.
Trying to "fix" all of this before launching CPQ typically leads to one of three bad outcomes:
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Massive project delays — because untangling old pricing logic can take years.
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Burnout — because internal teams get stuck debating exceptions instead of moving forward.
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Missed opportunity — because valuable sales improvements are postponed unnecessarily.
At cpq.se, we encourage our customers to think differently. Instead of fixing everything up front, we help you get live with what you have, while building a clear roadmap for continuous improvement based on real BI data.
How Business Intelligence Drives Better Pricing
The moment your CPQ system goes live, you gain a new superpower: data-driven visibility. Every quote, every discount, every customer reaction becomes part of a growing intelligence platform.
Here's what you can start doing:
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Analyze hit rates: Which deals succeed and at what price points?
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Understand discount behavior: Are discounts standard, or do they vary wildly by salesperson, product, or region?
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Segment customers intelligently: Not all customers are equally price-sensitive. CPQ data lets you segment by behavior, not guesswork.
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Spot margin killers early: Instead of waiting for quarterly reports, you can react to pricing leaks in real time.
By combining CPQ with smart BI tools, you build a dynamic feedback loop: every quote teaches you something about your pricing strategy. Over time, your pricing doesn’t just improve — it evolves into a competitive advantage.
The cpq.se Approach: Short-Term Action, Long-Term Growth
At cpq.se, we’ve built our project methodology around this reality.
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Short-term focus: Get CPQ up and running, with a clean but realistic model that reflects your actual commercial practices.
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Long-term plan: Use the BI and reporting capabilities to monitor performance, detect issues, and gradually harmonize and optimize your pricing.
We don’t believe in perfect models at go-live. We believe in learning by doing — and getting better every quarter.
This approach has helped customers like HMF and Swift Lifts not only accelerate their sales processes but also uncover hidden pricing opportunities they couldn't have seen without the CPQ system in place.
Starting your CPQ journey is the first step toward smarter pricing, not the last.
You Don’t Have to Wait — You Have to Start
If your pricing today feels messy, that’s not a reason to postpone your CPQ project. It’s a reason to move faster — and smarter. Every day you delay, you miss an opportunity to collect the insights that will make your pricing stronger tomorrow.
With cpq.se by your side, you don’t have to choose between action and precision. We help you act now, while building the structures you need for continuous pricing improvement over time.
In a world where markets evolve quickly and customers expect speed and transparency, standing still is the real risk. Start now. Get smarter every day. Build a pricing engine that grows with you.
👉 Further Reading: Learn How to Build Business Value with CPQ
☕ Would you like to talk about how CPQ and BI can help you evolve your pricing strategy?
Book a virtual coffee with Magnus Fasth or Patrik Skjelfoss: https://www.cpq.se/meetcpqse
