Today, the business world revolves around how good you can quote your business services to the audience. Therefore, to make this aspect productive for your business, you need to analyze and choose the right solution that would help your business and services stand out in the crowd.
This is termed to be a quote-to-cash platform. Salesforce & Apttus CPQs are the two big rivals when you plan on taking up a quote-to-cash solution for your company. Both of them are big players of the platform and operate effectively. But you still need to choose the ideal one that would deliver you as per your expectations.
What is Salesforce CPQ & Apttus CPQ?
Apttus is the platform that enables the sales channels of the company to increase the sales rate and grab a firm hold over the cloud market. The Apttus CPQ is the platform that is responsible for boosting the sales effectiveness of the company by helping the users with a guide to better quotes for the product offerings, channels, and pricing factors. Not only that, but the CPQ quoting software integration on to the company platform will help automate the quote renewals based on the previous pricing.
Salesforce CPQ is yet another popular CPQ solution provider to help the company guide its users with better quotes. This helped in automated sales quoting with discount scheduling and guided selling features. Salesforce CPQ is all about giving you accurate, branded proposals for better business sales opportunities.
Comparison Based on Several Aspects as Per Client Requirements
Here are some of the comparison aspects that you must consider to help know the efficiency of Apttus CPQ vs. Salesforce CPQ:
1. Supported Platforms
Both Salesforce CPQ & Apttus CPQ support Web-based platforms. But Salesforce CPQ comes with an additional iPhone app support, and Apttus CPQ supports the Windows Phone app platform.
2. Customer Types
Salesforce CPQ attends customers of small, medium, and large-scale businesses, whereas the Apttus CPQ is meant for serving medium and large-sized enterprises.
3. Customer Support
You can reach out to the Apttus CPQ team through phone, online chat, or video tutorials, whereas Salesforce CPQ is available over the phone and has a knowledge base to let the customers find solutions for all their problems.
These are a few of the comparison aspects of both Salesforce CPQ and Apttus CPQ. There are many more differences to help you understand the true efficacy of both platforms. Continue to read this article, and you will eventually gain impactful knowledge about the topic.
Features of Salesforce CPQ & Apttus CPQ
Apttus CPQ
1. Apttus CPQ has multiple quoting functionality; you can draft and save quotes with pricing features.
2. It proposes to upsell or cross-sell recommendations.
3. You can change the price of your product or service offerings with Apttus CPQ.
4. You can also propose price or discount recommendations using this quote-to-cash solution.
5. You can calculate commission over your platform and solution configuration.
6. Apttus CPQ provides customization options to handle the scenarios not possible by Apttus CPQ.
Salesforce CPQ
1. It allows you to set the price and give a quote.
2. It keeps track of orders and renewals needed.
3. The Salesforce CPQ also acts as a product configurator.
4. The Salesforce CPQ assists in guided selling to improve business sales.
5. You can manage the contracts over this platform.
6. Salesforce CPQ will also handle subscription billing and other payments.
7. Salesforce CPQ offers revenue recognition, sales tax management, and other transactional solutions.
Pricing Details of Salesforce CPQ & Apttus CPQ
Apttus CPQ is a sales tool that operates as a multi-channel remedy for medium and large enterprises to avail their price quoting, quote dealings, and configuration services. There is no such estimated pricing info mentioned by Apttus as you need to reach out to them for a demo and then request the price quote based upon your business requirements. As per the reviews are concerned, the services are not too costly.
The Salesforce CPQ has given out its pricing details to the clients and customers to keep everything transparent to help the clients decide better. There are three pricing plans of Salesforce CPQ that include CPQ Plan at $75 per month, CPQ Plus Plan at $150 per month, and CPQ+Billing Plan at a custom pricing plan. The Salesforce CPQ pricing plan breakdown is as follows:
Salesforce CPQ Plan @$75/month
1. Product configurator
2. Product Selector
3. Proposal generation feature
4. Management of Order
5. The dynamic order generation tool
6. The dynamic Contract generation tool
7. Management of Discounts[/vc_column_inner]_inner width=”1/2″ 8. Pricing parameters
9. Renewal Management
10. CPQ essential training
11. Success Plan
12. Dashboard
13. Reporting Aspects
14. Contract changes or amendments
Salesforce CPQ Plus Plan @$150/month
At this price package, you get all the services available in the CPQ Plan along with some additional services:
1. Advanced-level order management services
2. Portal Integration of the third party
3. Customer self-service
4. CPQ Plan features
5. Partner Self-service
6. Third-party API integration
Salesforce CPQ+Billing Plan @ custom pricing
Here, you need to select the services you want based on which you will be given a price quote. But still, some of the services are common and will be provided to you even if you choose them or not. They are:
1. You will get Quotes & orders
2. Tax management services
3. Customer management services
4. Analytics report
5. Receivable management services
6. Payment collections
7. Subscription management services
Also Read: Step by Step Guide to Create Product Bundle in Salesforce CPQ
Comparison of Salesforce CPQ & Apttus CPQ On Select Attributes
Here, you will see the comparison of these two quote-to-cash solutions or platforms on select aspects such as Product Offering, Ease of Use, and Scope of Expansion.
Product Offering
Both the products are having great market presence and are highly preferable amongst several businesses. Apttus is equipped with Max-AI, which is the sole efficacy of its CPQ used by the salespeople to generate effective quotes as per the requirements. The AI also chats with the salespersons to give recommendations based upon the quotes. Moreover, Apttus CPQ also offers to cross-sell & upsell opportunities for giving out optimal pricing strategies.
Just like that, Salesforce CPQ is also offering a powerful remedy for quote-to-cash solutions with an easy interface. The design of this platform makes it one of the most known CRM platforms. Salesforce also has an AI named Einstein that gives productive recommendations on quote scoring and also supports guided selling. There are many cool astounding features, such as real-time forecasting right after the quote delivery.
It isn’t easy to choose one amongst the two for the product offering aspect as they both have compelling features within for giving out better quotes. Both are considerably quite commendable in product offering aspects.
Ease of Use
The salespeople and end-users are the same persons, and they prefer to pick the product or platform that they find easy for quote-to-cash solutions. No one wishes to take out a few hours of time to understand the software. Both the platforms, Apttus CPQ & Salesforce CPQ, have evolved their functionalities and features to make the design user-friendly for people to understand them easily. This is the sole reason for which both of these platforms have gained popularity in the market. It is simple with these platforms to deliver quality quotes to get your potential clients.
Scope of Expansion
Every business undergoes expansion at some point in time. Therefore, the software they use and the platforms they rely on must also contribute positively to the expansion phase. Both Salesforce, as well as Apttus CPQ, are coming up to assist the expansion phase of the businesses. The Salesforce CPQ DNA is to evolve with the expansion of the businesses and offer developed solutions for the company’s new product offerings.
There are many different types of extensions available with Salesforce that implicates its ability to innovate. Apttus also offers expansion integrations with its partners, but this is on a small scale. If you feel like the base, Apttus CPQ is not able to reciprocate as per your needs; then you need to go for integrations to meet the requirements.
User Interface and Experience
While both systems boast comprehensive features, Salesforce CPQ scores slightly higher on user experience due to its intuitive interface.
Integration Capabilities
Both Salesforce and Apttus integrate well with Salesforce CRM. However, Salesforce CPQ, being a native application, offers slightly tighter integration and more seamless communication with the Salesforce ecosystem.
Pricing and ROI
Salesforce CPQ tends to be pricier due to its comprehensive offering and brand value. However, it also provides high returns on investment, especially for large organizations with complex needs. Apttus CPQ, on the other hand, offers a more competitive pricing structure, delivering solid ROI for medium and small businesses.
Customer Support Services
Customer support is crucial for complex platforms like CPQ. Salesforce has a strong track record of providing reliable support with an extensive knowledge base, forums, and 24/7 assistance. Apttus also provides solid support but doesn’t match Salesforce’s extensive coverage.
Market Reputation and Reviews
Salesforce, being a globally recognized brand, has a strong market reputation. Apttus, although not as globally recognized, has a significant presence in the CPQ space and is highly respected by its users.
Pros & Cons of Salesforce CPQ and Apttus CPQ
Apttus CPQ
Pros:
1. It is the best tool for configuring prices and vendor quotes.
2. It is a perfect outsourcing tool for NetSuite.
3. It is easy to track and improve sales metrics with the use of Apttus CPQ.
4. The developer guide is truly intuitive, and you will find it easy to follow.
5. It comes with the community & partner portal for additional help.
Cons:
1. The customer support is not that appropriate.
2. All the updates undergo the testing phase to detect unwanted problems.
3. Customization is difficult with Apttus CPQ.
Salesforce CPQ
Pros:
1. The customer service is beyond excellent.
2. There are loads of features available for client satisfaction.
3. It is neither too simple nor too complex that makes it an ideal investment.
4. It has flexible pricing plans.
5. Better Lead Management.
Cons:
1. There are obstacles dealing with Steel Brick.
2. Data migration is difficult from other CRM.
3. Difficult to integrate with software of other brands or companies.
Real-World Use Cases and Success Stories
This section will delve into real-world use cases and success stories of companies implementing CPQ solutions. By examining specific case studies, we can gain valuable insights into the practical applications and benefits of both Salesforce CPQ and Apttus CPQ.
A. Case study: Manufacturing firm experience with Salesforce CPQ
This case study will explore how a leading manufacturing firm leveraged Salesforce CPQ to streamline its sales processes and drive revenue growth. By implementing Salesforce CPQ, they aimed to improve their quoting accuracy, enhance sales efficiency, and deliver a more personalized experience to their customers.
They faced the challenge of managing a vast product catalogue with multiple configurations and pricing options. With Salesforce CPQ, they could simplify their product configuration process and automate pricing calculations. That resulted in quicker quote generation, eliminating errors and ensuring consistent pricing across their sales teams.
Furthermore, they utilized Salesforce CPQ’s approval processes to establish a seamless workflow for quote approvals, reducing bottlenecks and improving overall sales cycle time. The integration capabilities of Salesforce CPQ allowed manufacturing firm to connect their CPQ solution with their existing CRM system, enabling seamless data flow and a holistic view of their customer interactions.
Through the implementation of Salesforce CPQ, they witnessed significant improvements in sales efficiency. The sales team could easily generate accurate quotes, provide customers real-time pricing information, and close deals faster. As a result, they experienced a notable increase in their sales productivity and revenue.
B. Case study: global telecommunications company experience with Apttus CPQ
This case study will explore how a global telecommunications company successfully implemented Apttus CPQ to drive operational efficiency and enhance sales effectiveness. Their main objective was simplifying its complex quoting process, optimizing pricing strategies, and improving contract management.
Before adopting Apttus CPQ, they faced challenges such as manual quoting processes, inconsistent pricing across different regions, and difficulties managing contract lifecycles. Apttus CPQ provided them robust capabilities to overcome these challenges and streamline their operations.
With Apttus CPQ’s configurable product options, they could create flexible and dynamic quotes tailored to each customer’s needs. The advanced pricing and quoting capabilities enabled them to implement dynamic pricing strategies, optimize discounts, and improve profit margins.
Additionally, Apttus CPQ’s contract lifecycle management feature allowed them to efficiently manage and track contracts from creation to renewal. Integrating e-signature capabilities within Apttus CPQ streamlined the contract approval process, reducing paperwork and enhancing contract turnaround time.
Also Read: Check How to Do Salesforce Customization in Six Easy Steps
Verdict
Both the products are highly efficient in their fields, and they are designated to offer the correct quote-to-cash solutions. You must come up with adequate research and analysis before investing in any one of them. Both are truly productive in helping you generate higher revenue and better sales.
If you need a Salesforce CPQ Consultant, look no further than GetOnCRM Solutions. As a globally recognized Salesforce silver consulting partner, we specialize in providing top-notch services to help you leverage the full potential of Salesforce. With our professional implementation process tailored to your unique requirements, we ensure that your CRM journey starts on the right foot.
