Rapid technological advancements and shifting customer expectations demand faster time-to-market than ever before. As a result, manufacturers need efficient ways to translate product and engineering data into sales-ready offerings. While product lifecycle management (PLM) systems maintain the latest product designs and specifications, turning that technical data into something sales teams can confidently quote remains a persistent challenge.  

Integrating PLM and Configure, Price, Quote (CPQ) software creates a shared language between engineering and sales, ensuring teams work with the most current product information to easily bring accurate configurations to customers. To make the most effective use of these tools together, consider how the following benefits and best practices can help you solve your operational challenges both today and tomorrow. 

CPQ Creates a Common Language Between Sales and Product Data 

Your sales and engineering teams speak different languages. Sales structures offerings around customer needs and market requirements, while engineering defines them through technical specifications and manufacturing constraints within the PLM. It’s the CPQ that creates the common language and bridges the gap between engineering and sales.  

Without PLM and CPQ integration, sales must manually interpret engineering data, risking misalignment between sales quotes and engineering bills of materials (BOMs). Alternatively, involving an engineer to support in the sales case occupies engineering resources and creates delays while waiting for an engineer to become available. This disconnect creates bottlenecks in bringing products to market. 

Example: integration in elevator manufacturing

What does effective integration look like in practice?

Image a sales rep at an elevator manufacturer who needs to configure a solution for a high-rise building with specific weight capacity, speed, and safety requirements. With PLM-CPQ integration, they always work with the latest engineering rules and engineering-approved components—whether it’s an upgraded energy-efficient motor, a newly certified safety brake, or a redesigned control panel. If the customer requests a non-standard option, such as a custom cabin design or advanced energy-efficient features, sales can immediately trigger an engineering review within CPQ, getting faster approval without disrupting the sales cycle. 

The Benefits of PLM and CPQ Integration Across the Value Chain

The seamless flow of product and sales data creates an impact across the business, from the customer experience to the relationship with suppliers.  

1. Faster Order Processing and Shorter Lead Times

Complex product configurations often require extensive engineering validation, delaying the sales cycle. PLM-CPQ integration eliminates these bottlenecks by embedding engineering-approved configurations directly into the quoting process. This allows sales teams to generate accurate quotes instantly without waiting for manual reviews. Automated BOM creation further streamlines procurement and manufacturing, accelerating production timelines and improving on-time delivery.

2. Increased Engineering Efficiency and Innovation

Engineering teams often get bogged down with repetitive sales support, reviewing configurations to ensure manufacturability. By integrating PLM and CPQ, product rules are pre-validated, significantly reducing engineering workload. This frees up engineers to focus on strategic initiatives like product innovation, process improvements, and faster time-to-market for new offerings. 

3. Enhanced Manufacturing Intelligence and Demand Forecasting

By linking sales configurations to real-time manufacturing data, businesses can anticipate demand more accurately and adjust production capacity proactively. Additionally, real-time CPQ insights into the most frequently configured products help engineers identify which features drive revenue and where to focus innovation. 

4. Seamless Change Management and Data Integrity

Because product changes impact sales, procurement, and manufacturing, version control is essential. Connecting your PLM and CPQ guarantees that engineering updates automatically flow to sales tools, preventing discrepancies between what’s quoted and what can be built. If a customer requires something that is outside of the configurable option, sales can more easily request approval from engineering within the CPQ without additional back-and-forth. 

5. Superior Customer Relationships and Higher Win Rates

Customer loyalty starts with the sales process. When sales and engineering work seamlessly, then sales can deliver error-free proposals that build trust from the start. That trust makes customers more likely to engage in long-term partnerships, opening the door for larger deals, expanded solutions, and future cross-sell or upsell opportunities. 

6. Digital Self-Service and Omnichannel Enablement

Many manufacturers want to offer self-service quoting and configuration, but inconsistent pricing and configuration often lead to failed initiatives. PLM-CPQ integration guarantees that every selection—whether made by a salesperson, distributor, or partner—is valid and correctly priced. When sales teams and channel partners can generate error-free proposals with confidence, manufacturers create a strong foundation for scalable self-service applications, which can be a major differentiator in buyer engagement.  

Integration Considerations for Maximizing Scalability and Sales Channel Flexibility 

Integration is a strategic investment in efficiency, scalability, and customer experience. To fully realize its potential, manufacturers should consider how their integration strategy can scale and adapt to changing business objectives or customer demands. 

• Balancing flexibility with control: Sales teams and customers want to configure products easily, but that flexibility can’t come at the expense of engineering accuracy. The best integrations embed engineering rules into the CPQ system, allowing self-service and guided selling experiences that are both flexible and constrained by manufacturability. This ensures customers can configure products without unknowingly creating issues downstream. 

• Driving cross-departmental alignment: Integration success depends on collaboration between engineering, sales, IT, and operations. If the integration is designed without input from all stakeholders, it can either be too rigid (limiting sales) or too loose (causing engineering and production issues). A well-planned PLM and CPQ integration ensures everyone is working from the same product logic, reducing friction between departments. 

• Adapting to evolving business models: The manufacturing industry is shifting toward mass customization, service selling, and self-service buying experiences. Without a scalable PLM-CPQ foundation, companies struggle to support these models without increasing complexity. A well-integrated system ensures tools can support everything from complex engineered-to-order (ETO) products to modular and subscription-based offerings. 

Boost Efficiency with Tacton’s CPQ Integrations 

Integrating PLM and CPQ is a crucial step toward reducing inefficiencies and accelerating time-to-market. A well-connected digital thread ensures that product data flows seamlessly from engineering through sales and into production, eliminating costly misalignment and manual work. 

Purpose-built for manufacturing, Tacton’s CPQ simplifies complex configurations and the quote-to-order process, while seamlessly integrating with your full tech stack. Tacton makes integration easy with both open APIs and a no-code integration framework: Connect-to-Anything, powered by Workato. Whether manufacturers need a fully customized integration or a plug-and-play approach, these options allow PLM, CPQ, ERP, and other critical systems to connect without complex IT projects.  

By automating the flow of product data, Tacton ensures that customer needs are instantly translated into manufacturable configurations, quotes are optimized for both technical accuracy and competitiveness, and order fulfillment data is generated automatically to eliminate errors and delays. Manufacturers gain a fully integrated process that moves from configuration to production with accuracy and speed. Learn more about our solutions by scheduling a quick demo. 

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Manufacturers are under increasing pressure to deliver accurate, personalized and competitive quotes quickly, while managing complex product configurations. Traditional configure, price, quote (CPQ) systems have long helped manufacturers streamline complex product configuration and pricing, but continued demand for sales efficiency and customization requires CPQ to evolve in lockstep.  

AI-driven CPQ solutions are entering the market to deliver these experiences at scale. From predictive pricing to demand forecasting and personalized recommendations, AI is revolutionizing how businesses configure products, personalize sales strategies, optimize pricing, and drive revenue. 

Where CPQ Stands Today: AI’s Existing Role in Configuration 

AI has been a core component of some CPQ systems for decades—long before machine learning and generative AI became widespread. However, this type of AI works differently from today’s large language models or predictive engines. Symbolic AI, which uses logical reasoning and mathematical constraints rather than learned patterns, has been a key technology in constraint-based CPQ platforms. It enables manufacturers to manage millions of product variations while ensuring only valid, manufacturable configurations. Unlike AI that predicts outcomes based on past data, it systematically applies predefined constraints to eliminate errors and inefficiencies before they occur.

Whether a CPQ uses machine learning, symbolic AI, or no AI at all, the future of CPQ will be driven by greater process efficiency, smarter guided selling, and deeper data analysis to optimize decision-making and improve the buying experience.

Emerging Use Cases of AI in CPQ  

New use cases for AI are taking CPQ beyond a process-enhancing tool to one that drives the buyer experience and internal decision-making. At the core are three important tools that manufacturers can expect to become more pervasive.  

Predictive pricing for optimal profitability 

AI analyzes historical sales data, market trends, and competitor pricing to determine the most competitive and profitable price for each deal. AI helps businesses maximize their sales potential by dynamically adjusting prices in response to demand, customer behavior, and external factors. Offering the right price at the right time increases conversion rates, while optimized discounts and promotions improve profit margins. 

Additionally, AI can reduce the need for manual pricing adjustments, streamlining the sales process. AI can even recommend special pricing for strategic customers, ensuring a competitive advantage while maintaining overall profitability. 

Demand forecasting for smarter sales strategies 

Demand forecasting, powered by machine learning, leverages real-time and historical data to predict customer buying patterns, enabling businesses to stay ahead of market trends. This analysis enables manufacturers to anticipate customer needs before they arise, ensuring they are prepared to meet demand.  

AI can also strengthen inventory management by optimizing stock levels, reducing supply chain disruptions, and minimizing excess inventory costs.  

Personalized recommendations for higher conversions 

AI enables hyper-personalization in CPQ, leveraging customer purchase history, preferences, and industry trends to deliver highly tailored recommendations. AI can suggest product configurations that match individual customer needs, ensuring that every offer is relevant and compelling.   

AI can identify upselling and cross-selling opportunities, helping sales teams maximize deal value while giving customers solutions that align with their requirements. For example, AI-enabled CPQ tools also enable dynamic bundling, allowing manufacturers to create personalized packages that tailor product value propositions to each customer.  

In short, AI-driven recommendations create a seamless, customer-centric sales experience, improving the likelihood of closing deals. 

What’s Next for AI in CPQ? 

As AI capabilities continue to evolve, new innovations are shaping the future of CPQ. While many of these applications are still emerging, manufacturers should be aware of how AI-driven CPQ advancements may impact their CPQ strategies in the years ahead. 

• Automated quote optimization: AI will help sales reps configure products, generate quotes, and make real-time recommendations—it can even translate those quotes for global markets. 

• AI-driven negotiation strategies: Advanced AI models will analyze customer behavior to predict negotiation tactics, helping sales reps make the best counteroffers and close deals faster. 

• Self-service AI CPQ: As more manufacturers provide self-service experiences, customers will be able to configure products, receive AI-driven pricing suggestions, and generate quotes independently, reducing the need for manual sales involvement and accelerating the buying process.  

While these advancements show AI’s growing role in CPQ, manufacturers should evaluate how these innovations align with their specific needs, balancing automation with the need for accuracy, control, and customer trust.

Smarter Selling Starts with Precision and Automation 

As manufacturers navigate increasing product complexity and customer demands, CPQ must provide more than just automation. It must ensure accuracy, efficiency, and seamless collaboration across the value chain and the customer journey. 

Tacton’s CPQ is built on a powerful, constraint-based configuration engine, ensuring that every product configuration is valid, manufacturable, and optimized from the start. By streamlining the sales process and integrating with existing business systems, Tacton helps manufacturers: 

• Eliminate configuration errors  

• Speed up quoting while ensuring engineering and pricing accuracy 

• Enhance the customer experience with guided, error-free product configuration 

• Seamlessly connect data through deep integrations with ERP, CRM, and PLM 

For manufacturers selling highly configurable products, precision and efficiency are critical. Tacton delivers the capabilities needed to simplify complexity, helping you sell smarter and with confidence. 

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Manufacturers win the trust of their customers when sales and production move as one. Customers expect speed, accuracy, and reliability, but when sales teams quote solutions without real-time insight into costs, inventory, or production capacity, they’re making promises production may not be able to keep. These disconnects lead to costly adjustments, delays, and frustrated customers. ERP and CPQ integration provides a single source of truth and the critical foundation for aligning sales promises with production reality. 

Moving Beyond Basic CRM-ERP Connection 

Many manufacturers have taken the first step by connecting their CRM and ERP systems to streamline basic order processing. But even with CPQ functionality in their CRM, sales teams still configure and quote products without the technical knowledge of specific manufacturing constraints. While they can push order data to ERP after a sale, they lack the real-time production intelligence needed during crucial customer conversations. 

Integrating CPQ and ERP allows you to connect sales directly to production data. Instead of working with outdated pricing information or waiting for engineering validation, sales teams can access live inventory and capacity data while configuring products. They can confidently apply accurate pricing based on current costs and generate quotes that are right the first time. When a quote is approved, it automatically creates a complete order record in your ERP, kickstarting order fulfillment for customers and delivering on the speed and reliability they expect.  

What Effective CPQ and ERP Integration Looks Like for Manufacturers 

Your ERP tracks essential information on inventory levels, delivery times, available parts, and manufacturing costs. When connected, the CPQ pulls this data automatically, so that sales teams or end customers can build a configurable product and generate an accurate quote.  

Once a quote is approved, your CPQ automatically generates a sales order and Bill of Materials (BOM) in the ERP, triggering procurement, order fulfillment, and invoicing.  

Example 

Imagine a sales representative configuring a long-haul freight truck. The CPQ pulls key data from the ERP, such as available engine models, transmission options, or chassis types, ensuring that every component is compatible and in stock. If a specific engine type requires a special cooling system that has a longer lead time, CPQ factors this into the delivery estimate and costs. The order information is then transferred to the ERP to manage billing, adjust inventory, and track order fulfillment. 

Key Benefits of ERP and CPQ Integration 

When processes are siloed and manual, it increases the workload on your teams and leaves greater room for error, delays, and lost deals.  

A connected tech stack offers substantial benefits to your customer’s experience and your bottom line. 

1. Increased sales team productivity and autonomy

Sales teams no longer need to rely on engineering to verify pricing, availability, or configuration feasibility. The CPQ has real-time access to the ERP’s accurate production and pricing data, allowing your sales team to generate quotes more independently. By reducing administrative work and streamlining approvals, sales can build relationships and close deals faster than the competition. 

2. Consistent and fluid customer experiences 

Automated data syncing reduces the number of adjustments needed between sales and production, so customers experience less friction in the buying process. They receive quotes quickly and seamlessly, with consistent pricing across channels, whether they’re speaking to sales directly or using self-service.  

3. Greater profitability and margin control

Within the CPQ, sales can apply dynamic pricing strategies that reflect real-time costs, demand fluctuations, and business rules. This automation prevents underquoting or unprofitable discounts to protect margins.   

Your ERP, with additional integration between a CRM and CPQ, also provides leadership with a full view of profitability at the product, customer, and regional levels. ERP houses critical cost and margin data, while CRM captures sales history and customer-specific pricing agreements. Together, this enables data-driven decisions that optimize pricing strategies, sales performance, and market expansion efforts.  

4. Better lead time management 

Production data enable sales to create quotes that reflect realistic fulfillment timelines. With a clear view of inventory and production capacity, sales can create quotes that reflect realistic fulfillment timelines and set accurate customer expectations.  

In addition, manufacturers can generate accurate quotes that flow directly into the ERP system as executable orders, reducing the technical department’s workload—in some cases by 80-90%. This automation eliminates manual order processing, minimizes errors, and ensures production teams receive the right information instantly. As a result, lead times improve, customers get their products faster, and technical teams can focus on higher-value work. 

5. Seamless order changes 

Change is inevitable in manufacturing sales as customers refine their needs or new requirements emerge after a quote is sent. With ERP and CPQ integration, updates to configurations, pricing, or delivery timelines are immediately reflected for production in the ERP.  

5 Best Practices for ERP and CPQ Integration 

Both an ERP and CPQ should be able to adapt to the evolution of your business and your products. Consider how integration can become an opportunity to set your systems up for scalability and adaptability as you grow.  

1. Choose a CPQ designed for complex manufacturing—not just your ERP

Don’t compromise on your ability to configure complex solutions for the sake of automatic integration. ERP-native CPQs may offer basic quoting capabilities, but manufacturers need tools built for sophisticated product configurations, advanced engineering rules, and manufacturing-specific constraints.  

Instead, look for a purpose-built CPQ that integrates seamlessly with ERP, whether through an out-of-the-box connection or API.  

2. Ensure data accuracy, standardization, and governance

Inconsistent or duplicate product information between systems leads to errors in quoting and order execution. To prevent this, manufacturers should standardize product and pricing structures across CPQ and ERP. It’s also important to integrate with a CPQ that’s compliant with global data security standards. 

3. Consider pre-built ERP integrations vs custom development

Many CPQ solutions require extensive IT resources for integration. CPQ solutions with pre-built ERP connectors support BOM creation, dynamic pricing updates, and order processing, without the need for coding. If API-based integration is required, ensure the CPQ has secure, well-documented APIs that allow for flexible, scalable connectivity.

4. Plan for scalability and ERP upgrades

Your CPQ should work with your ERP today—but also evolve with your business. Assess whether a CPQ can adapt to future ERP upgrades (e.g., cloud migrations, SAP S/4HANA adoption) and support pricing and configuration for different regions or currencies. 

Think across the entire value chain. CPQ integration can extend beyond ERP to other vital systems, like CRM, eCommerce, and distributor portals. These integrations give you the opportunity to create a fully connected sales ecosystem. 

5. Develop a strong training and change management plan

While IT teams lead the technical integration, success depends on clear communication of benefits to sales and operations. If CPQ isn’t currently part of your team’s workflow, work with key stakeholders in sales and operations early in the process to create champions for transformation and to understand their current pain points. Tailor training to these roles, demonstrating how integration with CPQ simplifies processes.

Connect Your ERP with Tacton’s CPQ 

Tacton CPQ is purpose-built for manufacturers of complex, configurable products, enabling faster, more accurate quoting while ensuring every sale aligns with real production capabilities.  

With Connect to Anything, powered by Workato, integrating Tacton’s CPQ with your ERP is seamless, whether you use SAP, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Oracle ERP Cloud, IFS, or another software.  

Our no-code connectors eliminate the need for extensive IT resources, allowing you to sync pricing, inventory, BOMs, and order data effortlessly. However, manufacturers can also tailor their integrations through open rich REST APIs for greater flexibility. From streamlining the quote-to-order process to enhancing buyer engagement, Tacton ensures a smooth, scalable integration with the systems that power your business. 

Explore Tacton’s CPQ Integrations 

Configure, price, quote (CPQ) software has historically been considered a back-end operational tool. Manufacturers have primarily relied on CPQ to streamline internal processes, ensure pricing accuracy, and reduce errors in product configuration.  

However, with increasingly complex sales cycles and rising customer expectations, CPQ is evolving into a powerful frontline tool that directly enhances sales effectiveness and strengthens customer engagement. Manufacturers now have the opportunity to leverage CPQ not just for efficiency, but as a competitive advantage in the sales process.

Shrinking the Sales Cycle 

CPQ software delivers real-time access to critical sales tools. Instead of waiting on back-office teams for configurations and quotes, sales representatives can now generate precise, validated quotes on the spot.  

Cloud-based CPQ solutions further enhance this capability, allowing sales teams to access the system from anywhere—in the office, in the field, or at a customer site. Their mobility ensures seamless collaboration and closes deals faster. In addition to empowering sales teams, modern CPQ tools can act as self-service portals for customers. Buyers can independently configure products, explore pricing options, and even generate quotes—streamlining the buying process and reducing dependency on sales reps. 

Enhancing Customer Engagement with Visual Configuration 

Modern CPQ systems incorporate visualization tools, including virtual and augmented reality, that enable customers to see their configured products in real time and even in their real environments. An interactive experience allows buyers to adjust specifications, explore different options, and understand how changes impact cost and functionality.  

Integrating visualization into the sales process through CPQ bridges the gap between complex engineering specifications and customer expectations, leading to higher engagement and increased conversion rates. 

Streamlining Quoting and Proposal Generation 

In the past, creating detailed quotes involved manual calculations, multiple approval layers, and a high risk of errors. Today, AI-driven CPQ solutions use predefined pricing rules, discount structures, and approval workflows to produce accurate quotes almost instantly. Automation reduces sellers’ administrative workload and ensures pricing consistency and compliance with company policies. 

Moreover, CPQ can integrate seamlessly with other enterprise systems, such as customer relationship management (CRM) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) platforms. Integrations help eliminate discrepancies and align the sales process with business objectives. Specifically, integrating CPQ allows sales teams to access up-to-date product information, inventory levels, and pricing structures.  

Enabling Data-driven Sales Strategies 

CPQ is no longer just a tool for automating tasks; it’s now a valuable source of sales intelligence. CPQ captures customer preferences, buying behavior, and market trends, enabling sales teams to make informed decisions about pricing strategies, product recommendations, and bundling options. 

Predictive analytics help CPQ platforms identify cross-selling and upselling opportunities. Historical data analysis can help CPQ suggest complementary products or services that align with a customer’s purchase history, increasing deal value while providing tailored solutions. Additionally, AI-driven recommendations personalize the buying experience, suggesting the best options for customers based on their unique needs and preferences. 

Supporting Omnichannel Sales Models 

Manufacturers increasingly operate across multiple sales channels, from direct sales teams to e-commerce platforms and partner networks. Standardization across channels helps maintain brand integrity and ensures consistent pricing and configurations in global markets. 

CPQ enables cross-channel consistency in product configurations, pricing, and quoting across all these channels. That way, customers have a unified experience, whether they are engaging with a sales representative, configuring a product online, or working with a distributor.  

The Future of CPQ in Manufacturing Sales 

Tomorrow’s most competitive businesses will recognize CPQ software as an essential frontline tool for manufacturing sales today. By integrating real time configuration, intelligent pricing, and automated quoting into the sales process, CPQ is helping manufacturers stay competitive and meet the demands of modern buyers. For sales teams, this means less time spent on administrative tasks and more time engaging with customers and closing deals.  

Contact us to learn how Tacton’s CPQ technology can strengthen your sales strategy and deliver results. 

 

Smarter, faster, and more personalized—manufacturers of complex products are feeling the pressure to deliver a more B2C-like buying experience. Traditionally, customer relationship management (CRM) has been the backbone of sales engagement, helping teams track relationships and manage workflows. According to Deloitte, 96% of industrial manufacturers either use or plan to use a CRM to enhance digital customer experiences. But CRM alone cannot support the complex configurations and real-time quoting that make smarter, faster, and more personalized possible.  

True transformation happens when front-end sales engagement connects with dynamic selling capabilities like CPQ (Configure, Price, Quote). With CRM and CPQ integration, manufacturers can generate faster, more accurate proposals within the sales process, ensuring a seamless, high-confidence buyer experience.  

Complex Product Sales: Where CRM Meets Its Limits

While CRM systems excel at tracking customer relationships and sales opportunities, they hit critical limitations when it comes to selling configurable products. A basic CRM can capture customer requirements and track opportunities, but it can’t guide sales teams through finding the optimal product configuration, nor can it validate complex technical rules or generate accurate pricing based on thousands of possible combinations.

For manufacturers of complex products, this creates a dangerous gap between understanding customer needs and translating them into viable solutions. Sales teams need more than just customer data – they need intelligent guidance to configure the right product for each unique situation.

What is the Role of CPQ in Sales? 

CPQ (Configure, Price, Quote) software extends the CRM’s role by enabling sales teams to configure products, apply pricing rules, and generate quotes that reflect real-time business constraints. The software translates complex engineering rules and dependencies into simple questions about customer requirements, automatically suggesting compatible options and pricing and ruling out combinations that can’t be manufactured.

Though some CPQ platforms have light CRM functionalities, such as displaying accounts or opportunities, their core function is to turn customer intent into a viable, deliverable solution. CPQ integration eliminates the back-and-forth between sales, engineering, and finance, allowing sales to close deals faster. 

How Does CRM and CPQ Integration Work? 

Integrating CRM and quoting software allows account and opportunity data from your CRM to flow automatically to the CPQ. The sales professional can then tie a configured solution or product to a specific account opportunity. Once the sales rep generates a final quote, line item and pricing data syncs back into the CRM for better pipeline visibility and sales forecasting. 

Imagine a medical device manufacturer using Microsoft Dynamics 365 to manage its sales pipeline and track customer opportunities. When a hospital requests a customized surgical instrument, the CRM captures key details (e.g., the hospital’s purchasing history, required specifications, pricing details, etc.). This data flows into the CPQ, which applies industry regulations, material constraints, and compatibility rules to ensure only valid configurations are created. Once the finalized quote is created, line item and pricing data syncs back to the CRM, ensuring sales teams have full visibility into the deal’s status and projected revenue.  

The Cost of Siloed Systems 

A fast, seamless sales process is your company’s greatest competitive advantage. Manual data entry and a slow, disjointed quoting process put revenue and trust at risk. When sales teams constantly rely on engineering for highly personalized product configurations and pricing, faster competitors step in. In addition, manual pricing adjustments leave further room for errors and volatility, resulting in customer mistrust.  

Yet clunky integration between a CPQ and CRM can be just as costly as IT bottlenecks and poor scalability leads to slower sales cycles. Manufacturers can help their sales function hit the ground running by taking a thoughtful approach to integration.  

The Benefits of Integrating CRM and CPQ: Trust and Confidence for Both Buyer and Seller 

Accelerating deal closure is essential to winning today’s digital customers, but this requires sales teams to navigate complex configurations and pricing, often without deep technical expertise. A CPQ enhances the relationship building within the CRM by offering the support sales teams need to confidently sell highly personalized solutions.

1. Streamlined workflows keep sales moving

Automating the transition from opportunity to quote eliminates delays caused by manual processes and disconnected systems. Sales teams can access approved configurations and pricing instantly, reducing reliance on engineering, increasing quote volume, and speeding up quote generation from weeks to minutes. 

2. Accurate quotes that build trust

Pricing errors and misconfigurations slow deals and weaken customer confidence. A connected CPQ and CRM ensure real-time accuracy, reducing back-and-forth revisions and accelerating approvals, so customers receive error-free proposals the first time. 

3. Consistent buying experiences across every sales channel

Whether customers engage through a sales rep, distributor, or self-service platform, CPQ and CRM integration ensures pricing, configurations, and proposals remain consistent across channels. This creates a unified, seamless experience, no matter how or where the customer buys—and that consistency leads to greater trust. 

4. Powerful visualization to support smarter buying decisions

Buyers want to see exactly what they’re getting, especially with complex products that must adhere to specific industry regulations or fit an intricate floor plan. Integrating CPQ with CRM enables real-time visualization earlier in the sales process, so you can ensure product-fit right away. Today’s CPQ platforms provide virtual and augmented reality visualization, as well as CAD integration, so customers can see how products fit into their working environment or meet regulatory compliance.  

5. Stronger sales insights 

Automatic data integration gives sales teams immediate visibility into deal progress, pricing trends, and customer buying behaviors. This leads to more accurate revenue forecasting and helps sales teams anticipate demand, optimize pricing, and close deals faster. 

6. More cross-sell and upsell opportunities

With CPQ and CRM working together, sales teams can use past purchases, customer preferences, and configuration trends to offer the right complementary products at the right time. Automated recommendations and data-driven insights make cross-selling and upselling easier and more effective. 

7. Confident sales teams

When experienced sales reps leave or product lines grow more complex, teams often struggle to keep momentum. CPQ integration equips sales teams with clear product options, automated pricing rules, and pre-approved configurations, so they can sell confidently without needing deep technical knowledge. 

Best Practices and Considerations for CPQ Integration  

No single piece of technology is a silver bullet. The best solutions align with your workflows to deliver real value and avoid overcomplicated processes. Consider these best practices for integration. 

1. Weigh pre-built connectors vs custom integration

CPQ solutions with no- or low-code, pre-built connectors offer a faster, low-maintenance integration with CRMs, ERPs, and other sales tools. For small teams, this provides necessary speed-to-value. In contrast, custom integrations and open APIs require heavier development and troubleshooting from IT teams. However, this offers long-term flexibility for growing enterprises. 

2. Prioritize capabilities built for complex manufacturing

Many CPQ solutions offer quoting, but not all can handle high product variance, complex configurations, and regulatory requirements. Integrating your CRM with a CPQ designed for manufacturing ensures accurate, compliant, and efficient proposals—without manual workarounds.

3. Ensure scalability and flexibility

System rigidity stops growth in its tracks. Look for a solution that adapts to growing product lines, integrates with multiple systems, and supports multi-site, multi-region, and multi-language capabilities.

4. Maintain data accuracy and consistency

Clean, structured data is critical for accurate pricing, forecasting, and reporting. Before integration, ensure CRM and CPQ data are aligned to prevent discrepancies in customer records, product configurations, and pricing rules.

5. Involve sales end-users early in the decision-making process

A successful integration requires end-user buy-in, specifically from sales. User adoption and continuous refinement are just as important as the technology itself. Ensure the CPQ enhances rather than complicates workflows. Consult your end-users in the evaluation and help them understand how these tools improve front-end sales engagement, rather than simply supporting back-end execution.  

The Advantages of Using a Purpose-Built CPQ for Manufacturing 

CRM-native CPQs offer convenience, but they often lack the depth needed for manufacturing, leading to manual workarounds, slower sales cycles, and errors. The best approach? Use the best CRM for managing customer relationships and the best CPQ for handling complex configurations and quoting. You’ll get greater alignment between sales, engineering, and production—without the compromise.  

CRM-Native CPQ 

• Easy CRM integration for basic quoting needs 

• Simple setup for businesses with straightforward products 

• Customization limitations for industry-specific needs  

Purpose-Built CPQ 

• Built for complex manufacturing workflows with advanced configuration rules 

• Integrates with any CRM, ERP, or sales platform 

• Scalable and adaptable to multi-channel sales and global operations 

• Requires alignment with existing systems, but offers greater long-term benefits 

Choosing the Right Type of Integration for Your Business 

CPQ CRM integrations exist in several forms, but the approach you choose will depend on your tech stack, IT resources, and long-term business needs.  

• Custom point-to-point integrations directly connect two systems, like CPQ and CRM, for fast data exchange. However, they need ongoing IT maintenance and don’t easily scale as business needs evolve. 

• Middleware or integration platforms act as a central hub that bridges multiple systems, standardizing data flow and reducing the need for custom coding. They simplify complex integrations by ensuring seamless communication across CRM, CPQ, ERP, and other enterprise tools. 

• Open APIs create a standardized way for systems to exchange data, enabling flexibility and control between CPQ, CRM, ERP, and other business integrations. While powerful, they require IT expertise to develop and maintain. 

Transform the Buyer Experience with Tacton’s CPQ 

A purpose-built CPQ enhances your CRM capabilities and empowers manufacturers to sell complex products with B2C-like agility. Tacton transforms buyer engagement with industry-leading configuration, pricing, and quoting solutions, and is recognized as a leader in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for CPQ applications. 

With Tacton, manufacturers can simplify CRM CPQ integration with platforms like Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics 365, SAP Sales Cloud, and Oracle NetSuite, using pre-built connectors. Connect-to-Anything, powered by Workato gives manufacturers the ability to integrate with 600+ enterprise applications using a no-code solution. For enterprises needing deeper customization, system-agnostic integrations provide flexibility to connect with ERP, PLM, PIM, and other critical systems independently. With robust integrations, manufacturers can streamline operations across their entire value chain.  

Explore Tacton’s Integration Capabilities  

We’re thrilled to announce that for the third time in a row, Tacton has been positioned as a Leader in the Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for CPQ (Configure, Price, Quote) Applications.  

At Tacton, we feel this recognition validates our mission to redefine buyer engagement in the manufacturing sector. Our leadership position is a testament to our focus on providing innovative solutions designed specifically to address the complex needs of manufacturers.  

Our innovation took center stage at our customer event, Tacton Summit, where we unveiled transformative new features, including Connect to Anything, Composable CPQ approach, and self-service.  These advancements underscore our dedication to empowering manufacturers to stay ahead in today’s fast-changing landscape. 

Why we believe Tacton is recognized as a Leader 

• 25 Years of Innovation: Since 1998, Tacton has been at the forefront of CPQ innovation, driving the category forward with unparalleled expertise and customer-centric solutions. 
• Manufacturing Focus: Our deep understanding of the unique challenges faced by manufacturers enables us to offer tailored solutions that simplify complexity and deliver measurable results. 
• Trusted Partner: With a global customer base and a proven track record, Tacton is a trusted partner for organizations seeking to revolutionize their sales and quoting processes. 

Why your CPQ choice matters 

Selecting the right CPQ solution is an important decision for manufacturers. While a generic CPQ system might seem like an appealing option at first glance, it often falls short when addressing the unique challenges of complex manufacturing environments. Partnering with a CPQ Leader specifically designed for complex manufacturing ensures you benefit from solutions that are purpose-built to address your industry’s specific demands. Manufacturers require a CPQ solution that not only handles intricate product configurations but also integrates seamlessly with existing processes to deliver accurate and reliable quotes. 

We understand the critical role CPQ plays in driving success for manufacturers. Our solutions enable businesses to engage buyers with personalized and dynamic quoting experiences, ensuring seamless and professional interactions. With intelligent automation, we streamline operations, reducing errors, speeding up quote generation, and delivering precise results, even in highly complex configurations. This capability empowers sales teams to deliver accurate and competitive quotes, addressing the specific needs of each customer. 

In an industry where precision, speed, and adaptability define success, partnering with the right CPQ provider is essential. Tacton’s manufacturing-focused solutions are purpose-built to tackle these challenges head-on, equipping manufacturers with the tools they need to thrive and outpace the competition. 

Find out why Tacton was named a Leader 

This recognition in the Magic Quadrant ™ is the latest in a series of milestones for Tacton. We have gained accolades from the analyst community, including being recognized as a Major Player in IDC’s MarketScape for APQ Applications 2024-2025, as well as in MGI Research’s CPQ Buyers Guide, where we were ranked as the top CPQ solution and the number one CPQ product, further solidifying our leadership in the CPQ market. 

Download your complimentary copy of the 2025 Gartner ® Magic Quadrant ™ for CPQ Applications and find out why Tacton was named a Leader for the third time in a row.  

Read the report

 

Gartner Disclaimer 

This graphic was published by Gartner, Inc. as part of a larger research document and should be evaluated in the context of the entire document. The Gartner document is available upon request from Tacton.  

Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.  

GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally, Magic Quadrant is a registered trademark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved. 

Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Configure, Price and Quote Applications, By Mark Lewis, Luke Tipping, 31 January 2025.