The AI Shift: Building a Smarter CPQ Strategy in the Era of Smart Manufacturing

AI is changing more than how manufacturers build. It’s changing how they sell. 

As manufacturers extend AI across the smart factory, AI-powered CPQ and buyer engagement will play a central role in both front-end and back-end operations. Yet many teams still evaluate CPQ platforms through a feature checklist, looking for AI “features” without rethinking how CPQ can ultimately function in an AI-enabled organization.

This guide explores how AI is reshaping CPQ from a quoting tool into a source of strategic intelligence, as well as how it’s helping manufacturers improve how they attract buyers, optimize performance, accelerate ROI, and align departments around a shared data foundation.

In this guide, you’ll learn:

• How traditional CPQ strategies will change in the age of AI

• Where manufacturers will see emerging value, from automated product modeling to intelligent, contextual selling

• How AI impacts the way that teams think about CPQ’s role in their function

• What to consider when building a CPQ strategy that supports long-term AI goals