Salesforce CPQ Tutorial 1- Introduction to CPQ and steps to configure it

What is CPQ-

• Salesforce CPQ, also known as Configure, Price, Quote, is a powerful tool offered by Salesforce that helps businesses streamline their quoting and sales processes.

• CPQ enables organizations to automate and simplify the creation of accurate and customized quotes for their products and services.

Salesforce CPQ – 

Here are the key components and features of Salesforce CPQ

1. Configuration: CPQ allows users to configure complex products and services based on customer requirements. It provides a user-friendly interface that guides sales reps through the process, ensuring accurate and consistent configurations.

2. Pricing: Salesforce CPQ enables sales reps to define pricing rules, discounts, promotions, and bundling options. These pricing rules can be based on factors such as quantity, customer type, product features, or any other criteria.

3. Quoting: CPQ allows sales reps to create professional and personalized quotes quickly. It pulls product configurations and pricing information automatically, eliminating the need for manual data entry. Sales reps can also make adjustments on the spot, such as adding or removing products or modifying quantities.

4. Approval Process: Salesforce CPQ provides a streamlined approval process for quotes. It allows organizations to define rules and workflows for approving quotes, ensuring compliance and accuracy.

5. Integration: CPQ seamlessly integrates with other Salesforce products, such as Salesforce CRM and Salesforce Billing. This integration enables data flow and consistency throughout the sales and revenue management processes.

6. Analytics and Reporting: CPQ offers robust reporting and analytics capabilities, allowing businesses to gain insights into sales performance, pricing trends, quote-to-cash metrics, and more. This data can be used to optimize sales strategies and improve revenue generation.

Prerequisites for Installing Salesforce CPQ- 

• Enable email deliverability to all Users.
• Enable Chatter
• Enable Order
• Enable CRM content

Options for Installing Salesforce CPQ-
    We have 3 options to install CPQ. 

1. Using AppExchange – Mostly used in Sandbox and Production

2. Using CPQ-enabled Dev Org – Used to test or learn CPQ. Valid for 90 days 

3. Using Steelbrick – Used when CPQ licences are available in the sandbox.

Steps for all 3 options are given in the diagram.

Post-Installation Steps-

Once CPQ is installed, we need to configure the basic package settings based on business requirements

Below are the steps to configure the CPQ-

• From Setup go to Installed Packages and then click on Installed Packages.
• Click on Configure next to Salesforce CPQ.
• Click on the Pricing and Calculation tab.
• Click on Authorize New Calculation Service.

When a user clicks Authorize New Calculation Service, Salesforce CPQ creates a token for the user. Salesforce CPQ uses the token and user combination to communicate with a Heroku service that manages asynchronous calculations using the Javascript Quote Calculator. If the calculation service hasn't been authorized, org admins will see an error during the upgrade or installation of Salesforce CPQ

Documents Tab-

This tab is used to update configuration related to “Quote Document pdf file”. In the Quote page we have a button, Generate Document, when any sales reps click on that button, it will generate quote document. What is Quote document pdf and how it get generated we will learn in the upcoming post in detail. This Document tab is mainly used to configure that document

Document Folder	Used to configure the location where quote document can be saved. It has 4 options – Use Personal Documents, Quotes, Salesforce CPQ Assets, SteelBrick CPQ Template Resources.
Attachment Target	It has 3 options- Opportunity, Quote, Document Only. After quote document generated, Attachment Target is used to share that document. Lets say Opportunity is selected then it will be shared with Opportunity and when you open the corresponding opportunity you will see that document.
Hide Document Name	If checked, Hide the file name on a quote document. This setting is useful if you want to prevent sales reps from changing the default file name
Post to Feed?	If checked, it will post on chatter whenever any document is generated.
Full Page Preview	If checked, it will display the quote document on full page. If unchecked then it will show the document in iFrame
Enable Multi-Language Translations	Allow sales reps to generate quote documents in one of your org’s supported languages. This adds a Locale picklist to the Generate Documents Page. You must also have translated values stored for the languages that they can select. You must also have translated values stored in the language they select.
Exclude Hidden Lines In Group Totals	If your quote contains hidden quote lines, Salesforce CPQ does not evaluate them when calculating quote line group totals for a quote document.

Group Tab:

Solution Groups Enabled	Solution Groups are a way to group multiple products together. It helps to treat the product as a single unit during the quoting process. With Solution Groups enabled you can create collections of products that are typically sold together or require joint configuration. This allows you to simplify the quoting process and provide a more streamlined experience for your users
Object	Enter the API name of the object that you want to use as the basis of your solution group. For example, if you want to use quote line groups, enter SBQQ__QuoteLineGroup__c. You can choose from any Salesforce CPQ object. This option is available only when solution groups are enabled
Name	Choose the name to use for solution groups in your org. You can choose from any Salesforce CPQ field associated with the object you chose in the Object setting. This option is available only when solution groups are enabled.
Description	Choose the description field that you want to use for solution groups in your org. You can choose from any Salesforce CPQ field associated with the object you chose in the Object setting. This option is available only when solution groups are enabled.
Require Group Name	Sales reps are required to edit group names in the quote line editor

Line Editor- 

Hide Renewed Assets When Editing	Hide line items for renewed assets in the quote line editor. Renewed assets don’t have a net total, can’t be discounted or marked up, and are used only to contribute to a percent of the total product’s final price. We recommend hiding them if you want your sales reps to focus only on editable quote lines.
Enable Column Width Resizing	Allow column width customization in the quote line editor
Enable Compact Mode	Removes the blank empty spaces in the quote line editor for quote line drawer fields hidden by a page security plugin.
Visualize Product Hierarchy	Indent the components of bundle products, including nested bundles. This feature makes your bundles easier to read, especially if they have many product options or layers of nested bundles. The Product Name must be part of the quote line editor fieldset.
Preserve Bundle Structure	Display a bundle’s product options in the same order in renewal quotes. This feature is useful if you organized your bundles with important or frequently edited product options at the beginning of the bundle
Keep Bundle Together	When you drag a bundle parent to a different location in the quote line editor, Salesforce CPQ moves its components to the new quote line position as well.
Totals Field	Salesforce CPQ summarizes the value of this quote field across your quote and shows the result in the quote line editor’s Total field. The net total is the default value. The picklist also shows custom currency fields that you add to the quote object.
Line Subtotals Field	Salesforce CPQ summarizes the value of this quote line field across your quote and shows the result in the quote line editor’s Subtotal field. Net total is the default value. The picklist also shows custom currency fields that you add to the quote line object.
Large Quote Threshold	Quotes with line counts above this value send only essential quote lines, rather than every quote line on the quote during UI calls. When the threshold is active, Salesforce CPQ also ignores quote-scoped product rules for that quote. You can define a threshold to improve quote line editor performance if you have large quotes. Plan on adjusting your large quote threshold when you start encountering governor limits. We recommend that your value is slightly lower than the number of lines on your quote when you start to hit the limits.
Enable Large Quote Experience	Revise the quote line editor layout so sales reps have an easier time navigating large quotes
Validate Large Quotes	Evaluates validation rules while the large quote threshold is active and prevents sales reps from performing invalid actions in the quote line editor.
Actions Column Placement	Place the Delete and Edit actions to the left or right of quote lines in the quote line editor.
Enable Multiline Delete	Sales reps can select multiple quote lines and then delete them.
Product Configuration Initializer	If your company uses a custom Visualforce page for its configurator, provide a lookup to the page here.
Enable Asset Upgrades	Sales reps can click Upgrade Assets in the quote line editor. Enable this setting if your org uses Upgrade Products.
Group Subtotals Field	Salesforce CPQ summarizes the value of this quote line group field across your quote and shows the result in the quote line editor’s Group Total field. Net total is the default value. This picklist also shows custom currency fields that you add to the quote line group object.
Wrap Buttons	Quote line editor buttons wrap to a row below the first button row.
Quote Batch Size	Quote load and save actions process this number of quote lines per batch. The default value is 150. Smaller batches are less likely to hit governor limits. Larger batches cause better quote line performance because the editor makes fewer round trips.
Enable Expand/Collapse Bundles	Salesforce CPQ can expand or collapse a bundle in Large Quote Experience only if the Product Name field is part of the quote line editor fieldset.

This is about configuring your bundle. Let's check the next article about the Quote Line Editor.

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