Constellation ShortList™ Configure Price Quote (CPQ)

Configure, price, quote (CPQ) software has evolved thanks to generative and autonomous AI, shedding the sales-centric boundary of a sales and order management solution and fully stepping into a new space focused on robust digital engagement to more durable experience-driven profitability. CPQ solutions were once thought in exclusively sales or revenue operations (revOps) applications, yet AI powered evolution has broadened internal applications to become a collaborative opportunity across core customer experience (CX) centric functions including sales, customer service, commerce and marketing. This has encouraged leading edge enterprises to leverage CPQ as a key tool delivering on CX strategy, integrating the high-fidelity gathered directly from customers directly into the hands of these front-line teams. 

CPQ automates the configure-to-close process while providing an optimized digital experience to customers. These self-service tools make it possible to configure products and offerings, help improve the accuracy of quotes, assure compliance with discounting and margin policies, accelerate internal deal review and provide customers with detailed quotes and automated experiences to shift from customer to owner at their pace. 

Generative AI has infused conversational interfaces to the configuration interface, delivering a voice-first discussion around need and customer-defined value. CPQ is also shifting to be more intentionally at the center of customer relationship building with a CPQ first process to centralize and analyze data, generate more personalized and contextual configuration recommendations and identify trends in everything from consumption of products to pricing and availability trends. 

Beyond generative and agentic capabilities, CPQ tools also leverage AI and automations to help ensure pricing consistency and compliance with discount guidelines, offer guided selling suggestions for upsell and cross selling opportunity and aid in managing the overarching contract management process as well. CPQ has also emerged as a critical source of data and understanding about the customer, delivering high-fidelity signal on need, intent and specific product needs. 

Research note: For the purposes of this list, we’ve focused on vendors that provide broad CPQ capabilities across a range of industry sectors, excluding industry specific solutions and those offering CPQ capabilities as part of a larger revenue platform or solution. For example, IBM Sterling CPQ, a leading manufacturing focused solution was not included in this consideration set. As Salesforce announced in 2025 that Salesforce CPQ had reached “End of Sale” with future innovation focused into inclusion of CPQ function into its larger Revenue Cloud Advanced offering, Salesforce was not included in this consideration cycle.

Threshold Criteria

Constellation considers the following criteria for these solutions:

• Ease of use, clear intuitive user (customer and employee) interface 
• Deal optimization/profitability modeling capabilities 
• Product catalog management with accurate search and real- time product updates 
• Integration into CRM and ERP systems 
• Modern visual experience including dynamic configuration 
• Broad geographical reach for multilanguage/currency support 
• Workflow management and automation 
• Dynamic pricing models to address budget requirements and optimize margin 
• AI-powered recommendations for both seller and customer 
• Generative AI interfaces to deliver robust self-service interfaces for customers 
• GenAI capabilities to create user friendly conversational interfaces for sellers and internal users 
• Robust reporting addressing pricing effectiveness, configuration trends, quote analytics and revenue performance 
• Seamless integration with e-signature solutions and contract / document management 
• Brand controls, asset access and document management 
• Discount and pricing management and compliance tools 
• Guided selling and AI-driven recommendations 
• AI-powered automations and workflows to address common pricing, policy and discounting decisions 
• Data workflows and experience automation capabilities to proactively schedule follow up and future customer engagement motions 
• Multichannel access including mobile 
• Security and data management controls and system governance including audit trails and data privacy controls 
• Analytics including role-based reporting. Advanced solutions will include real-time deal visibility and insights, predictive product intelligence and brand intelligence signals based on customer interactions, configurations and requests. 
• Advanced solutions support 2-D and 3-D modeling and visualizations 
• Post-sales support and community