The Definitive Guide to CPQ and Advanced Sales Systems for Large Enterprises
In large-scale B2B sales, speed and accuracy are the new currencies. If you sell industrial machinery, enterprise software, or complex logistics services, an Excel spreadsheet is no longer enough. That’s where Advanced Sales systems—and specifically CPQ (Configure, Price, Quote) software—come in.
If your sales team takes days to generate a technical proposal or makes margin mistakes due to poorly applied discounts, this guide is for you.
What is a CPQ, really—and why is it critical in Enterprise?
CPQ stands for Configure, Price, Quote. While many CRMs have basic quoting features, a dedicated CPQ is a logic engine that handles complexity:
- Configure: Allows you to customize complex products (e.g., a truck with 50 engine, chassis, and accessory variants) while ensuring all parts are compatible.
- Price: Manages multi-level price lists, volume discounts, region-based pricing, currencies, and automated margin rules.
- Quote: Produces the final document (PDF, Word, DocuSign) with a polished, legally binding presentation.
Below we cover the “market titans”, the “agile challengers”, and then an emerging category redefining the industry: AI-native CPQ systems.
The “Big Three”: Salesforce, SAP, and Oracle
These are the go-to solutions for companies doing hundreds of millions—or billions—in revenue, where integration and robustness are non-negotiable.
1. Salesforce CPQ (Revenue Cloud)
The market-share leader. Salesforce acquired SteelBrick and turned it into the global standard. If your company lives in the Salesforce ecosystem, this is the natural choice.
Key capabilities:
- Guided Selling: an assistant that guides sellers through questions.
- Subscription Management: best-in-class for SaaS models.
- Advanced Approvals: complex discount approval flows.
Complexity: Medium–High
Best for: Tech, B2B services, light manufacturing
Estimated price: $75–$150+ USD per user/month, plus implementation
2. SAP CPQ (formerly CallidusCloud)
The powerhouse for complex manufacturing. If your backend is SAP S/4HANA or SAP ERP, the integration is hard to beat.
Key capabilities:
- Real-time ERP integration
- Variant Configuration for complex engineering rules
- Built-in pricing AI
Complexity: High
Best for: Automotive, heavy manufacturing, complex supply chains
3. Oracle CPQ (formerly BigMachines)
Oracle CPQ is known for handling business rules that look like advanced programming.
Key capabilities:
- Extremely powerful rules engine
- Agnostic integrations, including Salesforce
- Flexible Document Engine
Complexity: Very high
Best for: Industrial conglomerates with sophisticated rules
The “Agile Challengers”: Odoo, HubSpot, and Zoho
Not every large company needs SAP or Oracle depth. Some prioritize speed, cost, and usability.
4. Odoo (Sales + Configurator)
The most mature modular open-source option.
Pros: open source, fully customizable, accessible costs
Cons: CPQ depth is more limited out of the box than Salesforce
Price: $20–$35 USD per user/month
5. HubSpot (Sales Hub Enterprise + Commerce Hub)
The UX revolution for sales teams.
Pros: excellent UX, fast adoption, integrated payments
Cons: not suitable for complex manufacturing
Best for: B2B services, software, consultancies
6. Zoho CPQ
The cost-efficient alternative.
Covers most common needs at a significantly lower price than the giants.
Quick comparison table
| System | Complexity | License Cost | Best for | Primary integration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salesforce CPQ | High | $$$ ($75-$150+) | SaaS, Tech, General | Native Salesforce |
| SAP CPQ | Very High | $$$$ Enterprise | Manufacturing, SAP users | SAP ERP / C4C |
| Oracle CPQ | Very High | $$$$ Enterprise | Complex industrial logic | Oracle / Agnostic |
| Odoo | Medium | $ ($20-$30) | Mid-market, unified ERP | Odoo ERP |
| HubSpot | Low | $$ ($90-$150) | Services, software, speed | HubSpot CRM |
| Conga | High | $$$ | Legal, contract-heavy | Salesforce |
New category: AI-native solutions for CPQ and Advanced Sales
The last two years marked a structural shift: traditional CPQ moved from static rules to intelligent engines powered by generative AI and specialized pricing/configuration models.
Companies with complex sales now demand:
- Instant configuration speed
- Detailed explanations of rules and constraints
- Quote autocompletion
- Automatic validation of margins, discounts, and approvals
- Integration with large catalogs and dynamic pricing
- Omnichannel connectivity (web, app, WhatsApp, email)
That’s why a new category is emerging: AI-Native CPQ—where Recerc stands out, alongside new platforms reimagining the commercial experience.
7. Recerc — AI-Native CPQ for Complex B2B Sales
A modern platform designed specifically for B2B sales where quoting is the heart of the process.
Recerc doesn’t replicate traditional CPQ—it reinvents it with an AI engine that understands price lists, commercial rules, complex catalogs, and real operational conditions.
What Recerc does differently
1. AI engine specialized in pricing and quoting
Interprets long price lists, customer rules, currencies, discounts, compatibilities, and internal policies without requiring additional programming.
2. Ultra-fast quoting flow
Sellers can create quotes in seconds from web, app, or even WhatsApp, with formal documents ready to send.
3. Automatic approval rules
AI detects anomalies, out-of-range margins, or special conditions, and requests approval only when it truly applies.
4. Real omnichannel
Customers, sellers, internal teams, and digital channels operate on the same quoting engine.
5. Simple configuration
No multi-million-dollar integrations or months-long implementations. The focus is immediate value.
6. Built for complex industries
Industrial distribution, auto parts, machinery, construction materials, technical services, and more.
Who Recerc is for
- B2B companies that need to quote fast without losing control.
- Organizations where sellers remain critical, but need modern tools.
- Teams managing thousands of SKUs, customer rules, and regional variations.
- Companies aiming to automate a large portion of the sales cycle without losing flexibility.
Competitive advantage
While Salesforce, SAP, and Oracle were built for a world of static rules, Recerc was designed for the AI era.
If your company wants faster, smarter quoting with consistent logic across channels, Recerc is the most modern alternative.
Criteria to choose your quoting system
1. How complex is my product?
If you sell subscriptions or boxes: HubSpot / Salesforce
If you sell turbines or machinery: SAP / Oracle / Tacton
If you sell thousands of SKUs with variable rules: Recerc
2. How change-resistant is my sales team?
- High resistance: HubSpot or Recerc
- Low resistance: SAP or Oracle
3. Do I need quoting only, or the full Quote-to-Cash cycle?
- If you want full integration: SAP, Odoo
- If you want speed + granular control: Recerc
Conclusion
Choosing a CPQ is not a technical decision—it’s strategic.
- Salesforce: global standard, robust, expensive.
- SAP: unbeatable for complex manufacturing.
- Oracle: maximum power for advanced rules.
- Odoo: flexibility at an accessible cost.
- HubSpot: instant adoption.
- Recerc: modern, AI-native, built for complex B2B sales where every minute matters.
Implementing CPQ reduces the sales cycle by an average of 28%.
Companies adopting AI-native engines like Recerc are reducing times even more: 40%–70%, depending on complexity.
What is that time worth to your business?
Automate your B2B sales with Recerc
Customer portal, AI-powered quotes, digital catalog and more. Everything you need to scale your commercial operation.