The Low-Risk and Low-Cost Alternatives to CPQ in Salesforce
At A Glance:
CPQ delivers significant benefits when successfully implemented. However, it’s also high-risk and expensive, often requiring heavy investment in licenses and professional services.
GSP offers a proven alternative. Our Salesforce-native apps - Product Manager, Volume Pricing, and Subscription Manager - deliver many of the same outcomes as CPQ, but at a lower cost and with far less risk. All apps are available via monthly and annual subscriptions, avoiding long-term lock-in and allowing greater flexibility.
Many customers choose our apps while exploring or implementing a full CPQ or Revenue Cloud solution. We support customers with fully guided proof-of-concept trials, and real-world success stories show the impact of our approach.
Many salespeople recognize the compelling need for their businesses to adopt CPQ (Configure, Price, Quote) and RLM (Revenue Lifecycle Management) systems. For example:
- They need product bundles and packages.
- They want to apply volume-based pricing.
- They seek an intuitive interface for selecting the right products to add to opportunities.
- They need renewal management and revenue recognition for things like SaaS contracts, warranty services or support contracts.
And, if you’re a subscription-based or SaaS company, you’ll also need advanced MRR and ARR metrics, as well as churn and lifetime value measures.
The need is real. Unfortunately, these features and functionalities only seem accessible through the purchase of Salesforce CPQ or the Revenue Cloud, or by purchasing other recognized CPQ systems.
Spoiler alert: this isn’t true. But more on that shortly!
The Problem with CPQ
Experts agree that CPQ implementation projects are high-risk and difficult to implement successfully. The key reasons for this include:
- They’re complex and time-consuming to get right.
- Maintaining up-to-date and accurate pricing data is challenging.
- Sales teams often struggle to adopt the system.
- Getting the most out of CPQ often requires a big shift in mindset – and not everyone’s up for it.
- Vendor lock-in: for those who choose the wrong provider, it becomes difficult to switch to an alternative solution later.
The result?
Many businesses hesitate at the costs and risks associated with CPQ and the Revenue Cloud. And when they do, they risk missing out on the very capabilities and benefits that attracted them to CPQ in the first place.
The Compelling Alternative to CPQ in Salesforce
Here’s the good news:
You don’t have to go full-blown CPQ or RLM to get the benefits you’re looking for.
GSP’s Salesforce native apps - Product Manager, Volume Pricing, and Subscription Manager – are specifically designed to provide the core benefits of CPQ, but at a fraction of the cost and with minimal implementation risk.
And the best part? All three apps can be implemented quickly and efficiently, without requiring radical business change.
Additionally, you can purchase the apps on an annually renewable contract, so you’re not tied in long-term, should you change your mind.
Meet the Apps: A Smarter Take on CPQ
GSP Product Manager
The GSP Product Manager gives salespeople an intuitive, user-friendly way to add individual products, bundles, and product groups or packages to opportunities and quotes.
It replaces the standard ‘Add Products’ page with a dynamic interface that organizes products in a logical tree structure.
For example, this video demonstrates how salespeople use the Product Manager to add bundles and groups to opportunities:
Learn more about the Product Manager and how it works in this blog post:
Smarter Product Selection in Salesforce with the GSP Product Manager
Product Manager Customer Success Story
“Finally, we’re able to sell bundles and packages using Salesforce, thanks to the GSP Product Manager”, says Jennifer Sykora, head of CRM at Medora. “It’s straightforward for my team to put the bundles together, and then super-easy for salespeople to add them to opportunities. Fantastic!”
GSP Volume Pricing
With the GSP Volume Pricing app, salespeople no longer leave Salesforce to calculate volume-based discounts. That’s because the app calculates quantity-based discounts directly within the system.
The app calculates quantity-based discounts directly within Salesforce, including these pricing styles:
- Bands: The same discount percentage applies across all units.
- Tiers: Different discount percentages apply to each volume band.
- Increments: Discounts increase marginally with each additional unit.
This video shows the Volume Pricing app in action:
Learn more about the Volume Pricing app in this blog post:
Volume Pricing in Salesforce Made Simple - No CPQ Required
Volume Pricing Customer Success Story
“The GSP Volume Pricing app transformed the way salespeople use Salesforce,” says Alex Ferrario, revenue operations manager at Omada. “Our pricing arrangements are complicated with variations by region, currency and customer. However, we no longer maintain lots of spreadsheets with everyone using different versions because all pricing happens directly in Salesforce!”
GSP Subscription Manager
The GSP Subscription Manager provides a comprehensive solution for companies that sell products on renewal or evergreen subscriptions.
For example, customers using the Subscription Manager sell products ranging from SaaS applications to warranties and service contracts.
The app provides many features not available as standard in Salesforce, including advanced pricing calculations for monthly or annual products, end-to-end renewal management, revenue recognition, and detailed MRR and ARR metrics (including churn and lifetime value).
This video summarizes the core features of the Subscription Manager:
Learn more about the Subscription Manager in this blog post:
How To Manage Subscription Products in Salesforce
Subscription Manager Customer Success Story
“Using the GSP Subscription Manager means that in Salesforce, we get a complete view of the monthly and annual recurring revenue from support and warranty contracts”, says Keith Reid, Director of Customer Support, Trimble Applanix. “The app automatically generates renewal opportunities for these contracts and helps us proactively manage customer relationships."
Seamlessly Integrate GSP Apps With Other Salesforce Features
You can integrate all three GSP ‘CPQ Alternative’ apps with Salesforce’s standard features:
Pricing Approval Processes
Many companies configure the standard Salesforce Approvals functionality to control discounts further and protect margins. For example, Omada has created business rules that allow salespeople (within the specified parameters) to override the discount calculated by the Volume Pricing app. These business rules are implemented and controlled using the out-of-the-box Salesforce Approvals.
Quotes and Electronic Signatures
Once sales reps have used the Product Manager to build an opportunity, these products can be easily included in quotes using electronic signature applications, allowing them to be sent to the customer for immediate sign-off.
For example, Book4Time uses the Product Manager to add bundles and product groups to opportunities. These products are populated onto the relevant Docusign template and sent to the customer directly from Salesforce. This procedure significantly speeds up the quote-to-cash process and embeds the signed contract directly into Salesforce.
Orders and Assets
Many manufacturing companies and those in similar industries often use the standard Orders and Assets objects in Salesforce. These records are typically created and updated by integrating with the company’s ERP system.
As a result, GSP customers often link the orders and assets directly to the subscription generated by the Subscription Manager. At Trimble Applanix, for example, this setup gives their support team complete visibility of the modules and assets covered by each warranty subscription. The result is improved operational efficiency – and no more providing free support on assets not covered by an agreement.
Why Customers Choose GSP’s ‘CPQ Alternative’ Apps
GSP’s three Salesforce-native apps - Product Manager, Volume Pricing, and Subscription Manager - provide a powerful alternative to CPQ or RLM.
Here’s why teams love them:
- Rapid implementation: GSP helps you deploy the apps quickly and efficiently without disrupting your business.
- Fast results: CPQ projects typically take one to two years to deliver value. Our apps' rapid implementation means that the benefits can be realized almost immediately.
- Risk mitigation and lower cost: The GSP apps eliminate many risks associated with traditional CPQ and deliver benefits at a fraction of the professional services and license costs.
Plus, all apps are available to purchase on a monthly or annual renewable subscription, so there are no long-term lock-ins should you choose to go down a different route at a later point.
Commonly Asked Questions
What to Do Next
Now that you’ve seen how the GSP apps offer a compelling alternative to CPQ or the Revenue Cloud in Salesforce, here are three ways to explore the apps further:
1. Learn more about each of the apps:
Smarter Product Selection in Salesforce with the GSP Product Manager
Volume Pricing in Salesforce Made Simple – No CPQ Required
How To Manage Subscription Products in Salesforce
2. Explore pricing and features: Visit each app’s page to get details on pricing, functionality, and more:
3. Get in touch! Have questions or want a demo? Complete the contact form below to arrange a meeting, and we’ll show you how it all works.
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