Why Quotation Creation Is Slowing Down Complex Sales—and How CPQ Solves It

Research shows that 50% of B2B sales go to the vendor that responds to customers first. This clearly proves that the speed of quotation creation either makes or breaks the deal. 

Today’s buyers expect timely and personalized proposals. But conventional tools such as spreadsheets, outdated quoting software, and manual approval workflows can extend the quoting cycle from minutes to days—wasting time, revenue, and customer confidence. 

CPQ software like Cincom CPQ streamlines and automates the entire quoting process, enabling teams to build accurate, compliant, and personalized proposals in minutes. CPQ enables the creation of professional quotes for potential clients, allowing sellers to focus on scoping projects rather than document formatting. 

 

Why Traditional Quotation Creation Falls Behind

Sales teams often face multiple friction points when generating quotations. Here’s what causes delays—and why they’re so costly:

1. Manual Processes

Quoting via spreadsheets or disconnected tools leads to pricing errors, formatting inconsistencies, and time lost to version control.

2. Siloed Data Sources

Product specs in engineering, pricing in finance, customer details in CRM—sales reps waste time hunting for data.

3. Complex Configuration Rules

Custom products require engineering input to validate configurations, adding back-and-forth delays to the quoting process.

4. Approval Bottlenecks

Custom pricing and terms often get stuck in slow manual approval loops via email or shared drives, making the approval process time-consuming and delaying the ability to approve quotes efficiently.

5. Compliance Risks

In regulated industries, missing validation steps can lead to non-compliant proposals, increasing audit risk, and legal exposure.

 

 

The Hidden Costs of Slow Sales Quote Creation

Delayed quotes aren’t just a speed issue—they hurt your business in multiple ways:

• Lost Opportunities: Slow quotes let faster competitors win. If you’re not first with a complete proposal, you’re often not considered at all.
• Inefficient Selling: Reps spend hours tracking data, fixing mistakes, and following up on approvals instead of closing deals.
• Customer Frustration: B2B buyers expect fast, digital-first experiences. A week-long delay in proposal creation reflects poorly on your organization.
• Margin Erosion: Manual errors in pricing or specs can result in costly misquotes that affect profitability or compliance.

Investing in sales quote automation isn’t just about convenience—it’s a strategic move to protect revenue and improve win rates.

 

CPQ: The Smarter Way to Generate Quotations

CPQ software transforms the way companies handle quotation creation—replacing slow, manual steps with fast, guided automation.

At its core, CPQ simplifies the entire sales quoting process: selecting products, applying accurate pricing, and generating a polished proposal—all in one platform. CPQ also ensures that each quote includes a fixed price for products or services, providing certainty and legal protection, while estimates provide an approximate cost that helps with initial budgeting and planning.

 

Key Capabilities:

• Guided Configuration: Sales reps only see valid combinations based on built-in rules. No more errors or back-and-forth with engineering.
• Real-Time Pricing: Prices adjust automatically based on region, volume, customer tier, or discount rules.
• Instant Quote Generation: Quotes are created with just a few clicks—complete with branding, terms, and visuals.
• Integrated Workflows: Approvals happen automatically based on business rules—no emails, no delays.
• CRM + ERP Integration: Keeps product, customer, and pricing data in sync across all systems.
• Print Quotations: Users can print quotations directly from the platform for official documentation.

By combining automation with accuracy, CPQ accelerates the quotation creation process while protecting margins and delivering a better buyer experience.

 

Solving the Sales Quoting Process with CPQ

CPQ addresses each point of friction in sales quote automation:

 

CPQ Feature	What It Does
Guided Product Selection	Enables reps to configure products using built-in logic, ensuring valid combinations without engineering help.
Instant, Accurate Pricing	Applies real-time pricing logic, discounts, and business rules—no spreadsheets or guesswork.
One-Click Proposal Creation	Instantly generate branded documents, including visuals, specs, and legal terms as needed.
Streamlined Approvals	Automatically routes quotes needing sign-off to the right approvers, reducing delays and maintaining audit trails.
Cross-Team Collaboration	Syncs with CRM and ERP so all teams work from the same data—no version conflicts or manual entries.

 

CPQ also streamlines the approval process, allowing users to approve quotes efficiently and keep deals moving forward.

Together, these features help sales teams generate quotations faster and more accurately. For example, a sales rep can use CPQ to generate a detailed quote for a product,  including all client information, applicable terms, and tax rate, in only a few clicks.

 

Real-World Win: CPQ in Action

Helmer Scientific, a Medical Devices and Laboratory Equipment manufacturer, partnered with Cincom CPQ to:

• Improve quote accuracy
• Streamline order management
• Enhance system scalability

Helmer integrated Cincom CPQ with Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Fourth Shift ERP to automate and standardize their sales and quoting process.

The Result:

• 88% reduction in quote generation time
• No additional sales hires required
• Improved system scalability to support business growth

Cincom CPQ enabled Helmer to accelerate quoting, reduce manual workload, and improve operational efficiency.

 

Final Takeaway

The ability to create quotes quickly and accurately is a real advantage. Manual quoting systems are no longer enough.

With CPQ, your team spends less time formatting spreadsheets and more time closing deals. From sales quote automation to error-free proposal creation, CPQ is a tool built for speed, accuracy, and growth. CPQ also helps sellers maintain professionalism and clear communication with potential buyers and clients, supporting follow-up after sending a quote to clients or potential clients to ensure timely responses and move deals forward.

Faster and accurate quoting doesn’t just make sales easier—it makes them more successful. When the client accepts the quote, the process can seamlessly trigger the creation of a proforma invoice, further streamlining the sales workflow.

Is your quotation creation process holding your team back? Cincom CPQ is the solution to your problem.

 

FAQs

1- What causes delays in quote creation for complex sales?

Delays in quote creation usually stem from outdated methods like spreadsheets, disconnected systems, and manual workflows. In complex sales, reps often need input from engineering, finance, or legal teams—especially when dealing with custom products or special pricing. Without automation, these handoffs cause bottlenecks, introduce errors, and slow down the entire process.

 

2- How does CPQ reduce the time it takes to create a quote?

CPQ (Configure, Price, Quote) software automates the quoting process from end to end. It guides sales reps through valid product configurations, applies pricing rules in real time, and generates proposals with one click. Automated workflows handle approvals, and integration with CRM/ERP systems ensures data consistency. As a result, quote turnaround drops from days to minutes—improving speed, accuracy, and responsiveness.

 

3- Is CPQ suitable for all types of B2B businesses?

CPQ is especially valuable for B2B businesses that sell configurable products or operate in industries with complex pricing structures, approval chains, or compliance requirements. Sectors like manufacturing, medical devices, and technology benefit the most. For businesses with simple, fixed offerings and short sales cycles, CPQ may not be essential but can still add value if scaling is a goal.

 

4- Can CPQ integrate with CRM and ERP systems?

Yes. Most modern CPQ platforms, including Cincom CPQ, offer out-of-the-box integrations with major CRM systems like Microsoft Dynamics, Salesforce, and others—as well as ERP systems. This integration ensures real-time syncing of product data, pricing, customer information, and order details—eliminating silos and reducing duplication across departments.

 

5- What ROI can companies expect from implementing CPQ?

Companies that implement CPQ typically see faster quote turnaround, increased deal velocity, and reduced manual errors. This leads to higher win rates, better customer experiences, and improved operational efficiency. Some businesses also avoid additional hiring by making their existing teams more productive. ROI is seen not only in revenue growth but also in cost savings and scalability.