The hidden costs of manual quoting – Why it’s time to consider CPQ

In today’s competitive B2B landscape, quoting is not just about numbers; it’s about speed, accuracy, customer experience, and operational efficiency. Despite the technological advancements in sales automation, many organizations still rely on manual quoting methods, often rooted in spreadsheets, emails, and siloed systems. While these approaches may seem cost-effective on the surface, they come with a multitude of hidden costs that silently erode revenue, productivity, and brand trust.

What is manual quoting?

Manual quoting refers to the process of generating sales quotes without automation tools. This typically involves spreadsheets for pricing, Word documents for formatting, and long email chains for internal approvals. While this method may work for very small businesses or low-complexity offerings, it becomes a liability as the organization scales or deals with diverse customer needs.

Why do companies still use it?

Many companies continue to rely on manual quoting due to perceived simplicity, familiarity, or fear of implementing new technologies. Budget limitations and underestimation of the long-term impact are also common reasons. Additionally, a lack of internal champions who can push for digital transformation may cause businesses to delay crucial upgrades like.

The hidden costs you’re probably overlooking

Time inefficiency

Manually creating a quote can take hours or even days, especially when products are configurable, pricing rules are complex, or multiple departments are involved. Salespeople spend more time building quotes than actually selling.

Human errors

A misplaced decimal point, incorrect tax application, or outdated pricing can lead to revenue loss, unhappy customers, or even legal disputes. Manual quoting is highly prone to such errors.

Inconsistent branding and messaging

Without standardized templates and workflows, every salesperson’s quote may look different. This inconsistency can confuse customers and undermine your brand’s credibility

Delayed approvals

Manual approval processes involving multiple emails and document versions often lead to delays. This slows down the sales cycle and frustrates both the sales team and the customer.

Lack of real – time data

Manual processes do not integrate with CRM or ERP systems in real-time. This results in fragmented information, redundant data entry, and reduced visibility across the organization.

Opportunity costs

Time lost on quoting is time not spent engaging with prospects. Slower response times often result in lost deals, especially in competitive markets.

Missed analytics and reporting

Without a centralized system, it’s difficult to analyze which products are quoted most frequently, where quotes get stuck, or which sales reps are most effective. Manual quoting keeps you in the dark, while CPQ gives you actionable insights.

CPQ to the rescue – What is it?

CPQ stands for Configure, Price, Quote-a type of sales software designed to streamline andautomate the quoting process. Solutions like SAP  allow sales teams to generate complex, customized quotes in a matter of minutes rather than hours.

Key features of CPQ systems

-Rule-based configuration
-Real-time pricing
-Integrated discount management
-Approval workflows
-Template-based documentation
-Analytics and reporting

Integration with CRM and ERP

CPQ tools integrate with CRM systems (like Salesforce or Microsoft Dynamics) and ERP platforms (like SAP or Oracle) to ensure seamless data exchange, better forecasting, and end-to-end process visibility.

Benefits of switching to CPQ

Benefits of CPQ

Increased efficiency

With predefined rules and templates, CPQ drastically reduces the time required to generate a quote.

Accuracy and compliance

By automating calculations and pricing logic, CPQ minimizes human error and ensures policy compliance

Enhanced customer experience

Faster, error-free quoting results in a more professional experience for customers, leading to higher satisfaction and trust.

Improved team collaboration

Everyone from sales to legal and finance works within the same system, improving transparency and reducing bottlenecks.

Better insights and analytics

CPQ tools offer detailed analytics that allow companies to identify patterns, optimize pricing strategies, and improve forecast accuracy.

Competitive advantage

Companies that implement CPQ not only serve their customers better, but also gain a strategic edge. They can respond faster, reduce friction in the buying process, and close more deals compared to their manual-quoting competitors.

When should you make the switch?

If your company is growing, handling complex product configurations, facing frequent quoting errors, or losing deals due to slow response times—now is the time to evaluate CPQ.

Ask yourself:

Are quotes taking longer than 24 hours to complete?
Do multiple people have to approve every quote?
Are we losing deals to faster competitors?
Do our quotes reflect our brand standards?
Can we report easily on quoting performance?

If the answer is yes to any of these, CPQ is not just an option, it’s a strategic necessity.

Final thoughts

The shift from manual quoting to CPQ is not merely a tech upgrade, it’s a business transformation. Manual processes may feel manageable in the short term, but their cumulative impact on revenue, productivity, and customer satisfaction can be enormous. CPQ empowers your team to respond faster, quote smarter, and close more deals, all while maintaining brand consistency and data accuracy. It’s a critical step in future-proofing your sales operations. Don’t wait for the inefficiencies to pile up, take action now. Beyond the operational improvements, CPQ systems also enhance your ability to scale globally. With multilingual and multi-currency capabilities, modern CPQ platforms cansupport complex sales operations across different regions, helping your business stay agile and competitive in international markets. Moreover, regular updates, AI-driven recommendations, and integration with BI tools provide even more room for optimization. This kind of digital infrastructure is essential for companies looking to thrive in today’s dynamic B2B ecosystem.

Is your team still quoting manually? Discover the difference CPQ can make. Book a free consultation with a Solvetect expert today.