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CPQ Implementation Checklist
47 checkpoints across 6 project phases — from vendor selection to post-launch handoff. Built from real CPQ engagements across Salesforce, Oracle, SAP, and ServiceNow platforms.
How to use this checklist: Work through each phase in order. Items marked as blockers should be resolved before moving to the next phase. If you're inheriting a partially-complete implementation, start from Phase 5 and work backwards to identify gaps.
Phase 1: Platform Selection
- Define the primary quoting pain point driving this project (speed, accuracy, approval gaps, or integration)
- Document all product types that need to be quoted (standard, configurable, subscriptions, bundles)
- Identify all pricing models in use today (list price, discount tiers, contract pricing, usage-based)
- List every system that needs to integrate with CPQ (CRM, ERP, CLM, billing, eCommerce)
- Get IT architecture approval on data residency and SSO requirements before shortlisting vendors
- Evaluate at least two platforms in a structured proof-of-concept using your own product data
- Ask each vendor for a reference from a company in your industry with similar complexity
- Confirm total cost of ownership including licenses, implementation, and ongoing admin
Phase 2: Pre-Implementation Discovery
- Document every product rule and constraint that exists today — including the ones living in spreadsheets
- Map the current quote-to-order workflow end-to-end with all approval steps identified
- Identify the data owner for each integration source system
- Define the "happy path" quote scenario and at least 5 edge cases to use as test scripts
- Establish acceptance criteria — what does "done" look like for each major deliverable?
- Confirm the executive sponsor and their availability for key milestone reviews
- Agree on a change management process before the first configuration sprint begins
- Document all custom document templates (proposals, order forms, SOW formats)
Phase 3: Data Migration Readiness
- Audit the product catalog for completeness and accuracy before any migration begins
- Identify and remediate duplicate products, pricing records, and customer data
- Define the cutover strategy: big bang vs. phased rollout by product line or region
- Test the migration on a full copy of production data — not a sample
- Establish rollback criteria and the decision-making process if cutover fails
- Confirm all historical quotes and orders will be preserved in the source system for compliance
- Run a parallel period if the business cannot tolerate any quoting downtime during cutover
Phase 4: Integration Architecture
- Use a dedicated middleware or integration platform — avoid direct API calls between CPQ and ERP
- Define the authoritative data source for each shared object (product, pricing, customer, order)
- Test all integrations in a sandbox environment before UAT
- Document retry logic and error handling for every integration endpoint
- Validate that order submission creates the correct records in the downstream system
- Test bulk scenarios — what happens when 100 quotes sync simultaneously?
- Confirm the integration monitoring and alerting strategy with your ops team
Phase 5: Go-Live Readiness
- All User Acceptance Testing sign-offs are documented and approved by business owners
- Performance test quote generation under realistic concurrent user load
- All sales reps have completed role-specific training and passed a basic proficiency check
- Admin team can independently create a new product, adjust pricing, and modify an approval rule
- Hypercare plan is in place for the first 30 days (dedicated support contact, escalation path)
- At least two internal "superusers" have been trained and can answer Tier-1 questions
- Rollback plan has been rehearsed, not just documented
- Success metrics are agreed upon and a 90-day post-go-live review is scheduled
Phase 6: Post-Launch Admin Handoff
- All BML/Apex scripts, configuration rules, and integration logic are documented with inline comments
- A naming convention document exists and has been applied to all configuration objects
- Admin runbook covers the 10 most common maintenance tasks with step-by-step instructions
- Sandbox refresh process is documented and schedule is agreed upon
- Change management process is defined for product catalog updates and pricing changes
- Backup and disaster recovery procedure has been tested
- A performance baseline has been captured to detect degradation over time
- Ongoing support model (internal vs. retainer) is confirmed and resourced
- Next-phase roadmap items are documented and prioritized for future sprints
Need help working through this?
Most teams hit blockers in Phase 2 or Phase 3. We run a structured CPQ Assessment that covers everything on this list — and tells you exactly where you stand before you spend another dollar.