CPQ stands for configure, price, quote. Salesforce CPQ, historically known as Steelbrick, streamlines quote-to-cash processes, enabling Sales Representatives to quote and price with accuracy and efficiency. The CPQ system automates the creation of complex, variable quotes and proposals. Utilizing CPQ tools can reduce average sales time and increase average deal size, thereby increasing ROI.
CPQ tools can help you:
- Improve order accuracy
- Compose complex contracts faster
- Allow sales reps more time for quality work
- Increase revenue steadily
- Improve data visibility and accuracy
- Provide a better customer experience
- Increase sales
Salesforce CPQ is available in several editions, ranging from simple quote management and contract composition to highly advanced configuration management systems that include quoting, proposal generation, pricing, contract management, purchase orders, order entry, shipment tracking, service request, change orders, and many other features.
Our Salesforce CPQ interview questions are designed to test your knowledge of this application specifically. These questions will help you prepare for any technical or non-technical interviewing process.
1. Can you explain Salesforce CPQ?
CPQ stands for Configure, Price, and Quote. You can use it in conjunction with your Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software. The sales process is simplified, expedited, and organized. Assist sales representatives in selling the appropriate product combinations, regulating discounts and automating approvals with Salesforce CPQ.
Configure:
- Configure Product Bundles
- Eligibility
- Availability
Price:
- Perform Automatic Price Calculations
- Apply Discounts
- Perform Approvals
Quote:
- Manage Quote Lifecycle
- Create Proposal Documents
- Convert Quote to Orders
2. Are you familiar with Salesforce Dashboard?
Salesforce dashboards represent reports visually. A Salesforce dashboard can show up to twenty reports at once.
3. What factors influence the requirement for a CPQ?
The following factors contribute to the necessity of a CPQ.
- Frequently encountered delays when generating quotations.
- It is possible that a higher number of errors will be made during the quotation generating process.
- Items with outdated information.
- A lack of transparency when optimizing sales processes.
- Opportunities for cross- or up-selling.
4. What are Product Rules in Salesforce CPQ?
The Product Rules feature in Salesforce CPQ ensures that the correct Product is displayed to the user. Four kinds of Product Rules are available:
Validation Rules:
- Makes sure the product combinations or fields of a quote are in compliance with predetermined conditions.
Selection Rules:
- A bundle’s options can be automatically added, removed, hidden, enabled, or disabled.
Filter Rules:
- Provides prefilters for adding products to bundles.
Alert Rules:
- Provides guidance and information during the configuration or pricing process.
5. Describe the Salesforce Audit Trail.
The data can be accessed and modified by all users according to their requirements and product sales plan. It is therefore important to have one system to monitor all of these and to cross-check recent changes. For the new budget, the organization can use the Audit trail if the number of employees is more significant.
6. What are Salesforce CPQ’s Price Rules?
- Prices are calculated and updated automatically by Salesforce CPQ price rules. During the Quoting process, price rules contain price conditions to calculate an accurate price.
- Rules allow you to inject a static value, a field value, or a summary variable into a quote or quote line field.
- Creating a price rule so that the number of maintenance kits in your quote is always twice the number of printers in the quote is an example. The maintenance kit quantity is updated when the customer changes the printer quantity and saves the quote.
- The quote line editor’s calculator or the configurator can be targeted by price rules. The price rule can be applied to the calculator if you specify the Calculator Evaluation Event field: Before calculation, After calculation, During calculation Or during any combination of the three.
7. Could you explain QTC?
- The quote-to-cash process includes contract completion, billing, managed services, sales, and receivables management. As part of an organization’s sales activities, it functions similarly to an end-to-end process.
- Starting with the configuration of offers, the QTC process concludes with the collection of proceeds from the sale in question. All aspects of the sale are tracked and analyzed.
8. How is product hierarchy determined?
Each product should be classified according to its logical structure. Hierarchies are used to represent different ordered products. Users can easily locate their desired product using hierarchies. By utilizing their valuable time, they can discover what they are looking for.
9. Describe the product.
An item or service that can be sold to a customer is called a product. A product falls into one of four categories.
Product Bundles:
- This is a product with optional features that may be added to a single quote line.
MDQ Products:
- Sales reps have the option of selecting a specific unit of time when using multi-dimensional quoting (MDQ) products.
Subscription Products:
- A product that runs for a specific period of time.
Usage-Based Products:
- Their price scale changes according to their consumption.
10. How are product groups and product families different?
- According to the business model, Product Groups are high levels of categorization of products.
- A Product Family is a group of products with similar characteristics. Generally, a company’s products are categorized into product families.
11. What are Product Bundles in Salesforce CPQ?
Bundles consist of products with optional features or components that you want to include on a single quotation line. There are several records included in a bundle:
A Bundle Parent:
- Essentially, the bundle is the parent product.
Options:
- Some of these products are part of the bundle. The bundle parent can be considered the parent of these products. If you select the Bundled checkbox for an option, it does not contribute to the bundle price.
Features:
- There are a number of options in a feature. Using the Min Options and Max Options fields, you can restrict the selection of objects within the same feature to “pick one or more” or “pick 3 of 5”.
Option Constraints:
- You can use constraints to control how options are selected together.
Configuration Attribute:
- A field and picklist displayed above or below a list of product options. All options containing the same field are targeted by this field, so its value is applied to all of them.
To begin, select a product to represent your parent, and at least one product to represent the bundle option. As soon as you have created your options, features, and constraints, you should associate them to the parent via related lists on the parent product record.
12. Describe what Product Options are in Salesforce CPQ.
When a user configures Product bundles, they have the option of selecting one or more products.
13. How does Salesforce CPQ implement Product Selection Rules?
Product selection rules automate bundle configuration by performing an action in a bundle. There are a number of conditions to be met and a number of actions to take. You can use them to automatically select or deselect product options in a bundle, or enable or disable them, or show or hide them.
14. What are Salesforce CPQ Product Validation Rules?
A user can select data that meets certain standards by using Product Validation Rules. They can be used to confirm that the configured bundle is valid since they contain a condition to be met, and an error message. Summary variables can be used to determine if conditions are met. Either quote lines or product options in a bundle can be targeted by these rules.
15. What is Product Pricing Methodology?
Discounts and markups can be applied to your products through Product Pricing Methods.
16. What is the meaning of the word “Price List”?
In Salesforce, the Price List records the different prices of an item based on its business flow. Market research is usually conducted and prices are established for each product. Salesforce’s price list displays the different pricing for each product.
17. What fields are in the CPQ Quote Line Group?
For CPQ quote line groups, Salesforce CPQ offers a variety of custom fields that can be controlled. The quote lines groups contain information about the grouping of lines within a quote. Some fields are not viewable or editable due to page layouts and security settings associated with them.
18. What are the Product Selection Rules?
Using Product Selection rules, you can automate the configuration of a bundle by performing an operation within it. They consist of a series of criteria and a series of actions. You can use them to autonomously select or deselect product choices inside a package, as well as to activate or disable them.
19. What are the Product Validation Rules?
By using the Validation of Products Rules, users can ensure that the data they choose complies with specific requirements. Validating the configuration of a bundle is possible with these, since they include a condition that must be met.
You can use report variables to determine whether the condition has been met. Restrictions can be applied to quotation lines or to product choices included in bundles.
20. What are Price Actions?
The rule will apply its price actions to the target field if it meets its conditions. The value for a price action is derived from a summary variable, formula, user-defined value, or other quote line field and sent to your target field. There must be at least one action for every price rule. You can have several actions that target the same field, or several actions that target different fields.
21. How do you use price actions in Salesforce CPQ?
In order to apply the price rules, the prerequisites must be met, so the rules can be applied to the price action to put the values into the target field. Several formulas are available for writing the prices with price action, including formulas, equations, and user-defined integers. The pricing action is always protected from incorrect calculations with pricing rules. Every effort will be made to apply this rule.
22. How can Lookup Queries be used?
To get information from a source other than a quotation, lookup queries are used with product guidelines. To modify goods and preferences, this data is used in the quotation line editor and configurator. Lookup queries for product rules return data from the query object to the product rule. By using this procedure, you can use searchable metadata and values in place of the rule’s operations and criteria.
23. Describe how to use search filters.
Salesforce CPQ allows sales reps to narrow down the items offering an array by searching for specific qualities. It is possible for a business to have a large number of products in its product catalog, which enlarges it. For sales representatives, this makes it more difficult to navigate the list and locate the item they are looking for. Users can narrow their search by selecting the search filters.
24. How can we use Salesforce CPQ to search for something?
In the company product catalogue, there are categorized product details are available. It isn’t effortless to find out the products from the record. So that moment user needs a search option to find the particular product. In Salesforce CPQ, all sales reps are interconnected so that these search criteria will be limiting for the products available in one array based on unique quality.
25. Can you explain Salesforce permission sets?
The permission set is a collection of privileges or configurations assigned to users to enable them to access information and execute tasks without modifying their profile. Users can increase their capabilities using the permission set. Permission sets may be used instead of profiles.
26. What is the purpose of nesting bundles?
Utilizing a stacked bundle, users can select a subset of choices included within an individual product option.
27. Can you explain the benefits of nesting bundles?
- Nesting bundles help to create composite bundles.
- The user can add a subset from within a subset from a single product.
28. What does “Transfer profile record” mean?
Salesforce has a feature called a transfer record that allows rights to be assigned to users. The user can share a record in a read-only format if he or she has the right to share the document.
29. Describe what an object is in Salesforce. Which kinds of objects and tasks can the user perform with them?
“Objects” refer to the database tables in Salesforce. These are the tables that hold data for the organization. Salesforce objects can be divided into two categories. They are as follows:
Standard:
- The standard object set consists of a variety of objects, including customers, contacts, and leads.
Custom:
- Objects created specifically for an organization can hold critical information about that organization. Individual users are able to modify custom objects. Additionally, custom objects include custom user interface tabs, relationships between objects, custom fields, and page layouts.
30. How does the Advanced Quote Calculator work in Salesforce CPQ?
Salesforce CPQ’s Advanced Quote Calculator calculates quote and quote line costs based on user or programmed actions. Identify the types of activities that result in a recalculation of your quotation. Any changes made by users since the last calculation will be automatically reflected by the Advanced Quote Calculator when it performs a calculation.
Salesforce CPQ calculates the new cost for a quotation line if you apply a 10% extra discount and then select Calculate. Once the price of the quotation line changes, it adjusts the overall amount of the quote to match.
31. Exactly what is Salesforce Shield?
You can comply with legislation governing the storage of sensitive data by using Salesforce Shield’s security features. Using Shield Platform Encryption and Event Monitoring, you can monitor usage, detect malicious behavior, and secure data at rest while maintaining full functionality.
32. What does event monitoring do?
Salesforce’s Event Monitoring provides extensive information about the performance, security, and use of all Salesforce applications. Using the API, you can monitor who is accessing business data when and from where, as each interaction is logged.
Using Event Monitoring, you can easily import the collected data into any visual analytics or application monitoring tool, such as Tableau or New Relic.
33. How would you define the term Profile in Salesforce? Can two users use the same profile in Salesforce? Can Role be compared to Profile in Salesforce?
Profile in Salesforce:
- In Salesforce, a profile refers to a set of procedures and rules that a user follows. Users can access the information or records related to the organization through their profile. Salesforce provides multiple user profiles, such as a sales profile, which provides access to opportunities, leads, campaigns, and contacts.
Can two users use the same profile in Salesforce:
- Yes, Salesforce allows two users to work together or use the same profile. Regardless of whether they are from the same department or not, anyone can use the same profile.
Can Role be compared to Profile in Salesforce:
- Roles are different from Profiles since they increase the visibility of the user by sharing the rules or building a hierarchy of roles. Profiles represent objects at the object level.
34. What is the definition of the term?
In Salesforce, product refers to the products or services sold to customers. There are three different types of products:
Standalone: Products will be sold individually.
Bundle: A combination of two or more products.
Options: Offering options allows the end-users to choose products from a wider range of choices.
You can create a product by following these steps:
- Navigate to the Create new dropdown and choose Product. Use the new option that is available next to the new products on the product home page.
- Give the product a name.
- Fill in the fields of the product with relevant information.
- Save the data. Click on Save and Add Price to save the product. Be sure to enter a standard rate.
35. What are the different types of relationships in Salesforce?
Salesforce has different types of relationships, which are listed below:
Master-detail relationship:
- A master-detail relationship represents a parent-child relationship. The master represents the parent, and the detail represents the child. If the master object is deleted, the child object will no longer exist. Therefore, the master object controls the child object.
Lookup relationship:
- Lookup relationships are used to link two objects together. There can either be a one-to-one relationship or a one-to-many relationship.
External Lookup:
- An external lookup relationship creates a connection between a child object and its parent object. This facilitates the identification of the correct mapping between the child object and the parent external object. Matching is performed based on the External Id values.
36. Are there any quotation templates available?
If so, we can use these templates to design our quotation document efficiently. These templates can also be used to format quotation documents. Each text box includes a table, and the terms and conditions are written there. Each quotation can be customized according to the requirement, which is also stored in this Salesforce CPQ.
37. How does the CPQ Advanced Approvals (AA) function work?
As you can see, the IT industries are becoming more automated. Their sales process will become obliviously automated if they use Salesforce CPQ. They will be able to improve their workflow quickly. If all the parameters are met, then all the approvals will be carried out automatically. Approvals will come with a request for a copy from the Salesforce CPQ specialist if the criteria match the parameters.
The following are some of the key features of Advanced Approvals:
Smart Approvals:
If a quote has already been approved by an approver or approval group and is rejected in a higher tier, the same approver or approval group isn’t required to approve again when the quote is resubmitted. The sequence of approvers and approval groups is remembered by Salesforce CPQ.
Requiring Approvals:
As reps work on their quotes, they can see which approvals they’ll need to obtain, so there are no surprises when they submit for approval
Delegated Approvals:
When someone is out of the office, assigning another approver to take their place
Replacing Approvals:
It is possible to replace a certain approver with a click if it is no longer necessary for them to approve quotes.Therefore, it is no longer necessary to delve into every approval process the previous approver was involved in to manually replace them.
38. What is the purpose of Twin Fields?
They are used to combine two objects that are similar. CPQ will create twin fields once Salesforce CPQ receives the value of the first object’s customized parameter. The data will be approved with fields type and API name if the twin fields are changeable.
One-Way Mapping:
The source field must have Read access, and the target field must have Edit access, in order to map one field to another.
Standard fields can’t be mapped between objects:
It is not possible to remember quote line twin field values for bundle parents or standalone products. Salesforce CPQ copies the Product field value to the quote line when you add a favorite to a quote, if there are twin fields between the product and quote line.
39. Explain the difference between two types of error conditions?
There are two types of error conditions:
- information such as entities, variables, and elements can be error-related.
- When an error occurs, filter information provides the specific logical operator and value of the particular field.
40. Provide an explanation of co-terminated subscriptions in Salesforce CPQ.
This is applicable to all clients to calculate product pricing. Subscriptions that have been terminated are available in pricing. In addition to the quotation being listed in the client’s account, the quotation can also be entered into the price book. Contractual pricing calculations cannot be based on the quotation.
41. If the record is translated, what will happen?
Documentation must be changed. Any records that are converted will have their values changed. Within the same object, users can have a different copy of a modified document. The deals will automatically change the price quotation for the whole product.
42. What is the purpose of synchronizing the Slab Discount Schedules and Block Prices?
You can create product pricing schedules in slab discounts with block priced products. The price will be determined by direct component pricing. As a result, one per unit pricing is not possible.
43. How does asynchronous calculation work?
Calculations conducted outside the 30 second timeout period are automatically timed out in the quotation line editor. Timeouts can be avoided by allowing asynchronous computation. Calculations performed in quotation line editors are not affected, but they take significantly longer to complete.
44. What does the term “Trigger” refer to? And what is a time trigger?
A trigger in Salesforce is the Apex code that executes before or after performing the functions such as inserting, deleting, updating, etc. It allows for the execution of custom actions before and after record modifications in Salesforce.
The time trigger refers to the system that executes one or more tasks based on a set of rules and the scheduled tasks.
45. Name the several criteria using which sales data is tracked by Salesforce?
The company provides data on a wide range of topics. These include:
- Timely generation of sales reports.
- Providing accurate sales figures.
- Represents the number of customers served each day.
- Provide the sales manager with sales reports.
- Details the recurring activities of a customer.
46. How many master-detail relationships and lookup relationship fields can an object have?
An object can have no more than two master-detail relationship fields, but it can have a maximum of 40 master-lookup relationship fields.
47. Determine the best way to store the various types of records in Salesforce?
You can store various types of records in four different ways, including files, documents, images, etc. Below are the options:
- Google drive
- Attachments
- Libraries
- Chatter files
48. Can you explain what a Junction object is? What is it used for?
A junction object is used to create many-to-many relationships in Salesforce. Let’s look at a recruiting application as an example. As a result, the application is interconnected with many candidates, allowing them to apply for multiple positions in one go.
49. What is Guided Selling?
A Guided Selling Process recommends products based on the answers users provide. Among the components of a guided-selling process are:
Quote Process:
- This object describes how the prompt appears and how it adds items to the list based on the user’s input.
- There is also a list of inputs related to the quote process. They are the questions and possible answers that are shown in the guided selling prompt. There are several questions in each input.
- An associated list of conditions appears at the end of each process input record. You can set process input conditions such that the guided selling prompt only displays the process input based on the values of other process inputs. You can use this feature if you want to create a complex guided selling prompt that guides users down several paths according to their needs. The guided selling prompt is also kept organized by showing only necessary questions.
50. Identify the default filter in Salesforce?
Salesforce uses the Date filter by default. The date filter will be removed if we select “All Time” in the range on the page.
51. Multidimensional Quoting (MDQ) products are what?
A fixed-price subscription product can be displayed in the quote line editor as individual segments with multi-directional quoting. Each segment represents an individual timeframe (quarter, month, year, or custom) and has its own pricing and quantity. Multidimensional quoting (MDQ) products are what we call them. Your sales reps will appreciate them if you want them to have detailed control over specific time units within a subscription.
52. Price Conditions: What are they?
A price condition compares the value of one field with the value of another field, summary variable, or formula. There is no limit to the number of conditions you can add to a rule. Your rule takes effect when the conditions you have specified are met.
53. How do Subscription Products work?
An example of a subscription product is a support service that runs for an entire year. With Salesforce CPQ, you can automate pricing, prorating, and co-terminating subscriptions.
54. Is it possible to create a standalone product in Salesforce CPQ?
Here are the steps to create a standalone product.
- Click on the ‘New’ button under the Products tab.
- Set the Active checkbox to True and enter all the information about the product. Click the Save button.
- Input the standard price of the product. Click the Save button.
- To add a price book, navigate to the ‘Price Books’ section. Choose CPQ PriceBook and click Add.
- The CPQ price book list price should be entered in the CPQ price book field and saved.
55. What are the steps involved in creating a price condition?
- Navigate to the Price Conditions related list in your price rule record and click New Price Condition.
- Specify the type of record you want to test.
- In the logical statement that evaluates the tested record against the filter, select the operator to use.
- Define the type of record you’re comparing the tested record to in the Filter Type field.
- Select a filter record to define the record against which the tested record will be evaluated
- In the Index field of a price rule, enter a number value if you are referencing this price condition.
- Save the price rule.
56. What exactly are Usage-Based Products?
Using predefined rates for future consumption of the product or service you are selling, quote and price your products. Pricing scales with usage, reducing initial purchase barriers and driving higher revenue. Different pricing rates can be set up depending on usage volume and units of usage.
57. Provide an explanation of ABO in the CPQ tool.
Asset-based ordering (ABO) is primarily used for selling recurring licenses, subscriptions, and support agreements. After the initial sale, it handles these types of transactions. Renewals are handled by it. Up-sell and cross-sell opportunities are captured, and revenue and profit are enhanced.
58. What is the configurator’s evaluation of price rules?
In Salesforce CPQ, the configurator evaluation event determines when a price rule is applied to a target. Adjust the assessment event to show the price rule’s results to sales reps.
59. Describe some of the Pricing Methods available in Salesforce CPQ.
Block Pricing:
Several different quantities can be used to price a product, known as block prices. CPQ calculates the quote line’s price according to where the product falls within the quantity ranges when it is added to a quote.
Cost-and-Markup Pricing:
Pricing should be based on the cost of the item plus a markup amount, rather than the list price and discount.
Batch Pricing:
Based on quantity ranges, price component and accessory bundle product options.
Contracted Pricing:
Sales representatives can use quote line prices from their original quote on future quotes within the contract account. Contractual pricing can be helpful if your sales reps have negotiated a price for a product and wish to continue using that price after signing a contract. In Salesforce CPQ, new quotes, renewal quotes, and amendment quotes are based on the negotiated price.
60. Salesforce CPQ tool has an e-signature process?
For creating quotes and getting sign-offs, Salesforce CPQ includes the DocuSign eSignature process. CPQ quote templates can be customized to include e-signature functionality. In addition to sending the documents, automatic reminders can also be sent to the quote’s recipients. With Salesforce CPQ, recipients can review and sign documents through an electronic signature app.
61. When does the Quote Calculator perform calculations?
- If a user or process performs any of the following actions, the Advanced Quote Calculator performs a calculation.
- The user selects Calculate from the line editor.
- The line editor allows the user to add or delete product lines.
- The user has the option of saving or quick saving.
- By clicking the Edit button, the quote line can be edited.
- To calculate the quote, click on the Calculate button. Salesforce CPQ Spring ’19 and later supports the Calculate button on the quote detail page.
- A quote line can be added or updated through Apex, a workflow rule, a Process Builder, a flow, or a data load process.
62. How are summary variables defined?
Number field values (Sum, Average, Min, Max, Count) are summarized into a single object called a summary variable. In price conditions, price actions, product rule error conditions, quote term conditions, and other summary variables, you can reference a summary variable.
Summary variables can be referenced in:
Price Rules:
Using a summary variable as a tested variable or filter variable in a price condition. Using a summary variable as the source variable for a price action to update quote and quote line fields.
Product Rules:
A summary variable can be used as a tested variable or as a filter variable.
Quote Terms:
A summary variable can be used as a tested variable.
Summary Variable:
In the Variable Element field of another summary variable, reference a summary variable. Using the composite operator and the variable element, you can take the results of your aggregate function and perform another operation on them.
63. Describe the term quote template.
Quote templates are predetermined formatting elements that contain a quote data arrangement. Quote templates include the layout, design, and content of your generated quote documents, just like any other email template. Some aspects of the template will be dynamic, such as expiration dates. However, fields such as company name, address, and logo will remain static.
64. How can you disable real-time CPQ quotes calculations?
- In Setup, in the Quick Find box, enter Installed Packages, and then select Installed Packages.
- Click Configure when you find the Salesforce CPQ package.
- Deselect the Calculate Immediately field on the Pricing and Calculations tab.
65. What are Custom Actions in the Quote Line Editor?
A custom action is a button that sales reps can click to perform a task in the quote line editor, configurator, or several other detail pages. Reps can choose to show a filtered section of your price book or to direct users to an internal or external URL, for example.
You can enable several custom actions in the quote line editor of Salesforce CPQ:
- Add Products
- Add Favorites
- Add Recommendations
- Save
- Quick Save
- Reset Discounts
- Delete Lines
- Add Groups
- Optional: All
66. How do Discount Schedules work?
Volume discounts are created through discount schedules for quote lines based on quantity or terms. You can apply discounts based on ranges or slabs:
Range:
A discount is applied according to the tier that applies to the quoted quantity. Suppose you ordered 50 products under the discount schedule in the first two paragraphs. You received a 50% discount on all 50 units. A term discount schedule can only be a range discount schedule.
Slab:
Discounts are given to units within a bound equal to the discount value of their tier. In the second paragraph, let’s say you ordered 30 products under the discount schedule. A 20% discount is offered to units 1 through 9, a 30% discount is offered to units 10 through 19, and a 50% discount is offered to units 20 through 30. Partial orders do not qualify for slab discount products.
Here is an example of the discount unit field:
Percent:
The discount is applied as a percentage of your quote line’s list price.
Amount:
Your quote line’s list price is reduced by the amount of the discount. You can use this value when you want to arrive at an exact discount price without having to calculate discount percentages containing many decimals.
For a discount schedule, a discount tier represents a single discount level. For example, products 1 through 20 are 50% off. In the Discount Tiers related list of your discount schedule, you can create a tier.
67. Describe batch quantity in Salesforce CPQ.
Salesforce CPQ provides batch quantity as a way to price products or their options by lots or bunches. In Salesforce CPQ, the product option’s quantity is divided by the batch quantity and placed in the quote line’s quantity.
68. What is a custom script?
The quote line editor can be enhanced with custom scripts.
69. How does pricing guidance work?
Salesforce Analytics is used to determine recommended discounts based on historical pricing trends. Once this is determined, pricing guidance can be assigned to products. A sales rep can see the target, norm, and floor discount recommendations in the quote line editor when they add a product with pricing guidance.
70. Describe some of the object relationships in Salesforce CPQ.
Below is a list of some of the object relationships:
- Asset
- Block Price
- Additional Document
- Configuration Attribute
- Contract
- Contracted Price
- Cost
- Error Condition
- Lookup Data
71. How does the Salesforce CPQ price waterfall work?
When using ‘List’ as a pricing method, Salesforce CPQ uses a multi-step pricing process to calculate the net price.
The pricing waterfall looks like this:
List Price | Price pulled from the quote’s associated Price Book |
System Discounts and adjustments | Includes contracted prices, discount schedules, proration, and Special Price if a value exists for Special Price Type |
Regular Price | Prorated list price after system discounts or the Special Price if a Special Price Type is specified |
Additional Discounts | Value entered by sales users or pricing guidance |
Customer Price | Regular Price minus Additional Discount |
Partner Discount | Discount given to selling partner, entered by sales user |
Partner Price | Customer Price minus Partner Discount |
Distributor Discount | Discount given to distributor, entered by sales user |
Net Price | Partner Price minus Distributor Discount, final price for the line |
72. Describe Salesforce CPQ Advanced Order Management (AOM).
Customers who need to place multiple orders for a single quote can use Advanced Order Management (AOM) split orders to create multiple orders from a single quote that can be delivered to multiple locations or at different times. With Advanced Order Management, post-sales teams (service teams and partners) can deliver on time and as expected. Among the key features of Advanced Order Management are:
Fulfill Orders Faster:
Get products and services to your customers quickly by generating orders from quotes.
Flexible for Evolving Customer Needs:
Organize quotes into multiple orders, manage future dated orders, and modify with a single click.
360-Degree View of the Customer:
Automatically generate contracts with all contract terms, pricing, asset, and subscription details.
Connect to Back Office:
Upload order details to ERP for order fulfillment.
73. Where are the Salesforce CPQ alert rules?
CPQ alert rules provide informational messages when configuration and pricing are complete. Users can save a configuration or quote without having to make any changes. In addition, they offer suggestions on optimal, yet non-required configurations.
74. What does the term Block Price mean?
The block price feature enables you to override the automatic calculation of quantity unit price for a product by assigning a fixed price based on quantity.
75. Describe Revenue Cloud?
Salesforce Revenue Cloud comprises Salesforce CPQ and Salesforce Billing as part of its Customer 360 platform. It acts as a bridge between the front and back office, bringing together sales and finance teams. On the Salesforce platform, Revenue Cloud can be used to configure deals, negotiate pricing, generate quotes, fulfill orders, send invoices, and collect payments. Furthermore, Revenue Cloud acts as a single source of truth for all data related to products, pricing, orders, contracts, and assets.
76. What are product actions?
An action on a product option is called a product action. Hiding an option from view or selecting or deselecting it are both possible actions. Product actions target product options based on the product’s condition, rule’s scope, and evaluation event.
77. Describe Salesforce CPQ Multi-currency.
If Multiple Currencies are enabled in a Salesforce system, Salesforce CPQ can be used to build Quotes and compute pricing using the available currencies.
78. Describe the key features of the Service Cloud for Salesforce CPQ Integration Package.
A managed package that provides Salesforce users with Sales Contract features is Service Cloud for Salesforce CPQ. By enabling it, Contracts become Service Contracts and Subscriptions become Service Contract Line Items. Salesforce CPQ can be installed on top of this package to provide a bridge between Sales and Service. Immediately following the creation of the Service Contract, entitlements are generated and a process is started to create a Work Order. Service Cloud users can therefore use the service contract as a point of entry.
79. What are the key aspects of that CPQ transforms the organization’s sales?
In order for CPQ to transform the organization’s sales, it must:
- Eliminates errors
- Increases speed
- Maximizes deal size
- Provides accurate and updated information
80. What happens to Quotes that aren’t marked as primary when they are created?
If a Quote is not marked as primary at creation, the currency of the Quote will align with the currency of the User from whom the Quote was created.
81. Describe the package level setting for Visualize Product Hierarchy.
The Visualize Product Hierarchy package level setting of True indents the product names in quote lines that are options, so that you can easily see that they are related to the lead product. The Quote Line Editor makes bundles easier to distinguish when this setting is checked.
82. Is Salesforce CPQ compatible with APIs to connect to third-party systems?
Yes, Salesforce CPQ can connect to third-party systems through APIs. Quotes, contracts, configurations, etc., are all supported through APIs. Creating classes for each data model in the organization is required to use the Salesforce CPQ API.
83. How Do You Create Bundles?
- Select or create a parent product for your bundle.
- Select or create the features you need from the related list of your parent product. When you created the feature in the parent’s Features related list, the feature’s Configured SKU field automatically looks up to your bundle parent.
- Create the options you need for your product from the Options-related list of your parent product. Put the product you want to offer as an option in the Optional SKU field of your option.
- To group a product option under a feature, fill out the Feature lookup field for that option. When you created a bundle parent, the Feature lookup search results show all the features of the bundle parent.
- If necessary, create option constraints from your parent product’s Option Constraint-related list.
85. Describe the Product Family picklist.
Products are categorized using the Product Family picklist. If a Financial Company offers both Home Loans and Auto Loans, you can create two product families: Home Loan and Auto Loan. When the above mentioned Insurance Company uses forecasting, users can have different sales quotas for Home Loans and Auto Loans. Additionally, users can view forecasts for opportunities with Home Loan products separately from opportunities with Auto Loan products.
86. Describe CPQ orders.
A Salesforce CPQ order can be created from a primary quote. When an order is created from a primary quote, the primary quote cannot be modified. CPQ quotes inherit the list price, unit price, and total price fields from the originating quote lines when ordered.
87. How do I add a signature block to my quote template?
- Drag a Text/Image field to the footer of your template. In order to right-align your signature block, or to create two signature blocks, use two columns.
- Make sure that each line has its own label. For example, you can enter Signature, Name, Title, or Date.
- Press and hold the underscore key to create a line where the customer can sign or write other information.
- Then click OK.
- Save the changes.
88. What are Configuration Attributes?
Multiple shared product option fields can be set simultaneously using configuration attributes. One configuration attribute can be followed by up to three others. As soon as you set the value of a configuration attribute, Salesforce CPQ applies it to all matching fields in your bundle. CPQ then considers all configurator-scoped product rules and price rules with parameters matching the changed values. A quote or quote group’s default values can be inherited by configuration attributes.
89. Describe the types of page layouts that are available in Salesforce CPQ.
Here is a list of the Salesforce CPQ’s page layouts:
- Account page layout
- Asset page layout
- Contract page layout
- Opportunity page layout
- Product page layout
- Product option page layout
- Quote page layout
90. Explain merge fields.
With Salesforce CPQ quote templates, you can create mail-merge documents that dynamically populate your quote. By setting up merge fields in your template content or dynamic quote terms, you can create a PDF document using the layout in your quote template.
91. How does the Quote to Cash process work?
Quote to Cash describes the end-to-end functions related to sales activity for a company. Quote to Cash consists of the following key steps:
- Create Opportunity
- Create Quote (Salesforce CPQ)
- Create Contract
- Create Order
- Fulfill Order
- Create Invoice
- Process Payment
92. What are the Salesforce CPQ Plugins?
You can add custom functionality to features within the Salesforce CPQ package with Salesforce CPQ plugins. Among the most commonly used plugins are:
Javascript Quote Calculator Plugin (QCP):
Adding JavaScript code to the quote line editor in Salesforce CPQ will add additional functionality. With seven available methods, you can manage page-level security, such as field visibility, and change how calculations are performed.
External Configurator Plugins:
Within the configurator or quote line calculator, developers can set up links to third-party web applications. Link opening can be achieved through custom actions or an automatic launch using a pluggable configurator.
Legacy Quote Calculator Plugin:
Perform calculations using Apex code within the CPQ quote line editor. In order to use the Legacy Page Security Plugin, you must first create an Apex class. In the Salesforce CPQ package settings, you will need to enter the Apex class name in the Legacy Page Security Plugin setting. The Legacy Page Security Plugin allows only one Apex class to be called at a time.
Product Configuration Initializer for Guided Selling:
As a result of guided selling prompts, the product configuration initializer uses a custom APEX page to select options and set field values. It only works for standard product option fields, not for configuration attributes or custom product option fields.
Product Search Plugin:
With the Product Search plugin, you can modify or add specificity to product filter searches and guided selling searches.
Salesforce CPQ Electronic Signature Plugin:
Developers can add electronic signature functionality to their orgs with an electronic signature plugin. Businesses that wish to streamline processes involving signatures, such as finalizing purchases and contracts, will find this useful.
93. What are Salesforce CPQ’s special fields?
An admin will be able to create custom fields in Salesforce CPQ.
Below are a few examples:
- Additional Discount Unit
- Additional Instructions
- Apply Additional Discount Last
- Apply Partner Discount First
- Approvals Archived
- Channel Discounts OffList
- Contracted Account ID
- Custom Active Contract
- Document Currency Symbol
- Edit Lines FieldSet Name
- Include Prior Quantity
94. Which fields are used for calculating fields?
As a default, Calculating Fields includes the following fields:
- Additional Discount
- Distributor Discount
- Start Date
- End Date
- Primary
- First Segment Term End Date
- Markup (%)
- Partner Discount
- Subscription Term.
Salesforce CPQ Scenario Based Interview Questions
95. What is the Salesforce application?
Salesforce’s Apps are nothing more than a container that contains the app’s title, an icon, and a set of organized tabs. No metadata associated with your entities, apex classes, or triggers has anything to do with an application. You can use the app to put together all the items that help you to achieve a flow.
96. Is it possible to use a validation rule to prevent people from deleting records?
No, It’s not possible to use a validation rule to prevent people from deleting records.
97. Is it possible to trigger a validation rule only when a record is inserted rather than updated?
We can use the term ISNEW() to specify that validation should occur only during insertion.
98. It is possible to roll up summary fields between Contacts and Accounts?
We are not able to do so since contacts do not have a master-detail relationship with profiles. Contacts can exist without an account even though it is a unique connection that enables cascade deletion.
99. Is it possible for a standard object to be placed on the detail side of a relationship?
No, It is Not Possible for a standard object to be placed on the detailed side of a relationship.
100. Is it possible to convert a lookup connection into a master-detail relationship?
The answer is yes, but only if all entries have instances for the parent class or if there are no entries.
101. Is it possible to convert the master-detail relationship to a lookup relationship?
If the parent object does not define roll-up summaries, then yes.
102. Is it possible to define formula fields as filter criteria for rollup summary fields?
No, we cannot utilize formula fields to define rollup summary fields as filter criteria.
103. What is the difference between ISNULL and ISBLANK?
ISNULL performs the same functions as SBLANK, but supports text fields as well. ISNULL will always return false on text fields, but is empty will return T or F, depending on whether the field is empty or not.
104. Do checkboxes and multiple-select fields qualify as controlling fields?
The multi-select field cannot be defined as the controlling field; however, you can define the checkbox as the controlling field.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Salesforce CPQ:
1. What does CPQ mean in Salesforce?
Configure, Price, and Quote is CPQ’s complete form. It is a sales tool that allows a salesperson to calculate pricing and create quotes.
2. How does Salesforce CPQ differ from Salesforce?
CPQ allows Salesforce users to compare information across multiple quote lines. Normally, Salesforce users check the data one by one. Salesforce CPQ will compare data across multiple lines within the same package if we use it.
3. What is the difference between CPQ and CRM?
It is easy to see how CPQ complements CRM. CPQ fulfills the same functions like CRM, and only works for the sales cycle with different features. Therefore, we can send proposals to prospective clients in record time.
4. Is it necessary to write code in Salesforce CPQ?
We don’t need to write any codes in Salesforce CPQ. There are instead predefined functional buttons, which we can access from the UI level of this application.
5. Describe the importance of CPQ?
It is a powerful tool that aids organizations in producing good quotes. The application is also much faster. This is the best application for pricing products and services.
6. What is the process for signing up with Salesforce CPQ?
To sign up, please follow these steps
- Create the free developer edition organization
- By filling out the registration form.
- Send the registration form to us.
- Please check the registered email address for your account after the registration form has been accepted.
- Log in with your credentials.
7. Can you please tell me how to install Salesforce CPQ in developer org?
We need to install the Salesforce CPQ package first. This can be done either in development or production. By selecting the installation link through Sandbox, we are redirected to the login screen.
8. What is the role of CPQ specialists?
Salesforce Certified CPQ Specialists are available. The credentials can be obtained and the software configured according to their documentation requirements for pricing and renewals.
9. What are the few companies that are using Salesforce CPQ?
Some of them are:
- Cision Ltd.
- Confidential Records Inc.
- Comcast Corporation.
- Zendesk Inc.
10. Can you tell me how to create a new product bundle in Salesforce CPQ?
You can create a new product bundle in Salesforce CPQ by following these steps:
- Click on the new product button under the Product tab.
- Fill out the necessary information.
- From the list of products, select the one you want.
- Click on the price book to add the price.
- Ensure the checkbox status for the active product is accurate.
- The option to create products is available.
11. Is salesforce CPQ worth it?
CPQ implementation is a multi-step process. Iterations are part of the evolution of every business system. In addition, the business effect and value it generates will grow over time. When examining ROI metrics, keep in mind that success is incremental and iterative.
12. CPQ and Salesforce – how do they work together?
As an add-on package, Salesforce Billing inherits key data and records from Salesforce CPQ. As soon as a sales rep completes a quote and purchases it, Salesforce Billing takes care of the billing, payments, and financial reporting.
13. What is the goal of CPQ implementation?
A core component of CPQ deployment is streamlining your organization’s Quote to Cash process. A distinct sales team caters to distinct business demands within your organization. In preparation for the new implementation, it is essential to examine and fine-tune every area of your sales process.
14. What can you do using Salesforce CPQ?
With a CPQ program, you can customize items precisely, apply price and quantity discounts, and approve programs in advance.
15. Can you describe your knowledge of CPQ?
It is common in business to refer to solutions that allow sellers to quote customizable items as configure price quote (CPQ). A combinatorial explosion can be mitigated by a number of solutions. Most of a project quotation’s components will be known to a company’s sales staff. By relying on no others, they will be able to generate a quote quickly.
16. How does Salesforce CPQ benefit you?
- You can generate quotes and proposals in a matter of seconds.
- Your sales team will be more productive.
- Upsell and cross-sell opportunities will increase.
- Pricing and contract mistakes will be eliminated.
- Sales staff will be more confident.
We hope our Salesforce CPQ interview preparation guide has helped you find some useful tips before applying for those job interviews. If you want to build up a strong foundation for future job opportunities then take advantage of these free Salesforce CPQ resources. You’ll be able to develop your skills further by using them during your own training or professional development.
Alternatively at Askelp.com, we have dedicated CPQ training courses that are offered either online or offline for both beginners who just need a basic understanding of the software, or anyone looking to gain the necessary skill set to maximize their productivity using CPQ.