The verdict in three sentences
For a special machinery manufacturer whose every offer combines hundreds of options, a custom CPQ (Configure, Price, Quote) costs, as a 2026 order of magnitude in Dublin, between 60,000 and 140,000 EUR and usually pays back in under two years. An off-the-shelf CPQ billed at 80 to 150 EUR per user per month fits standardised catalogues, much less the engineering rules of a design office. The real work is not the quote screen: it is formalising configuration rules and ERP integration.
Why Excel no longer works for quoting special machinery
In a mid-sized Irish manufacturer, a typical quote goes through three people: the sales engineer who captures the need, the technician who checks feasibility, and sales admin who recalculates prices from material costs. With 40-tab Excel workbooks, macros nobody fully understands and supplier prices updated by hand, average lead time reaches 3 working days. Meanwhile, a German or Italian competitor has already replied.
Errors cost as much as delays: an incompatible option sold by mistake, a forgotten margin coefficient, last year's steel price. On 12 M EUR of revenue, a 1.5% margin leak equals 180,000 EUR per year.
| Indicator (2026 order of magnitude) | Excel process | With custom CPQ |
|---|---|---|
| Average quote lead time | 3 days | 2 hours |
| People involved per quote | 3 | 1 (technical sign-off by exception) |
| Configuration errors found after order | 4 to 6% of deals | under 1% |
| Material price updates | manual, monthly | daily ERP import |
| Quote win rate | 22% | 25 to 26% targeted (+15%) |
| Discount traceability | none | approval workflow by threshold |
Custom CPQ vs off-the-shelf CPQ: the numbers
CPQ vendors (modules of major CRMs or specialist tools) work well when the catalogue is a simple option tree. As soon as configuration depends on engineering calculations (motor power, frame dimensions, machinery standards), you need either heavy configuration by an integrator or bespoke development.
| Criterion | Off-the-shelf CPQ | Custom CPQ |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | 25,000 to 70,000 EUR integration | 60,000 to 140,000 EUR |
| Recurring cost (15 users) | 80 to 150 EUR per user per month, i.e. 14,400 to 27,000 EUR per year | maintenance and hosting 9,000 to 18,000 EUR per year |
| Time to go live | 3 to 5 months | 4 to 6 months |
| Complex technical rules | limited to the vendor's rules engine | unlimited, coded to your design office |
| ERP integration (SAP B1, Dynamics 365, Epicor) | standard connectors, often paid | dedicated API, bill-of-materials sync |
| Code ownership | no | yes |
| 5-year total cost | 97,000 to 205,000 EUR | 105,000 to 230,000 EUR |
In Dublin, where developer day rates are higher, custom becomes the better choice above 15 users or when more than 30% of quotes currently require manual technical review, because the value of the rules engine outweighs the cost gap.
What a well-built industrial CPQ includes
A 4 to 6 month project usually breaks down as follows:
- Rules engine: option compatibility, dimensional constraints, mandatory options by country (CE/UKCA marking, voltages).
- Pricing engine: cost price from ERP bills of materials, coefficients by product family, discount grids by customer and volume.
- Document generation: branded PDF quote, technical sheet, simplified drawing, terms and conditions.
- Approval workflow: discounts above 8% approved by the sales director, above 15% by the managing director.
- ERP and CRM integration: won quote turned into an order without re-keying, history visible in the CRM.
The scoping phase (3 to 5 weeks) is mainly about extracting rules from technicians' heads and Excel files. It drives the final budget.
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Mini case study
Ciaran, sales director at an 85-employee special machinery manufacturer near Dublin, handles 450 quotes per year with an average deal of 120,000 EUR and a 22% win rate, i.e. 99 deals won. Illustrative scenario: with a 100,000 EUR CPQ, lead time drops to 2 hours and the targeted win rate rises to 25.3% (+15%), i.e. 15 extra deals. Even at an 8% net margin, that is 144,000 EUR of extra margin per year. Add about 1,100 technician hours freed up (450 quotes x 2.5 h). In this scenario, the project pays back in under 9 months.
FAQ
How much does a custom CPQ cost for a mid-sized manufacturer in 2026?
As an order of magnitude in Ireland, budget 60,000 to 140,000 EUR depending on the number of product families and the depth of ERP integration. Maintenance then runs at 10 to 15% of the initial budget per year.
How long does a CPQ rollout take?
Between 4 and 6 months, including 3 to 5 weeks of rules scoping. A rollout by product family lets you use the tool from month three on 60% of the catalogue.
Can we reuse our existing Excel files?
Yes, price grids and coefficients are imported. Macros are rewritten as tested rules, which removes on average 4 to 6% of configuration errors.
Will the CPQ work with our ERP?
Common mid-market ERPs (SAP Business One, Dynamics 365 Business Central, Epicor, Sage 200) expose usable APIs or exports. Integration often accounts for 20 to 30% of the budget.
Do we need an off-the-shelf CPQ if we have fewer than 5 sales reps?
Not necessarily: under 5 users and with a simple catalogue, a subscription at 80 to 150 EUR per user per month may be enough. Custom is justified when technical rules dominate.
Let's scope your project. Send us a sample quote and your costing file: we will price the scope, indicative budget and timeline of your CPQ. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
