What does pricing software do that CPQ does not?
Pricing software sets and governs the pricing itself — list architectures, segmentation, contract and rebate logic, guardrails, and optimization — across the whole business. It is the source of the pricing intent. CPQ consumes that intent at quote time but does not, on its own, decide the underlying pricing strategy or manage rebates, chargebacks, and post-sale settlement.
What does CPQ do that pricing software does not?
CPQ operationalizes pricing at the point of quote, guiding sellers through valid configurations, applying the approved price, and routing exceptions for approval. Its job is transactional consistency and speed for the sales motion, ensuring the quoted price matches approved pricing rather than being reconstructed manually.
When do companies need both?
Companies need both when pricing is complex enough to require governed optimization and the sales motion involves configurable products or negotiated quotes. Used together, pricing software supplies the approved intent and CPQ enforces it at the point of sale — closing the gap between what the business decided and what the customer is quoted.
How IMA360 covers both pricing and CPQ
IMA360 covers both pricing governance and configure-price-quote on one platform, so quote-stage pricing is automatically consistent with the pricing, rebate, and contract logic behind it. Learn more →
Related concepts
Sources and further reading
Chris Newton
VP Marketing & Sales, IMA360
Chris Newton leads marketing and sales at IMA360 and co-authored The Pricing Operating Model Simplified and Demystified.
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