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Is AI in CPQ All Hype – or Just Getting Started?

CPQ Podcast

Release Date: 04/20/2025

Julian Hodges (Sneeyeg) on CPQ, ServiceNow, and Scaling Smart with Governance show art Julian Hodges (Sneeyeg) on CPQ, ServiceNow, and Scaling Smart with Governance

CPQ Podcast

Looking for CPQ solutions and expert advice? In this episode of the CPQ Podcast, we're joined by Julian Hodges, Co-Founder of Sneeyeg, a ServiceNow system integrator specializing in CPQ, billing, and enterprise transformation. With over 20 years of experience from Amdocs, CloudSense, and Salesforce, Julian shares invaluable insights on achieving CPQ success. Discover why strong governance and effective modeling are crucial, and how focusing on business outcomes drives project success. Julian also discusses AI/ML in CPQ for cross-sell and up-sell, the challenges of customization versus...

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🎙 CPQ & PLM Integration: Modular Architecture Insights with Kristian Madsen show art 🎙 CPQ & PLM Integration: Modular Architecture Insights with Kristian Madsen

CPQ Podcast

In this episode, Frank speaks with Kristian Frøstrup Madsen, a CPQ expert with over 13 years at CPC (now part of PDSVision), about how modular thinking is reshaping CPQ for complex manufacturing industries. They cover: How CPC approaches Modular Architecture, Modular PLM, and Modular CPQ Why a product-focused background leads to better CPQ outcomes than pure IT consulting The growing need to connect PLM and CPQ Practical insights on where AI adds value to CPQ projects—and where it doesn't Partnerships with leading CPQ...

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Building a Top Salesforce Revenue Cloud Consultancy: Philip Cunningham's Insights show art Building a Top Salesforce Revenue Cloud Consultancy: Philip Cunningham's Insights

CPQ Podcast

In this episode of the CPQ Podcast, we sit down with Philip Cunningham—CPQ veteran and co-founder of Shiftlogic—to explore his journey from the early BigMachines days through Oracle, SteelBrick, Salesforce, and now to leading one of Europe’s fastest-growing Salesforce Revenue Cloud consultancies. Philip shares how his experiences at global CPQ leaders shaped his vision for Shiftlogic, a bootstrapped firm that reached Summit Partner Status in under three years and is now delivering high-impact Revenue Cloud Advanced solutions across industries like manufacturing, automotive,...

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🎙️ Services CPQ: Rethinking Pricing (Podcast w/ Tracey Shirtcliff) show art 🎙️ Services CPQ: Rethinking Pricing (Podcast w/ Tracey Shirtcliff)

CPQ Podcast

How do you bring structure to the chaos of service pricing? In this episode, Frank talks with Tracey Shirtcliff, founder of ScopeBetter, a "Services CPQ" platform helping creative agencies and consultancies ditch the spreadsheets and build scalable, repeatable pricing models. Tracey shares her journey from building Traffic Live to launching ScopeBetter, and why most of their competition is still Excel. You’ll hear about: Why service pricing is messy — and how to fix it How AI and automation are reshaping the billable hour The role of integrations, open APIs, and their...

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Revolutionizing IT Services Delivery: A Conversation with ScopeStack CEO Jon Scott show art Revolutionizing IT Services Delivery: A Conversation with ScopeStack CEO Jon Scott

CPQ Podcast

In this CPQ Podcast episode, Frank Sohn welcomes Jon Scott, Co-Founder and CEO of ScopeStack. With nearly 20 years of experience in the IT services industry, Jon shares the story behind launching ScopeStack in 2018 to eliminate the chaos of spreadsheets and manual SOW creation. Learn how ScopeStack’s innovative platform bridges CRM and PSA systems, complements product CPQ solutions like Salesforce and NetSuite, and helps IT service providers deliver consistent, accurate project scopes. Jon discusses ScopeStack’s growth journey — from securing Series A funding with Cultivation Capital to...

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Reimagining CPQ: Speed, Control, and No-Code with Vendori's Ethan Garonzik show art Reimagining CPQ: Speed, Control, and No-Code with Vendori's Ethan Garonzik

CPQ Podcast

In this CPQ Podcast episode, Frank Sohn speaks with Ethan, co-founder of Vendori, a fast-growing CPQ startup focused on reducing implementation time, cutting costs, and delivering faster ROI through a no-code, multi-tenant solution. Ethan shares his journey from Wall Street M&A at Merrill Lynch to leadership roles at SAP and Citrix, where he saw firsthand how traditional CPQ tools often caused more friction than they solved—especially for companies shifting to SaaS. That experience inspired him to create a better path forward. Vendori is built for B2B...

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Is AI in CPQ All Hype – or Just Getting Started? show art Is AI in CPQ All Hype – or Just Getting Started?

CPQ Podcast

In this must-listen episode of the CPQ Podcast, we dive into one of the most talked-about trends in the Configure, Price, Quote (CPQ) space: Artificial Intelligence. Is AI in CPQ a game-changer today—or a promise for tomorrow? Join us as we explore the real-world state of AI in CPQ from the perspective of a seasoned CPQ expert (not an AI evangelist!). We cut through the hype and take a practical look at how AI is being used—right now—to improve quoting processes, enhance guided selling, personalize upsell strategies, and even write quote letters and automate testing. You'll learn: 🧠...

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How to Select the Right CPQ Solution — Key Tips and Trends show art How to Select the Right CPQ Solution — Key Tips and Trends

CPQ Podcast

In this episode, we explore a key question: How do you choose the right CPQ solution? Many customers come to Novus CPQ with a long list of vendors—often 6 to 20. Using our proven process, including targeted questionnaires, we help reduce that to a focused shortlist of 6–8 top candidates. We explain how these lists are typically formed—from consulting partners, direct vendor outreach, internet research, personal contacts, and analyst reports. Once you're down to 3 vendors, our CPQ Sales Reports offer deep insights into leading solutions like SAP, Salesforce RCA, Bit2win, Xait, Engineering...

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Navigating Quote-to-Cash, AI, and Consulting with Tom Stergios from Craton Consulting show art Navigating Quote-to-Cash, AI, and Consulting with Tom Stergios from Craton Consulting

CPQ Podcast

In this episode of the CPQ Podcast, we sit down with Tom Stergios, co-founder of Craton Consulting, to explore his 35-year journey in the Quote-to-Cash space. Tom shares his experiences building high-impact consulting teams, including his leadership at ATG, where he scaled a 600-person Quote-to-Cash practice later acquired by Cognizant. We dive into Craton's role in the CPQ ecosystem, helping ISVs, system integrators, and investors navigate complex challenges. Tom discusses key trends in Salesforce CPQ and Billing, the challenges faced by what he calls "orphan revenue cloud...

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Unpacking the CPQ Sales Report: Now Including SAP CPQ! show art Unpacking the CPQ Sales Report: Now Including SAP CPQ!

CPQ Podcast

In this episode, we answer key questions about our own Industry Analyst Report, the "CPQ Sales Report." Exciting news—it’s now available for SAP CPQ! So far, we’ve released four reports covering Camos Software, Bit2Win, Xait, and Engineering Intent, with more coming soon, including Salesforce Revenue Cloud Advanced (RCA). We discuss why we created this report (because the world clearly doesn’t have enough industry analyst reports yet! 😄), what it includes, and how customers are using it. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out at .

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More Episodes

In this must-listen episode of the CPQ Podcast, we dive into one of the most talked-about trends in the Configure, Price, Quote (CPQ) space: Artificial Intelligence. Is AI in CPQ a game-changer today—or a promise for tomorrow?

Join us as we explore the real-world state of AI in CPQ from the perspective of a seasoned CPQ expert (not an AI evangelist!). We cut through the hype and take a practical look at how AI is being used—right now—to improve quoting processes, enhance guided selling, personalize upsell strategies, and even write quote letters and automate testing.

You'll learn:
🧠 Why AI excitement is high among vendors and analysts, but customer adoption (especially SMBs and mid-market companies) is still in early stages
🔀 How customers are navigating which AI to trust—Salesforce, SAP, Microsoft Copilot, open source LLMs, and more
⚙️ Real use cases for AI in CPQ—from automating approvals to predicting customer preferences
⚠️ What challenges still remain, including hallucinations, data security, and AI's “black box” behavior
💡 Why system integrators are building custom AI solutions for complex quotes, and how accurate those solutions really are

Whether you're a CPQ professional looking to separate fact from fiction—or just curious how AI could make quoting faster and smarter—this episode delivers insightful and grounded takeaways you won’t want to miss.

👉 Tune in now to discover where AI in CPQ is heading—and if it’s worth your investment today.

Send any questions or feedback you may have to [email protected]

Also check out our other CPQ Analyst offerings at https://novuscpq.com/cpq-sales-report/