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Energy supplier ENGIE is dealing with a dynamic market in which, among other things, the energy transition creates different demands on internal processes and a flexible attitude in terms of product development and quotation processes. Matthijs Zuyderwijk, account manager Business Market at ENGIE Netherlands explains how the organization uses an optimized CPQ platform to stay one step ahead of the competition and what this involves. "In all phases of the CPQ process, it is important to take the customer needs as the starting point."

The challenge

From his role as account manager at ENGIE Netherlands, Matthijs Zuyderwijk notices the various developments within the energy market in recent years. Zuyderwijk: "As an energy supplier, we are dealing with the energy transition, which is currently in full swing. In practice, this means that we are moving towards a sustainable model, which includes green initiatives and we are working on concrete changes. A good example of this
is the transition from gas to electric. Such developments not only place new demands on the organization, but also introduce the necessary challenges. As an organization, you have to be increasingly flexible, for example in terms of product development."

In addition, ENGIE is noticing changes on the customer side. Several factors are responsible for this, including the significant increase in energy prices since mid-2021. Those increased prices have caused a large portion of customers to "wake up" and be more aware than ever of the impact that decisions have. "In this, we notice that the
confidence among customers has changed: costs are now considered more than ever and consumption is closely monitored," Zuyderwijk said.

"Customers are looking at cost and consumption more than ever."

More relevant than ever

In the past, ENGIE processed quotes in an SAP-based CRM software platform. Most of this process consisted of manual operations. Zuyderwijk: "That situation brought a number of disadvantages. For example, we had to deal with several Excel documents. That made the system error-prone. Moreover, the organization used different programs to arrive at the final quotation. A central environment with one uniform representation was missing. This suboptimal working method obviously also has implications for turnaround times. Within our organization, we have always strived to keep them as short as possible. Still, there was a risk that the lead time of a quotation could vary: after all, it was highly dependent on the specific colleague dealing with the quotation in question."

The chosen solution

ENGIE Netherlands concluded that there was room for optimization. The energy supplier initially found that with the switch to Salesforce and, in particular, Opportunity Management. "That optimization brought - literally - our customers into focus. Activities in the area of Case Management - around 2020 - additionally brought improvements into
momentum and further improved processes. We then started introducing Vlocity CPQ within the organization. The ultimate goal is to be able to phase out most of SAP CRM in the future."

ENGIE worked closely with CaseNine within the project. For example, the CaseNine team first worked with ENGIE to develop the vision for the process design of the quotation activities within B2B Sales. Based on this, the corresponding architecture was developed. The CaseNine team ensured that the process was given a logical place within the chain. The next phase for the CaseNine Engineers consisted of building the entire process: from opportunity to signed quotation and purchased products, including linked contracts in SAP.

ENGIE paid close attention to assembling the right team. In doing so, the energy supplier increased the chances that the Vlocity CPQ implementation would fit in as well as possible with the business processes right from the start. Matthijs Zuyderwijk comments, "The team included our sales managers, myself and experts from the Vlocity CPQ team. We also used multiple sessions to identify the needs as well as possible. Only after this did the actual development process begin. This approach will save you valuable time further down the road. It is important at all stages of the CPQ process to ask yourself what the customer needs are and base the choices on this."

"We used multiple sessions to identify the needs as best as possible. After this, the development process began. That saves you valuable time further down the road."

The result

The implementation of Vlocity CPQ brings several practical benefits to ENGIE. Zuyderwijk: "In the current situation, we simply need fewer systems to arrive at a quotation. While preparing the quotation, we work from one central window, in which all relevant information is available. Current prices are automatically retrieved and we only need to complete the necessary information, such as customer data and desired
product selection." To make this possible, CaseNine developed all relevant links to the existing systems.

In addition to improving process efficiency, the new situation also provides convenience for colleagues. By now, most product requests can be handled via the CPQ platform. An important role in this is also played by the standard templates, which ensure that a minimal set of data needs to be entered. "By now you have to do your best to make a mistake," Matthijs Zuyderwijk points out. Once a customer agrees to the quote, the Vlocity CPQ platform communicates directly with the system that sets prices.

Zuyderwijk appreciates for all the manner of cooperation with CaseNine. "Contact is an important condition during the cooperation, but especially the mutual alignment with each other. This takes good account of any difference that exists between the commercial and technical roles. We can quickly make our wishes known, but also agree with
coordinate with each other on what priorities the different questions have. Contact is also important during requests for help from end users, for example in urgent situations and at times when the 'normal route' for support is not fast enough. This not only ensures continuity, but also helps ensure acceptance within the user group."

"Once a customer agrees on the quote, the Vlocity CPQ platform communicates directly with the system that sets prices."

Looking to the future

In the future, the Vlocity CPQ platform will be further optimized and expanded. For this purpose, the team composition has also been reviewed. In addition to the development team, ENGIE uses a so-called Continuous Improvement Team. Zuyderwijk: "This team has a strong focus on process optimization. Currently, a weekly rollout is done. This enables us to make timely adjustments and implement changes relatively quickly."

One piece of advice for other organizations considering a CPQ solution, Matthijs also has. "Fair is fair: for many organizations, introducing a new system is a challenge. Make sure you know in time what the changes entail. You can then discuss them in an efficient way with your colleagues and avoid the change being seen as a development 'pushed through from on high'. In this way you ensure that colleagues really help each other and support is created."

Want to learn more about the real-world benefits of a CPQ solution? Read more background information here.

In practice, there are several best-practices that contribute significantly to a successful CPQ process. Based on customer experiences, CaseNine has compiled a valuable collection. A selection can be found here.

1. Clarity on application performance within the CPQ pathway.

Establish the desired application response times before selecting the vendor. This prevents disappointment and delays at a later stage. Also, keep in mind that the performance of a demo does not always match the performance of the final application. A good maxim is: the application should eventually be faster than the requirements set up beforehand.

2. Support from the beginning

End-user acceptance is a requirement for a successful CPQ project. Ensure support by involving end users early in the implementation process. For example, invite experienced and critical users to be part of the team. Also designate a few users who are responsible for the demo process and can provide feedback on each demo. Measure whether you're on the right track? Set up multiple POCs: this way you can immediately see what is working, but also: which areas could use improvement.

3. Simplify where possible

Say goodbye to inefficient processes and avoid including them in the new, optimized process. Make a comprehensive sketch of the ideal situation and do not let yourself be limited by the current way of working. Based on scenarios, think about how the ideal process is designed. Ask yourself relevant questions to arrive at the scenarios. For example: 'To what extent can the workflow between customer, salesperson and other relevant departments be automated during contract negotiations?'

4. Understanding all costs

The initial implementation of a CPQ solution involves costs, but so do, of course, maintenance and management. Understanding all costs - including post-implementation costs - allows you to optimize smartly in that area. For example, you can have end users take care of performing software updates. The potential for savings is also determined by the CPQ solution chosen.

5. The right partner for your CPQ journey

When selecting the right implementation partner, do not take any chances. If you find that the necessary practical experience can help you prepare optimally, do not hesitate to ask the supplier you have in mind. Be clear about expectations and evaluate the supplier based on a list of criteria. Remember: for a CPQ implementation, in many cases you are entering into a long-term relationship. That deserves a convincing choice, without concessions.

Want to learn more about the real-world benefits of a CPQ track? Read more CPQ background information here .

TrailblazerDX 2022 (formerly known as TrailheaDX) is a Salesforce event aimed at Salesforce Engineers, Architects and anyone else involved with the platform. Naturally, we at CaseNine keep a close eye on developments. During TrailblazerDX, one of the topics covered was Lightning Web Components (LWC). Theodoor van Donge, Lead Software Engineer at CaseNine, talks about Dynamic Interactions in LWC.

During TrailblazerDX, one of the topics discussed was LWC. There are three ways to communicate between Lightning Web Components: DOM events, Lightning Message Service (LMS) and Dynamic Interactions (DI). Dynamic Interactions will be available in the Spring '22 Release.

Key highlights of TrailblazerDX 2022

There are several highlights to report about LWC. Below we have listed the three main ones.

#1 Communication between LWC via Lightning App Builder

Event communication between LWC via the Lightning App Builder. Admins can now also use Dynamic Interactions to make Lightning Web Components dynamic. When a button in an LWC component is pressed, you can now have this event trigger a response in another component.

#2 Dynamic Interaction Event

When you get started developing LWC components, you can declare the definition of the Dynamic Interaction Event. An example is shown below.

Example: js-meta.xml configuration file for a source component Account List. It contains an itemselected event and the schema contains apiName and recordId as defined in the .js file(source).

#3 Updating LWC components.

Developers can now use Dynamic Interactions to update LWC components from updates/events from other components of the page. For example: the user clicks a button in component A, but something needs to change in component B as well. This can now be linked together by a non-developer using Dynamic interactions. This requires some preparation: the developer must have added the declaration and publish step for the event when creating the LWC component.

Learn more

Want to learn more about building components that interact with Dynamic Interactions? Check out Salesforce's blog post here.

Want to learn more about the real-world benefits of a CPQ solution? Read more background information here.

TrailblazerDX (formerly known as TrailheaDX) is a Salesforce event aimed at Salesforce Developers, Architects, Admins and anyone else dealing with the platform. Naturally, we at CaseNine keep a close eye on developments. In a number of articles, we recount the most important developments that were covered during TrailblazerDX. During TrailblazerDX, among other things, attention was paid to Apex. Theodoor van Donge, Lead Software Engineer at CaseNine, talks about secure Apex code.

During TrailblazerDX, one of the topics discussed was Apex. For those not yet aware of this, Apex as a language allows developers to build the back-end on the Salesforce platform and work efficiently with user data within the platform.

Best practices for Apex

How do you build safe projects with Apex? There are three concerns that stand out. Theodoor van Donge listed them.

#1 Always the right share settings

Getting started with Apex? Make it a good habit to always write your classes 'with sharing'. That way, sharing settings are always applied when retrieving data from the database. A good example of this is SOQL query. This functionality has been available for some time now, so there's nothing stopping you from getting started with it within your projects.

#2 Secure queries

Another, important point of interest: are you getting started writing SOQL queries? Make sure you use the new syntax "WITH USER_MODE." You can further secure the query with this. When you use the syntax, it checks for CRUD and FLS (Field Level Security). The result: the query is now executed with user permissions instead of system permissions. Security first. This functionality is currently available as a beta and will be finally released with the Winter 23 Release.

#3 Secure DML queries

You can now also make DML statements significantly more secure, including insert and updates. To do this, you use "as user" in the DML statements. For example, use "insert as user new Order()". The order is then created only if the CRUD and FLS rules are met. Again, this functionality is currently available as a beta and will be released in final form with the Winter 23 Release.

Want to read more about secure Apex code? Then check out the presentation given at TrailblazerDX.

Want to learn more about the real-world benefits of a CPQ solution? Read more background information here or contact us directly for a discussion.

Highlights of E&U Cloud Spring '22 Release

What does the E&U Cloud Spring '22 Release have to offer for Energy & Utilities? We've listed a few highlights for you, so you can get up to speed at once.

Multi-Site for Quote and Order Capture

Possibly your organization has dozens of locations and service points. For each of these departments, the organization needs to be able to generate quotes and orders. To streamline and speed up that process, the sales team can group the individual locations logically and automatically copy the same information (such as product configuration and rates) to each individual within the group at once.

Creating Groups from an Opportunity

For employees, it is possible to create a group from an offer. However, it is also possible to create and edit a group from an opportunity. Those groups can be used for quotes and orders in a later phase. As such, the grouping is transferred to the next phase. You can expand and modify the groups afterwards. Just keep in mind that those changes only take place for the quotes and are not modified in the group you created at the time from the opportunity. So it is one-way. You can query all service points in one view and change the sort order. You can also create or edit new groups, based on selected service points. Each group becomes its own shopping cart, which you can modify later. You can also customize filters for specific attributes. Flexcards allow you to create your own filters based on customer needs.

Generate quotes and Orders for multiple groups

It is possible to generate quotes and orders at once for a large group. You can query each group and its service points and have the ability to switch between groups. You can easily query products through the catalog preview of the LWC cart. Moreover, it is possible to add and modify products in the common cart and copy them to all service points. When necessary, you can adjust individual quotes. In addition, it is possible to validate the cart, based on predefined rules and pricing models. You can designate a joint cart for generating an order or creating an individual quote.

Large Account Sales Management

With Large Account Sales Management, your organization can not only streamline sales activities, but also use analytics to help sales teams manage leads, close deals and explore the aforementioned multi-site quotes. A separate view shows all active leads, quotes and the sales pipeline. All information is displayed in a clear window. Thus, you can find all relevant information, such as the account name, contact person and status. You will also find an overview of relevant opportunities, with additional information. For example, an estimate of the chance that the sale will go through and what stage the opportunity is in. Via a 360-degree view, you can see contracts, relationships and quotes, among other things. From the same environment, you can also access the previously discussed multi-site quoting function.

Retirement for Angular JS

A future release will say goodbye to the Angular JS interface for Salesforce Industries CPQ. When that time comes, it will be announced by Salesforce and organizations can prepare in time to move to the LWC interface for Salesforce Industries CPQ. That announcement, by the way, comes as no surprise: Google already ended support for Angular JS in late December 2021. Using LWC is the logical next step for new projects.

Learn more about the E&U Cloud Spring '22 Release

If you want to read more about the Spring '22 Product Release, you can also visit Salesforce's official news page here.

Want to stay up to date with the latest Energy & Utilities news? Through the Market Trend Series we keep you regularly informed of the most important developments in the market. The Market Trend Series Cheat Sheet compiles all the important information, so you can see at a glance what really matters. Download Market Trend Series today.

Or read more background information here or contact us directly for a consultation.

CPQ best practices

Budgets overrun, deadlines missed: things can go wrong in a CPQ implementation. What best practices exist for a successful CPQ implementation? We made a selection and list the indispensable CPQ best practices for you. Read on and save!

#1 Determine the business objectives before starting the implementation.

Before embarking on an implementation project, you make sure that the objectives are fully mapped out and precisely defined. At the same time, you determine how to measure the ultimate success and when the project has succeeded. During this phase you may conclude that some processes need to be changed or optimized before you can start the actual implementation.

#2 Simplify existing processes before you automate them.

Thinking about automating certain processes? A wise choice. However, before you start doing so, it is important to make the existing processes as simple as possible. This way, you avoid incurring unnecessary costs to automate complex projects. Moreover, by doing so, you increase the chances that the process automation will actually contribute to your goals. Also not unimportant: implementing changes once a complex process is automated is also more complicated. So plenty of reason to simplify processes.

#3 Develop for your end user.

Always keep the end user in mind when developing processes and models. That way you make sure the models are as simple as possible and fit the needs and language of the end user.

#4 Measuring is knowing.

Not only when selecting an implementation party, but also during the development itself: keep measuring the performance of the solution. Avoid the situation where you don't measure performance until delivery. Poor-performing solutions do not invite use.

#5 Make fans of your end users.

Be sure to involve colleagues in the process at all stages of your selection and implementation process. This will give them a sense of contributing to the solution and influencing the implementation.

#6 Get the right team.

Pay due attention when assembling the right implementation team. That means making sure you have team members who have the right skills and experience. In addition, make sure the team is balanced. This includes involving consultants who have experience with the solution, supplementing the team with one or more software architects (from the implementation partner) and involving ambassadors within the organization. Of course, you also make sure there is an internal team that deals with the solution after implementation.

#7 Work in an agile manner.

Try to conduct the implementation in an agile manner. Provide regular reviews of the project and do not be reluctant to change the direction or adjust the approach when the situation calls for it.

#8 Map tasks.

Both implementation and daily use require various maintenance tasks. It is wise to have an overview of these in advance and to know with what frequency the tasks must be performed. This overview depends on the chosen solution. Make sure you have this insight before choosing the solution and the implementation partner.

Want to learn more about the real-world benefits of a CPQ solution? Read more background information here .

In 2020, Vlocity was acquired and is now part of the software company Salesforce. Vlocity is now called Salesforce Industries and offers industry-specific cloud and mobile software solutions including CPQ. It sounds like an open door: before a CPQ implementation project can begin, it is crucial to set clear goals. To do this, outlining an ideal picture of the future, "a bigger picture," is helpful.

Clear objectives

Determining what the end goals are is part of good preparation and, for any project, one of the most important first steps to take. This is especially true when implementing Configure, Price and Quote (CPQ) software.

It seems logical: establishing what needs to be accomplished gives the work direction and structure. Yet this is where things often go wrong. Through various forms of miscommunication, a project can stagnate or even fail in the early stages: the sales manager is misunderstood by the IT colleagues in the team, or targets are simply too unclear and abstractly defined.

Big picture stuff

To avoid this, it is helpful to first think about an ideal picture of the future. A picture of the future or a so-called "dot on the horizon," as cliché as this may sound, is a good starting point for setting clear goals.

For example, before implementing CPQ software, it is good to outline an ideal scenario in terms of, say, systems flexibility, generating more revenue or the time frame in which a customer quote should go out the door.

Here, it is important to think as far away from common and existing practices as possible: this ultimately makes it much easier to convert an ideal picture into concrete, achievable goals.

Concrete examples

wrote down examples of concrete objectives relevant to the implementation of CPQ software:

Of course, the above examples and associated figures are not equally relevant to every organization. However, it does show how concrete and measurable intended results can be captured even without numbers.

TrailblazerDX (formerly known as TrailheaDX) is a Salesforce event aimed at Salesforce Developers, Architects, Admins and anyone else dealing with the platform. Naturally, we at CaseNine keep a close eye on developments. In a series of articles, we recount the most important developments that were covered during TrailblazerDX.

During TrailblazerDX, one of the topics discussed was Apex. For those not yet aware of it, Apex as a language allows developers to build the back-end on the Salesforce platform and work efficiently with user data within the platform. If, after reading this article, you want to go in depth with Apex, also take a look at this page. Here you will find a clear explanation of the features and benefits of Apex.

Best practices for Apex

During TrailblazerDX, the focus included valuable best practices with Apex in 2022. CaseNine's Lead Engineer reviewed recommendations and compiled a Top-5 of appealing best practices.

#1 Apex Recipes

Apex Recipes consists of a Github repo containing all kinds of useful utilities that you can apply within your project. The utilities not only improve the user experience for the developer, but also help you speed up the development process. The Apex Recipes are also useful in practice when you still have relatively little experience with the Salesforce ecosystem.

#2 Field Level Security and CRUD Security

For developers, it is important to use FLS (Field Level Security) and CRUD Security. The classes CanTheUser and Safely contain practical examples to help you correctly apply security features in your project or application.

#3 Caching!

In practice, caching plays a big role in the final performance of your project. Even when you are not satisfied with the performance, it is wise to employ the capabilities of caching. With Platform Cache, you can minimize database usage. The result: a potential speed gain for your application.

#4 Queuables

Do you need to process large amounts of data in your Salesforce application? Then take a look at the capabilities of queuables. These allow you to process data on serialization. Moreover, when errors occur in your application, you can resolve them using the Transaction Finalizers concept.

#5 Trigger Framework

It is important to streamline the use of triggers. With a Trigger Framework, you keep more overview and control over the use of triggers within your project. Moreover, a Trigger Framework also makes working with triggers within a project team a lot more pleasant. Use the principle of one trigger per object to maintain an overview.

Want to learn more about the real-world benefits of a CPQ solution? Read more background information here.

The right CPQ implementation contributes to a streamlined and optimized sales process. This is more important than ever: several trends are placing high demands on quotation processes. We have listed 5 important trends for you.

1. The need for flexibility is increasing

Potential customers are increasingly knowledgeable and have a sharper idea of what they want. This demands a flexible attitude from organizations and causes the organization to move toward a service angle. Customers expect organizations to act as interlocutors and to be on an equal footing in that dialogue.

2. Technology is developing at high speed

The speed at which technology develops has increased significantly in recent times. In a market with predominantly rigid products, this requires an adapted approach so that you are also able to deploy other propositions. Moreover, you can adjust the propositions as soon as the market demands it.

3. New competitors enter the market

Technological developments have accelerated in recent years. This makes it easier for new players to enter the market. In addition, legislation has also changed for many markets. New players may be able to offer products and services not yet offered by your own organization. In addition, as an existing organization, you may have a restrictive competitive position against new players. They can enter the market with a greenfield approach and are not hindered by any legacy environment.

4. Offer processes are becoming more complex

From the customer side, there is a need for new product combinations and a wider range of services to choose from. Users need options. In more and more situations, customers are asking for an environment in which they can put together their own quotations, based on options and configurations they have "checked off" themselves. This has a major impact on the complexity of quotation processes.

Check out the charts below, with two examples of configuring prices and products in the communications and energy sectors:

Example: Configure price of products in communications and energy sector.

5. Global developments offer opportunities

As an organization, it is important to be able to respond to global developments in a timely manner. The energy market is a good example of this. Consider developments in the field of gas supply, network capacity and the use of solar panels. These trends also require an organization that can respond to the market with new product combinations, among other things.

Optimally prepared
Looking for a suitable partner for a CPQ implementation and looking for inspiration? Take a look at other organizations and pay attention to teams with the same characteristics as in your own organization. This will give you an accurate picture of the different phases of a CPQ implementation.

Want to learn more about the real-world benefits of a CPQ solution? Read more background information here.

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