Transforming Global Quoting Operations with Apttus CPQ for a Leading Cloud Services Provider

A globally recognized cloud storage provider partnered with iLink Digital to modernize and streamline its complex quote generation and pricing operations. With a rapidly expanding product catalog, multinational sales channels, and intricate approval workflows, the client faced inefficiencies that hindered agility and impacted deal velocity. iLink Digital implemented Apttus CPQ (Configure Price Quote) to eliminate manual dependencies, accelerate go-to-market execution, and integrate pricing systems across the enterprise.

Industry

Cloud Storage

Location

Worldwide

Client Overview

Operating across diverse markets, the client’s sales ecosystem required flexible, accurate, and scalable quoting capabilities to manage their extensive portfolio of cloud storage solutions. The legacy quoting system involved multiple manual steps, redundant approvals, and siloed product documentation—leading to errors, lost productivity, and slower sales cycles.

Challenges

Complex Product Pricing: Pricing was dependent on a multitude of variables—payment frequency, contract length, discounts, deal types, and approval layers—making B2B quoting time-consuming and error-prone.
SKU Proliferation: The rapid expansion of offerings led to a bloated product catalog, complicating product selection and increasing administrative overhead.
Manual Processes: Quotes required repetitive manual entry, approvals, and document generation. Every quote PDF had to be created and managed separately, increasing turnaround time and risk of inconsistencies.
Regional Sales Variance: Specific markets like Japan followed distinct quoting practices, often handled manually, introducing operational friction.
Lack of System Integration: Disconnected systems across sales, finance, and billing (including NetSuite and Zuora) created inefficiencies and limited visibility.

iLink Digital’s Unified CPQ Implementation

To resolve these challenges, iLink delivered an enterprise-grade Apttus CPQ solution tailored to the client’s dynamic sales environment:

Automated Quoting Workflows: Introduced system-wide automation to manage quote creation, approvals, and PDF generation—minimizing human intervention.
Attribute-Based SKU Optimization: Reduced SKU clutter by replacing static SKUs with configurable attributes, making product selection faster and more intuitive.
Streamlined Approvals: Enabled automatic approval routing based on deal parameters and business rules, eliminating bottlenecks.
Localized Quoting Enablement: Developed tailored workflows for Japan’s channel quoting process, aligning it with global standards while respecting regional nuances.
Seamless Integration: Aligned CPQ with finance and billing systems (Zuora and NetSuite) to ensure end-to-end data consistency and reduce reconciliation errors.

Business Outcome

Drastic Reduction in Quote Generation Time

What once took hours now happens in minutes—boosting sales productivity and responsiveness.

Accelerated Go-to-Market

New product rollouts and pricing changes are now deployed swiftly through centralized configurations.

Improved Operational Alignment

Sales, finance, and billing teams now operate on a synchronized platform, enabling accurate forecasting and faster revenue recognition.

Scalable Sales Infrastructure

The solution supports the client’s global expansion strategy, delivering consistent experiences across regions and teams.

Enhanced Accuracy and Governance

Automated approvals and integrated document management ensure every quote complies with internal policies and external requirements.

Conclusion

Through a deep partnership with iLink Digital, the client successfully transitioned from a fragmented, manual quoting process to a scalable, intelligent, and automated CPQ framework. iLink’s tailored Apttus CPQ implementation enabled the client to reduce complexity, accelerate deal velocity, and achieve global operational efficiency—solidifying its competitive edge in the fast-paced cloud services industry.