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Conga CPQ - Fundamentals

Conga CPQ - Fundamentals

What You’ll Learn

  • The admin console & navigation map you’ll use daily
  • The core data objects (products, attributes, bundles, price lists, rules, quotes) and how they relate
  • A practical mental model for Conga CPQ: Configure → Price → Quote, plus approvals & templates
  • Hands-on setup: create a starter catalog, price list, and a first quote

Prereqs

  • You’ve completed Lesson 1 and chosen your environment (training org or watch-along).
  • You have access to Conga CPQ admin areas (profile/permission sets in place).
  • Workbook and sample CSVs downloaded (from Lesson 1 resources).

The Conga CPQ Mental Model

Think of Conga CPQ as five Lego layers you’ll stack in most builds:

  1. Catalog — Products, attributes, bundles (the sellable building blocks)
  2. Rules — Constraints that make configurations valid (require/block/recommend/auto-add)
  3. Pricing — Price lists, tiers, matrices, promos, taxes/fees
  4. Quote Experience — Template, terms, validity, versioning, output
  5. Approvals & Governance — Discount guardrails, approval matrices, auditability

You will touch each layer in a predictable order during setup and quoting.

UI Tour & Admin Navigation Map

Labels may vary slightly across versions—follow the structure.

  • CPQ Admin / Conga Console
    • Products / Catalog: manage products, families, and attribute sets
    • Attributes: define attributes and assign to products/bundles
    • Constraint Rules: compatibility rules (require/block/recommend/auto)
    • Bundles / Options / Option Groups: structure complex offerings
    • Pricing: price lists, price list entries, tiers/volume/matrix tables
    • Proposals / Templates: quote templates, sections, and content tokens
    • Approvals: thresholds, ladders, routing (discount or policy-based)
    • Utilities / Settings: currency, numbering, defaults, global toggles

Keep this mental map handy; we’ll walk the areas in today’s lab.

Core Objects & Relationships (Quick Reference)

  • Product: A sellable item/service (SKU)
  • Attribute: A selectable option for a product (e.g., Color, Warranty)
  • Bundle: A product that contains other products as required or optional items
  • Option Group / Option: How bundle choices are grouped and presented
  • Constraint Rule: If/Then logic that enforces valid configurations
  • Price List: A named list of prices (often by region/channel/currency)
  • Price List Entry: The product’s price on a given price list
  • Price Matrix / Tiers / Volume: Rules for price breaks or attribute-driven pricing
  • Quote / Proposal: The customer-facing offer, with lines, totals, terms, and validity
  • Approval Rule: Routes quotes for approval based on conditions (e.g., discount > X%)

Data Flow at a Glance (Text Diagram)

[Products] + [Attributes] + [Bundles]
        \        |           /
          --> [Constraint Rules] ----> [Valid Configuration]
                                  \
                                   --> [Price List + Entries + Matrix] --> [Net Price]
                                                                  \
                                                                   --> [Quote Template + Terms + Approvals] --> [Final Quote]

Lab 1: Foundation Setup (15–20 min)

Goal: Create a clean base you’ll reuse in every module.

  1. Create a Product Family

    • Example: Laptops (you can also add Accessories)

  2. Price List

    • Create Price List: Standard (USD)
    • Confirm currency and set it to active

  3. Base Product

    • Product: Starter Laptop
    • Assign to Laptops family
    • Set Active = true

  4. Price List Entry

    • For Starter Laptop on Standard (USD)
    • List Price: 900.00

Checkpoint: Can you see Starter Laptop with a valid Price List Entry?

Lab 2: Attributes & Attribute Sets (15–25 min)

Goal: Add selectable options to the product.

  1. Attributes

    • RAM Size (values: 8 GB, 16 GB)
    • Warranty (values: 1 Year, 2 Years)

  2. Assign Attributes

    • Attach both attributes to Starter Laptop
    • Set display order and defaults (e.g., RAM default = 8 GB; Warranty default = 1 Year)

  3. (Optional) Attribute Pricing

    • If your org supports attribute-driven price deltas, add:
      • RAM 16 GB → +100.00
      • Warranty 2 Years → +75.00

Checkpoint: On a new quote, picking 16 GB or 2-Year warranty should alter price (if you added deltas).

Lab 3: Bundle & Constraint Rules (20–30 min)

Goal: Build a simple bundle and enforce a rule.

  1. Accessory Products

    • Carrying Case (list price: 40.00)
    • USB-C Dock (list price: 120.00)

  2. Create Bundle

    • Make Starter Laptop a bundle
    • Add optional options: Carrying Case, USB-C Dock

  3. Constraint Rule (Recommend/Require)

    • If RAM = 16 GB, recommend USB-C Dock
    • (Alternate) If Warranty = 2 Years, require Carrying Case (for shipping protection) — illustrative only

Checkpoint: When configuring the bundle, the rule should trigger the desired behavior (recommend or require).

Lab 4: Tier/Volume Pricing (15–20 min)

Goal: Add a quantity break.

  1. Define Tier for Starter Laptop

    • Qty 1–9: 900.00
    • Qty 10+: 850.00

  2. (Optional) Accessory Tier

    • Carrying Case Qty 10+: 35.00

Checkpoint: On a quote, set quantity to 10. The laptop unit price should drop to 850.00.

Lab 5: Build a Quote (10–15 min)

Goal: See the end-to-end result.

  1. Create a Quote / Proposal for a test account
  2. Add Lines
    • Starter Laptop qty 12
    • Pick 16 GB RAM and 2-Year warranty
    • Add Carrying Case (optional)
  3. Review Pricing
    • Confirm tiered price and attribute deltas
    • Check subtotal, taxes/fees (if configured), and totals
  4. Preview Output
    • Generate the PDF/Doc with template defaults
    • Confirm validity date and terms show up

Checkpoint: Can you explain exactly why the final net price is what it is?

Troubleshooting (Quick Reference)

  • I can’t see CPQ admin menus: Check profile/permission sets & package visibility
  • Attribute changes don’t affect price: Ensure attribute pricing is enabled and linked to the product/price list
  • Bundle options aren’t showing: Verify the product is marked as a bundle and options are active
  • Tier pricing not applying: Confirm the correct Price List Entry and that the quantity meets your tier
  • PDF not rendering as expected: Check template assignment and content tokens; verify the quote is in a renderable status

Quick Quiz (2 minutes)

  1. Name the five Lego layers in our Conga mental model.
  2. What’s the difference between a Price List and a Price List Entry?
  3. Give an example of a Constraint Rule you’d use in your business.
  4. Where would you configure a quantity discount?

(Answers: Catalog/Rules/Pricing/Quote/Approvals; Price List is the container; Entry is the product’s price on that list; Rule examples vary; Quantity discounts live in tier/volume/matrix pricing.)

What’s Next (Lesson 3 Preview)

In Lesson 3 — Catalog Modeling, we’ll go deeper into:

  • Product families, versioning, and lifecycle flags
  • Attribute strategy (grouping, defaults, display logic)
  • Bundle design patterns for complex offerings
  • A guided selection flow that always returns a valid configuration

Bring your workbook—Lesson 3 is where your catalog starts feeling real.

Updated on Sep 29, 2025