Update 19C

Revision History

This document will continue to evolve as existing sections change and new information is added. All updates appear in the following table:

Overview

Oracle Configure, Price, and Quote (CPQ) Cloud enables companies to streamline the entire opportunity-to-quote-to-order process, including product selection, configuration, pricing, quoting, ordering, and approval workflows. CPQ Cloud provides a flexible, scalable, enterprise-ready solution ideal for companies of all sizes that sell products and services across direct, indirect, and e-commerce sales channels.

This guide outlines the information you need to know about new or improved functionality in CPQ Cloud 19C.

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Modern User Experience

The following CPQ Cloud Release 19C enhancement leverages the rich interface and interactive capabilities available in CPQ Cloud to provide an intuitive selling experience.

• JET Responsive Configuration UI Enhancements
• JET Responsive UI Enhancements

JET Responsive Configuration UI Enhancements

Introduced in CPQ Cloud 19B, the JET Configuration UI provides a modernized and responsive user experience allowing users to view and edit Configurations across multiple device types using the same Configuration layout.

In CPQ Cloud 19C, we enhance the JET Configuration UI by adding the following functionality.

Embedded JET Configuration UI Support

CPQ now supports using Client-side integrations to display the JET Configuration UI within an iFrame for external integrations, such as Oracle Commerce Cloud. Client-side integrations enable the sharing of data between CPQ Cloud and a partner site. When an external user wants to configure a model, the CPQ JET Configuration UI page is embedded in an iFrame that displays within the integrated application.

Subscription Ordering Support

Subscription Ordering operations are now supported with the JET Configuration UI. For Modify operations and Follow-on Orders the user can perform Update, Start Over, Add to Transaction, Return to Transaction, and Add to Cart actions. For Reconfigure operations, the user can save or cancel the reconfiguration.

System Configuration Support

The JET Configuration UI now supports system configurations, which are hierarchical arrangements of configurable models within a system root item. With a system configuration, the user can view the system navigation in a panel on the left side of the page. The system navigation panel contains model and part icons to show the hierarchy of a system and status icons to identify models requiring user action. The system navigation panel will display items that are valid, incomplete, invalid, and will also indicate if models have warnings or errors.

Working Indicator

As part of CPQ's goal to provide a responsive high-performance JET UI, a Working Indicator is now displayed in the JET Configuration UI header. This provides an immediate, visual indication that the user's action has had an effect. When the user performs an action, such as clicking a button, an animated icon displays beside the page title notifying the user that the activity is being processed. A tooltip note is available on this icon to provide more details. Some or all actions may be temporarily disabled while the system is processing, but the user is able to continue working during this time. Once completed, the indicator changes to show that the processing is complete.

JET Configuration UI Key Changes, Limitations, and Known Issues

Provides descriptions of key changes, limitations, and known issues present in the JET Configuration UI as of CPQ Cloud 19C.

JET Responsive UI Enhancements

Introduced in CPQ Cloud 18C, the JET Responsive UIs provide a modernized and responsive user experience. The responsive design provides layouts that can flow vertically to fit within different browser display widths and features a rich set of modern UI components with built-in accessibility and mobile support.

In CPQ Cloud 19C, we enhance the JET Responsive UI by adding the following functionality.

Column Resize Dialog

The column resize dialog is now available for all JET UI tables. The dialog provides a user-friendly method to resize columns, is much easier for tablet and phone displays, and allows users to enter a precise column width.

Discontinue Panel Expansion and Last Tab Used Persistence

In prior releases, the JET UIs would open the last tab a user viewed even when opening a new or different Transaction. The JET Transaction UI would also retain expanded panel settings. The JET UI now opens the default tab and no longer retains panel expansion settings for new sessions or Transactions.

Enterprise Platform

The following CPQ Cloud Release 19C features and enhancements cater to the needs of large, complex enterprises for a robust, integrated, and performant platform:

• BML Enhancements
• Commerce Integration Enhancement
• Integration Center Enhancement
• Microsoft Dynamics 365 Integration Enhancements
• REST API Enhancements
• Salesforce Integration Enhancements

BML Enhancements

The CPQ Cloud 19C introduces the following new BML functions.

Add To Transaction Function

CPQ Cloud 19C allows administrators to add Models to a Transaction using BML. The "addToTransaction" function can be used to automatically add a new Transaction Line which contains a Model which is pending configuration by the sales user.

Generate HMAC Message Function

CPQ Cloud 19C allows administrators to create Hash-based Message Authentication Codes (HMAC) for use in securing outbound web service calls to public web services. The "generateHmacMessage" function supports five types of hashing algorithms including: SHA-256, SHA-384, SHA-512, SHA-1, and MD5.

Commerce Integration Enhancement

The CPQ Cloud 19C introduces the following Commerce Integration enhancement.

Create Transaction Line Via Integration

CPQ Cloud 19C adds the ability to import Line Items during integration. This can be used to import Line Items from an Opportunity when initially creating a Transaction. Some sales processes allow product selection on the Opportunity before it is ready to be quoted, this enhancement eliminates the need to re-enter those products once the Transaction is created.

Integration Center Enhancement

The CPQ Cloud 19C introduces the following Integration Center feature.

Digital Assistant Integration Type

CPQ Cloud 19C adds a new integration type to the Integration Center called Digital Assistant. This integration defines the connection details for an external chatbot/messaging service. Once defined, the details can be retrieved via BML and used to send a message to the external service.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Integration Enhancements

Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Sales (CRM) customers can integrate with Oracle CPQ Cloud, allowing their users to access CPQ Cloud from an opportunity, to create new quotes, and edit existing quotes with a seamless Single Sign-On experience. Quote data and line items are synced back to Dynamics to enable more reliable forecasts and reports.

As part of continuing improvements to the Dynamics 365 integration, the following enhancements are available with version 1.0 of the Oracle CPQ Cloud Connector for Dynamics 365 and CPQ Cloud 19C.

Account Information Auto-Fill and Refresh Using BML Account Integration

Administrators can create a BML-type Account integration that automatically imports Microsoft Dynamics 365 account information into CPQ Cloud when customers create a new Oracle Quote from Dynamics 365 and allows them to refresh the account information at any time.

Select Alternate Address Information from Contact List

Administrators can create a BML-type Account integration that imports alternate addresses from the Contact list in Microsoft Dynamics 365 and saves the selected address information to the Bill To and Ship To address sets on the Transaction.

Use Price List Items When Creating Opportunity Products

In CPQ Cloud 19C when a Transaction is marked as Active, the Upsert Primary Quote Information integration can set an active Price List on the Opportunity and add products as Price List Items.

Automatically Delete Opportunity Products When Associated Quote Is Deleted

In CPQ Cloud 19C, when users delete an Oracle Quote that is associated to an Opportunity, all of the associated Opportunity products are automatically deleted.

Consistent Window Behavior

When a user created a new Oracle Quote in prior releases, they did so with a pop-up that opened a new window. When they later edited that Quote, it opened the Quote in the active window. Oracle has removed this inconsistency in 19C, so the new Quote and the edit Quote experience both open in the active window.

Improved Button Bar

When users created or edited Oracle Quotes in prior releases, the Dynamics button bar displayed buttons native to Dynamics 365 that were not applicable to the CPQ Cloud – Dynamics 365 integration. With the CPQ Cloud 19C enhancements, the Dynamics button bar no longer displays when users create or edit Oracle Quotes.

Opportunity Auto-Refresh On Save

When users create or edit a new Oracle Quote and then later return to the Opportunity, the Opportunity auto-refreshes and displays the updated Oracle Quotes and Opportunity Products lists.

JET Responsive UI Support

The Microsoft Dynamics 365 Integration allows sales reps to create and edit quotes from their CRM by opening the CPQ Cloud UI within Dynamics. In previous releases, only the legacy desktop UI was supported. The new version of the Dynamics Solution adds the ability to also embed the JET Responsive UI.

REST API Enhancements

CPQ Cloud exposes objects and data through REST APIs and RESTful standards. Exposing objects and data through REST APIs promotes simpler API calls and more robust integrations using HTTP standards. With appropriate authentication, any other third-party system can query CPQ Cloud's REST APIs, get a response, and use the return data as needed.

CPQ Cloud 19C includes REST API enhancements that supports the following functionality.

Show Parent Attribute Query Parameter for Configuration Metadata REST APIs

Beginning in CPQ 19C, the "showParentAttrs=true" query parameter can be added to Configuration attribute and array set metadata REST API endpoints to return all applicable metadata inherited from parent level attributes. Prior to 19C customers had to make several REST calls to retrieve all of the inherited attributes. To retrieve all applicable attributes for a single model, they had to make REST calls to the model, Product Line, Product Family, and all Product Families.

Configuration Metadata REST API Enhancements for Product Family Integration

CPQ Cloud 19C introduces the following Configuration metadata endpoints to support Product Family Integrations for the JET Configuration UI:

• Get Product Family Integration Metadata
• Get Product Family Integrations Metadata

Configuration Run-Time Data REST API Enhancements for Subscription Ordering

CPQ Cloud 19C provides support for Subscription Ordering flows. Configuration Run-Time Data Configure Model and Reconfigure Model enhancements provide support for Subscription Ordering Modify, Reconfigure, and Follow-On Order actions.

Configuration REST API Enhancements for System Configuration

System configurations have a system navigation panel that contains model and part icons to show the hierarchy of a system and status icons to identify models requiring user action. CPQ Cloud 19C introduces the following REST API enhancements to support system configuration: 

• System Navigation Status Object
• Navigate between System Configuration Models REST API

Salesforce Integration Enhancements

The Oracle CPQ Connector for Salesforce is the next generation Salesforce integration solution for Oracle CPQ Cloud built on the Salesforce Platform. This solution makes CPQ Cloud the most advanced and powerful Lightning and Salesforce Mobile enabled CPQ solution on the market today.

As part of continuing improvements to the Salesforce integration, the following enhancements are available with version 8.2 of the Oracle CPQ Cloud Connector for Salesforce.

Allow Unquoted Opportunity Products

A new toggle gives administrators the option to either retain or replace Opportunity Products added directly to the Opportunity when an Oracle Quote is marked as active.

Automatically Deactivate a CPQ User When Linked Salesforce User Is Deactivated

When a Salesforce user is deactivated, that same user will automatically deactivate in all CPQ sites as well.

Do Not Allow Account Quotes

A new toggle gives administrators the ability to block the creation of new Quotes that are only attached to an Account.

Mark as Active Enhancements

The Mark as Active feature has been simplified to no longer require synchronizing Price Book entries between CPQ and Salesforce. The following scenarios are supported when marking a quote as active:

• If only the Product ID or part_number are provided on the Oracle Quote Lines, the Opportunity Products are created using either the Standard Price Book or any previously selected Price Book on the Opportunity.
• If a Price Book ID is provided on the Oracle Quote then that Price Book is always used when Opportunity Products are created.
• If a Price Book Entry ID is provided on the Oracle Quote Line Item then Opportunity Products are created directly using those IDs.

New Quotes Must Be Attached to a Parent

A new toggle gives administrators the ability to block the creation of Quotes which are not attached to either an Account or an Opportunity. This can be used with the Do Not Allow Account Quotes feature to ensure that all Quotes are attached to an Opportunity.

Oracle User and Oracle User Profile Time Zone List Enhancement

This enhancement changes the way time zones are displayed on both the Oracle User page and on the Oracle User Profile pages. It also adds several new time zones and replaces several outdated time zones with an updated equivalent. This ensures that the time zone options available in Salesforce mirror the options used in CPQ Cloud.

Win Probability and Price Optimization Analytic Support in Lightning UI

We have added support for a Win Probability and Price Optimization chart in the Salesforce Lightning UI. This chart displays predictions from the win probability and price optimization analytics provided by CPQ Cloud.

Differentiate

The following CPQ Cloud Release 19C enhancements pioneers the next generation selling platform:

• Price Optimization Enhancements
• System Configuration Enhancement

Price Optimization Enhancements

Price Optimization is the use of mathematical analysis to predict how customers will respond to different prices for products or services. CPQ Cloud provides an out-of-the-box machine learning Price Optimization solution to maximize either margins or net revenue in addition to support for pricing and discounting guidance. Since CPQ Cloud customers use different metrics to determine profitability, the Price Optimization solution supports selection of custom attributes to optimize to provide an easy, code free setup. CPQ Cloud supports statistically-based price guidance and a visualization of the pricing guidance. Customers with low or zero marginal costs, such as software companies, typically manage the discount percentages off standard list prices, without capturing costs or margins. Customers with meaningful variable costs, such as manufacturers, typically capture costs and margins in CPQ Cloud, and manage either net revenue or margin percentages.

In CPQ Cloud 19C, we enhance the Price Optimization solution by adding the following functionality.

Analytics List Page Enhancements

CPQ Cloud 19C introduces a new user-friendly interface to create and manage analytics. The Analytics page displays all analytics for the current Commerce process. The analytic name, description, variable name, last modified, last deployed, the Commerce document, and related rules. Administrators can click on the analytic name to access the details for a specific analytic.

Price Guidance Analytic

In CPQ Cloud 19C, CPQ introduces the new Price Guidance analytic that provides the ability to display a target price visualization for Commerce Transactions and Transaction Line documents. After set up and the initial machine learning tasks are complete, the predictive model produced by the machine learning can be displayed to sales users in the Commerce UI. Administrators can also define advanced calculations to determine the target, maximum, minimum discount values for Commerce Transactions. Sales users can view Price Guidance analytic to identify the target, maximum, minimum discounts that should be offered to the customer.

Price Guidance Gauge

In CPQ Cloud 19C, CPQ introduces the new Price Guidance Gauge that provides the ability to create a visualization for current price or discount values at the Transaction and Transaction Line level relative to a range of acceptable values. While the gauge is intended to support pricing guidance, it can be used to depict thresholds and the desirability for any numeric values relative to a range or gradient.

Optimal Values for Transaction Lines

Beginning in CPQ Cloud 19C, customers can provide guidance to sales users on the optimal discount to maximize net revenue or margins on Transaction Lines. Optimal values are based upon historical Transaction data and determinant attributes. Customers can define which attribute value is optimized and the attribute values the sales user can modify. After set up and the initial machine learning tasks are complete, optimal value recommendations can be presented to sales users on the Commerce UIs.

Win Probability for Transaction Lines

Understanding the Win Probability of a current price is key to maximizing the profit for a Transaction or Transaction Line. While negotiating pricing with customers, sales users need to understand how sensitive their customer will be to changing discounts and pricing, and how likely they are to buy at a particular price point or discount. The Win Probability analytic, introduced in CPQ Cloud 2017 R2, allowed sales users to predict the Win Probability of a Transaction based on historical data. CPQ Cloud 19C extends this functionality and allows Win Probability analytics for Transaction Line Items.

System Configuration Enhancements

System Configuration refers to the manner in which customers use CPQ Cloud to configure and bundle the product or set of products they wish to sell using a group of related models that together define an entire system. A system is a hierarchical arrangement of connected configurable models with a system root containing all of the other models.

The following functionality is available in CPQ Cloud 19C.

System Configuration Model Path

CPQ Cloud 19C introduces the new System Configuration Model Path (_system_config_model_path) system attribute to return a JSON path with the exact location of the current model in the system. "_system_config_model_path" returns a path that includes all of the current model's parent models and the array index associated with the current model.

System Configuration Support for RFQ

CPQ Cloud 19C provides system configuration support for Commerce integration quote requests, also known as Request For Quote (RFQ). Commerce integration self-service users can request a CPQ Cloud quote, thereby initiating a CPQ transaction that a sales specialist can modify, reconfigure, or discount. Once finalized in CPQ Cloud, the quote is returned to the Commerce integration for acceptance and ordering by the self-service user.

Customer Requested Features and Enhancements

CPQ Cloud 19C introduces the following customer requested features and enhancements.

Automatically Save Document with Print Action

In CPQ Cloud 19C JET Responsive Transaction UI, the Save Automatically option on a Print action is enhanced so that the document is automatically saved in the file attachment attribute and is accessible to the user in pop-up window. This enhancement prevents the user from having to perform an additional save step.

Clone Configuration Attribute

CPQ Cloud 19C supports cloning of Configuration Attributes and all of the associated attribute properties.

Document Merge

In CPQ Cloud 19C, the Document Merge functionality is improved for better reliability. Customers may see slight differences in the merged document content.

eSignature Integration Enhancement - Sequential or Parallel Requests

In CPQ Cloud 19C, support has been added to designate if the eSignature request routing for a Transaction needs to be parallel or sequential. If the routing preference is sequential, the sales user can specify a sequence number for recipients to receive the signature request.

Send Notification on Real-Time Integration Failure

A new Retry Failed Integrations button and Email Recipient after Maximum Retry setting is added to the Integration Settings. Administrators can set a maximum number retry fails with an Integration before an email is sent to designated recipients. Also, the Retry Failed Integrations button is added to simplify the re-try process for an administrator.