This document will continue to evolve as existing sections change and new information is added. All updates appear in the following table:
| Date | Feature | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 08 NOV 2019 | Akamai Integration | Updated document. Revised feature information. |
| 08 NOV 2019 | Attribute Revert to Default Behavior Enhancement | Updated document. Revised feature information. |
| 10 OCT 2019 | Created initial document. |
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 19D.
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The following CPQ Cloud Release 19D features and enhancements cater to the needs of large, complex enterprises for a scalable, integrated, and performant platform:
- Content Delivery Network Integration
- BML Integration Enhancement
- Migration Center Enhancements
- REST API Enhancements
Content Delivery Network Integration
Customers can enable better end-user performance by integrating CPQ Cloud with a CDN to help manage internet content and traffic. CDNs offer geographically distributed proxy servers to provide enhanced availability and performance by distributing services close in proximity to end users.
The following CDN integration is available in CPQ Cloud 19D.
Beginning in 19D, Oracle CPQ Cloud provides an integration with Akamai to allow our customers to deploy CPQ Cloud content using the Akamai Content Delivery Network (CDN).
Commerce Integration Enhancement
Commerce Integrations are used to export and import quote information to and from external systems, commonly CRMs or ERPs, when a Commerce Action is triggered.
The following Commerce Integration enhancement is available in CPQ Cloud 19D.
General Support for BML Integrations
BML Integrations can be used on Commerce Actions to send and receive data from external systems typically using REST web services. BML Integrations provide all the power and flexibility of BML functions and are defined on the Integrations page under each Commerce Process. Once defined, the BML integration is associated with a specific Commerce action under the action's Integrations tab. In prior releases, the BML Integration type was only available when integrating CPQ Cloud with Microsoft Dynamics 365 or when there was a Generic Integration established in the Integration Center. Beginning in 19D, this functionality is available generally for all CPQ sites.
Most CPQ Cloud customers have multiple environments to manage their CPQ Cloud implementations. The Migration Center is used to move administrative data and metadata between environments. Migration saves administrators time and reduces user errors by eliminating the need to manually replicate setup details across multiple sites. Migrations can be performed between two CPQ Cloud sites, or between a CPQ Cloud site and a migration package.
The following functionality is available in CPQ Cloud 19D.
Forward Version Package Migration
Migration packages allow administrators to create collections of components for repeated migrations that can be downloaded and uploaded to another site. Oracle also uses migration packages to distribute collections of components to customers to implement certain functionality on a CPQ Cloud site. In prior releases, migration packages could only be uploaded to sites on the same major release. CPQ Cloud 19D introduces Forward Version Package Migration which enables migration packages from 19A and forward to be uploaded to the latest site version.
Display Variable Names in Migration Center
In prior releases, the Migration Center only displayed labels for items in the details pane. This made it difficult to identify items for migration when multiple items had the same display label. CPQ Cloud 19D provides options to display variable names and allow sorting in the Migration Center. When enabled, this enhancement makes it easier for administrators to identify appropriate items for migration.
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 19D includes REST API enhancements to support the following functionality.
Add Multiple Models to Transaction REST API
CPQ Cloud 19D introduces a Configuration REST API endpoint to add two or more Model configurations to a single Transaction.
CPQ Cloud Data Table REST APIs allows an external system to access deployed data in CPQ Cloud data tables. CPQ Cloud 19D expands the Data Table REST APIs to support all data table functions for folders, properties, columns, records, imports, exports, searches, and status logs.
The following CPQ Cloud Release 19D enhancements pioneers the next generation selling platform:
- Pricing Enhancements
- System Configuration Enhancements
The Pricing Engine, also known as the Rating/Pricing Engine, expands the capabilities of the Pricing Profiles and Rules to support a wider range of pricing use cases. This is accomplished by enabling Pricing Profiles to be defined using additional attributes, applying multiple Pricing Profiles to derive the list price for parts and lines, and supporting the ability to provide real-time pricing using RESTful web services.
The following new functionality is available in CPQ Cloud 19D.
Map a Price Attribute to Configuration Attribute for Dynamic Pricing Engine Update
Customers desire the ability to get pricing data updates as they make configuration and pricing modifications in the CPQ configurator, as in the case of Oracle Commerce Cloud and CPQ Cloud integration. To support this scenario, beginning in 19D, price attributes can be mapped to configuration attributes so that the Pricing Engine remains the central pricing logic manager for the products. The Pricing Engine can then support pricing updates from either a Product Configuration change or from a Commerce Transaction change.
Attribute Revert to Default Behavior Enhancement
In 19D, customers now have the option to not execute Advanced Default BML at the main document and sub-document level for an Action when that action has Revert to Default enabled for any attributes. A new Commerce pricing option, Version 3, is available in the Commerce Settings to enable this behavior.
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 19D.
System Configuration Initialization
In prior releases the child models were not configured until the Configuration UI was launched for each child model. Beginning in CPQ Cloud 19D, when customers launch system configurations a defined collection of child models can have an initial configuration applied. The initial configuration will consist of attribute default values, layout default values, and the result of configuration rules. New system configuration options allow administrators to define the number of models and the depth of descendant models to initialize.
System Path Warnings for Favorites and Pending Configurations
System configurations use system paths to identify the location of each instance of a model within a system. Beginning in 19D, CPQ provides warning messages when a model with a system path that exceeds the supported length can't be saved to Favorites or restored from a Pending Configuration.
Customer Requested Features and Enhancements
CPQ Cloud 19D introduces the following customer requested features and enhancements.
- Commerce Attribute for Filtering Line Item Document Numbers
- Configure CC and BCC Fields in Email Action Definition
- JET Transaction UI Enhancement
- Performance Logging
- Reset eSignature Attributes Using BML
Commerce Attribute for Filtering Line Item Document Numbers
In CPQ Cloud 19D, a new Commerce Line Item Document Number filter attribute, _system_filtered_document_numbers, is added as input for a BML rule. This filter will contain a list of all applicable document numbers in the result set. If the Line Item includes a parent/child relationship, the filter results indicate only the child. If desired, additional filter queries can determine the parent Line Item Document Number.
Configure CC and BCC Fields in Email Action Definition
Beginning in 19D, administrators are able to customize the email CC and BCC fields along with the To and From fields within Email actions. Administrators have the ability to apply and update the CC and BCC values.
JET Transaction UI Enhancement
CPQ Cloud 19D provides improved data loading time and progressive loading of content for the JET Transaction UI. Auto-generated placeholders display the general layout of content with panels, Line Item Grid, tabs, etc. Transaction content renders in progressive stages so that all rules are run before the content displays.
Performance Logs allow administrators to monitor and analyze the performance experienced by CPQ Cloud end users. Administrators can view user actions such as logins, logouts, commerce and configuration actions, with the elapsed server and browser times required to complete the actions. Additionally, performance details for all Web Service calls invoked from integrations, external applications, BML scripts, etc. are logged.
In 19D, the following new performance details are logged:
-
BML URL Data Functions – the time to execute urldata, urldatabyget, urldatabypost, and urldatabypostasync functions are logged. For asynchronous operations, the time between the request and acknowledgement is recorded.
- Account Integration – Transaction ID and Action columns are added to the Performance Log to capture details for partner account integration. Performance details include Transaction Number, Action requested, Autofill detail, and Contact import details.
Reset eSignature Attributes Using BML
CPQ Cloud 19D adds the ability to reset eSignature attribute values like attachments, recipients, status, etc. through BML implementation. For example, if a Transaction is versioned using Version action, the associated Modify action can implement the BML to reset the eSignature attributes values on for the new Version.