Low-Code CPQ
New print head SKU shipped Monday. CPQ still blocked the combination because the rule change waited in IT's sprint queue.
Low-code · rule builder
Visual logic · not custom code per change
Inputs
Region
Product family
Pump Family ARule blocks
IF Region = EU
THEN Voltage = 400V
IF Load > 1200kg
THEN Support = Heavy Duty
Result
- ✓ Configuration valid
- ✓ Price updated
- ✓ BOM updated
Voltage 400V · Support Heavy Duty
Easier change · still governed publish
What this controls
Visual editor
IF/THEN configuration rules without writing code
Business authors
Product and pricing teams edit CPQ logic directly
Staging preview
Test rule changes before dealers see them
The challenge
New print head SKU shipped Monday. CPQ still blocked the combination because the rule change waited in IT's sprint queue.
An industrial inkjet marking and coding OEM launches print heads, ink systems, and line integration kits on a steady cadence. Product management knows which head pairs with which controller and ink viscosity band. CPQ still routes every compatibility or price list update through a development ticket because the legacy system treats rules as code owned by IT.
Sales reps work around stale configurators with spreadsheets and email approvals while IT prioritizes ERP patches ahead of CPQ backlog items. Product managers write requirements documents that lose nuance in translation. By the time engineering publishes the rule, the SKU mix on the factory floor has already moved on and dealers quote outdated combinations.
Integration-focused CPQ pages expose REST endpoints for developers. Custom portal CPQ runs Mercura logic behind dealer-built screens. The CPQ SDK removes HTTP boilerplate for developers. Developer tools provide sandbox and webhook debugging. Low-code CPQ is different: Mercura gives product and pricing teams visual editors for configuration constraints and price formulas so they implement business logic themselves, preview in staging, and publish when ready without waiting on a sprint slot.
Inquiry to config to price to approval to order should not stall because the team that understands the product cannot touch the rules that gate every quote.
How it works
How Mercura low-code CPQ works for business teams
Product managers and pricing analysts open Mercura's visual rule builder to define IF/THEN configuration constraints with attribute selectors instead of code. Pricing analysts set tiers, formulas, and conditions in a dedicated pricing interface with inline validation. New products and variants enter through a product setup flow that mirrors how the business describes options. Changes save to staging where authors walk sample configurations before requesting publish. In-interface checks flag conflicting rules before production. Optional approval workflows gate publish while day-to-day edits stay with the business owners who know the catalog. Someone must still define who may author versus publish and retire rules when SKUs end of life.
Compare
Visual editor vs custom development
Developers are not required for every business-rule change — not “developers are unnecessary”.
Custom development
Add a new regional voltage rule
- 01 Business request
- 02 Developer ticket
- 03 Code change
- 04 Test
- 05 Deploy
Low-code
Same requirement
- 01 Product owner
- 02 Update rule
- 03 Validate
- 04 Review
- 05 Publish
Change types
What can be managed through configuration
Model
Logic
Commercial
Lifecycle
Build · own · maintain
What's included
What low-code CPQ covers
Model
- Product and variant setup without developer involvement
Logic
- Visual IF/THEN rule builder for configuration constraints
- Context notes on rules and price logic for future authors
Commercial
- Pricing model interface with formulas and tier conditions
Publish
- Staging environment to preview rule changes before publish
- In-editor validation that catches conflicts before production publish
- Separate author and publish permissions by role
- Template patterns for common constraint types to start faster
The difference
CPQ maintenance before and after low-code ownership
Developer queue for every rule change
- 01 New SKUs wait on IT or SI tickets before appearing in CPQ
- 02 Product knowledge translated into specs that engineering misreads
- 03 Pricing updates miss the window when list prices change monthly
- 04 Sales work around stale rules with spreadsheets and exceptions
- 05 Business teams stop requesting CPQ fixes because the process is too slow
With Mercura
- 01 Product managers publish compatibility rules after staging review
- 02 Pricing analysts adjust tiers and formulas in the pricing UI
- 03 New variants configured the same week they ship from factory
- 04 Validation catches rule conflicts before dealers see them
- 05 CPQ logic stays aligned with catalog reality between major releases
Real-world example
Example workflow: print head compatibility same-week publish
Before
- Business request
- Developer ticket
- Code change
- Deploy
Change
- Visual rule editor
- Staging preview
- Governed publish
After
- Product team updates logic
- Dealers quote current rules
An OEM of industrial inkjet heads, ink delivery modules, and controller cabinets sold through regional dealers. A new high-speed head SKU shipped on Monday for food-packaging lines. Under the previous CPQ, product management filed a ticket and waited for engineering capacity. Dealers could not select the head with the approved controller pair until the next sprint. After Mercura low-code CPQ, a product manager added the compatibility rule in the visual editor, ran sample configs in staging, and published after pricing sign-off the same week. Inside sales resumed quoting the combination without spreadsheet overrides.
Business impact
Why low-code CPQ puts catalog knowledge back with product teams
Low-code CPQ removes the developer bottleneck between product knowledge and what dealers can quote. It complements self-maintained configuration practices, governance workflows, version history, and technical integration pages for teams that still need REST clients or SDK paths. Mercura does not replace complex custom integrations, ERP field mapping, or enterprise change advisory boards. Someone must define author and publish roles and keep staging discipline. If the pain is "we know the rule but cannot ship it until IT has capacity", low-code editors align inquiry, configuration, price, approval, and order with owners who can implement and preview logic without opening an IDE.
Business impact
Fewer development tickets
Business rules updated through configurable tooling instead of one-off code.
Faster business-rule changes
Product and pricing teams edit logic closer to the catalog decision.
Closer product-team ownership
Authors work in visual editors with staging before publish.
Compare
Low-code vs self-maintained
Low-Code CPQ
How are changes implemented?
Focus: tooling · visual editor / rule configuration
Self-Maintained
Who can own ongoing changes?
Focus: operating model · internal teams maintain Mercura
A system can be low-code and still depend on consultants. Self-maintained means internal ownership is practical.
Compare
Low-code vs maintainable
Low-Code
Makes change easier to implement
Create rule
Maintainable
Makes accumulated change easier to understand over time
1000 rules → structured architecture
Implementation map
Build with low-code tooling → own day-to-day changes → keep the system maintainable as complexity grows
Build
Low-Code CPQ
Operate
Self-Maintained Product Configuration
Scale over time
Maintainable CPQ System
Surrounded by governance · version control · audit · access control
Published rule · staging cleared
See product managers publish a configuration rule from staging without a developer ticket
Book a demo and walk through visual rule editing, pricing updates, and staging preview with your product or pricing team.
Let’s build together.
We empower manufacturers to master product modeling, streamline quoting process, reduce errors, and ultimately deliver the tailored solutions that customers demand.