- Features > Mach Aligned CPQ
MACH-Aligned CPQ
Microservices, API-first, Cloud-native, Headless. Mercura applies the same MACH architecture that transformed e-commerce to the CPQ category — the architectural language enterprise procurement and IT already speak.
MACH
Microservices · API-first · Cloud-native · Headless
OpenAPI
Standards-based — every service documented and versioned
K8s-native
Cloud-native deployment on your chosen infrastructure
The Challenge
Enterprise CPQ Has Lagged Two Architecture Cycles Behind E-Commerce
E-commerce went through its MACH transformation a decade ago. Composable, headless commerce platforms — commercetools, Spryker, BigCommerce, Shopify Plus — replaced the monolithic suites (SAP Hybris, Oracle ATG, IBM WebSphere Commerce) that defined the previous era. Enterprises today expect microservices, API-first design, cloud-native deployment, and headless decoupling as baseline architecture for any commercial system.
CPQ has not made the same shift. The dominant CPQ platforms — Tacton, Configit, Salesforce CPQ, Oracle CPQ — remain monolithic, server-centric, deployed as bundled suites, and tightly coupled to specific front-end frameworks. RFPs that ask for MACH-aligned architecture are answered with workarounds and aspirational roadmaps rather than shipping product.
For enterprise procurement teams evaluating CPQ in 2026, this is a real problem. The architecture review board, the cloud strategy office, and the integration architects all expect MACH terminology — and a CPQ vendor that does not speak it credibly is treated as a legacy choice regardless of feature parity.
The result is that manufacturers are pushed toward CPQ choices that conflict with the rest of their technology strategy — an architectural mismatch that becomes more painful with every adjacent system that does follow MACH principles.
How It Works
How Mercura's MACH Architecture Works
Mercura is built on the four MACH principles end-to-end. Microservices: each CPQ capability — configuration, pricing, quote generation, document rendering, order submission — runs as an independent service with its own data store and deployment lifecycle. API-first: every service exposes a documented REST API; the user interface is one client among many. Cloud-native: Mercura runs on Kubernetes and is designed for elastic scaling, multi-region deployment, and standard cloud observability tooling. Headless: the rules engine and pricing logic are completely decoupled from any front-end, allowing manufacturers to build their own configurator UI, embed Mercura into a third-party portal, or expose it through an agent. The architecture is documented to enterprise procurement and architecture review standards — including OpenAPI specifications, deployment topology diagrams, and standards conformance statements.
What's Included
Key Capabilities
- Microservices architecture — independent service deployment and scaling
- API-first design — every capability accessible via documented REST API
- Cloud-native — Kubernetes-based, multi-region, elastically scalable
- Headless — rules and pricing decoupled from any front-end framework
- OpenAPI 3.x specifications for every service
- Standards-based authentication — OAuth 2.0, OIDC, SAML
- Webhook and event-driven integration via standard message formats
- Documented conformance with enterprise architecture review criteria
The Difference
MACH-Aligned CPQ vs. Legacy Monolithic CPQ
- Monolithic CPQ suite — every capability bundled and coupled
- Front-end framework prescribed by the vendor
- Single deployment unit — scaling and updates affect everything
- Architecture review board flags CPQ as a legacy choice
- Integration with adjacent MACH systems requires custom middleware
- Microservices — each CPQ capability deployable and scalable in isolation
- Headless — any front-end framework, any channel, any device
- Cloud-native deployment on Kubernetes — standard ops tooling applies
- Architecture review board sees CPQ aligned with enterprise standards
- Native integration with MACH commerce, PIM, OMS, and CDP systems
Real-World Application
Example Use Case: Manufacturing Group Aligning CPQ with a MACH E-Commerce Roadmap
A multinational manufacturing group had spent three years replatforming their B2B e-commerce experience onto a MACH stack (commercetools, contentful, Algolia). Their next initiative was CPQ — but their incumbent CPQ vendor's monolithic, on-premise architecture conflicted with every principle the new e-commerce stack had been built on. The CPQ project was blocked at architecture review for nine months. After evaluating MACH-aligned alternatives, the group selected Mercura. The architecture review board approved the implementation in four weeks. CPQ now runs alongside the commerce stack as a peer service — exposing configuration and pricing APIs that the commerce front-end consumes directly, with no middleware. The MACH alignment was the deciding factor in the selection.
Quote turnaround dropped from 3 days to under 4 hours.
Business Impact
Why MACH-Aligned CPQ Matters
MACH is the architectural lingua franca of modern enterprise commercial systems. When a CPQ platform aligns with MACH principles, it slots cleanly into the rest of the technology landscape — interoperating with MACH-aligned commerce, content, PIM, and order management systems without translation layers. It also signals architectural credibility to the procurement, IT, and security stakeholders whose approval is required for any enterprise commercial software selection. For manufacturers building modern commercial stacks, MACH-aligned CPQ is no longer a differentiator — it is a baseline that filters credible vendors from legacy ones.
Bring CPQ Into Your MACH Stack
Book a demo to see how Mercura's MACH-aligned architecture lets CPQ interoperate with your modern commerce, PIM, and order management systems.
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.