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In the oil and gas industry, quoting has long been dominated by spreadsheets, emails, and tribal knowledge. But a new shift is underway. As pricing complexity grows and customer expectations rise, more companies are turning to Configure Price Quote (CPQ) platforms to streamline their quoting process. While adoption is still gaining traction, those who move early are already seeing major gains in accuracy, speed, and deal size.
Quoting Challenges That Refuse to Go Away
If your team still relies on manual quoting, you’re not alone. Many oilfield service providers and equipment manufacturers continue to wrestle with outdated processes:
- Custom products and services: Every project—whether a pipeline inspection, drilling program, or refinery upgrade—has unique requirements. Sales reps often spend hours stitching together proposals from static product catalogs or legacy templates.
- Volatile and complex pricing: Oil prices fluctuate. Material and labor costs change region to region. Without real time data, pricing quotes are built on assumptions instead of facts.
- Siloed workflows: Sales, engineering, and finance teams often operate in isolation, creating delays in approvals and misalignment in pricing or project scope.
- Manual errors: When quotes are created in spreadsheets or Word docs, mistakes creep in. Line items are missed. Discounts are misapplied. Versions get confused.
And yet, despite these problems, quoting methods in oil and gas have remained largely unchanged—until recently.
A Shift Toward Smart Quoting Platforms
Now, a growing number of oil and gas companies are embracing modern quoting platforms that combine configuration, pricing, and quote generation into one seamless system. These solutions—often referred to as Configure Price Quote systems—are bringing structure and efficiency to what has traditionally been a chaotic process.
But it’s still early days. Many in the industry are only beginning to explore these tools. That means forward-thinking companies have a chance to lead the way—securing faster deal cycles, improved margins, and happier customers.
Here’s what modern quoting looks like when you make the shift:
1. Configuring Products and Services Without Guesswork
From pumps and valves to consulting and field services, CPQ tools help teams build precise configurations. Instead of memorizing rules or relying on engineers to double-check every quote, sales reps follow guided paths that ensure accuracy. The result? Less back-and-forth, fewer errors, and faster proposals.
2. Real-Time Pricing for Real-World Margins
Rather than using last quarter’s cost estimates or digging through spreadsheets, quoting systems tap into ERP and financial systems to pull in current pricing. This includes materials, labor, taxes, and even region-specific surcharges. That means every quote reflects real-world margins—not outdated guesswork.
3. Speeding Up Approval Processes
Lengthy approval chains are a deal-killer. But with role-based workflows, CPQ systems automatically route quotes to the right people for signoff—while flagging issues like excessive discounts or compliance risks. Approvals happen faster, and sales momentum isn’t lost.
4. Supporting the Sales Team with Smart Tools
New reps can ramp up faster. Experienced reps can focus on value, not administrative tasks. A good quoting platform guides users through complex configurations, helps them apply appropriate pricing strategies, and ensures quotes align with internal policies. That’s a big win for both sales performance and customer satisfaction.
5. Delivering Better Customer Service
In an industry built on trust and long-term relationships, speed and clarity matter. When a client receives a professional, accurate quote in hours instead of days, it builds confidence. When the proposal aligns with their needs and budget, it boosts loyalty. Quoting platforms help sales teams deliver on both fronts.
Guided Selling: Helping Reps Make Smarter Recommendations
In traditional oil and gas sales, knowing what to offer comes with years of experience. But with guided selling features, quoting systems now help even junior reps recommend the right equipment, service bundles, and project scopes—based on customer type, geography, and past deal data.
This not only ensures the customer gets the right solution—it also opens the door to upsells, add-ons, and higher overall deal value.
Why Early Adopters Are Gaining an Edge
Companies that have already implemented Configure Price Quote systems report:
- Shorter sales cycles by eliminating delays in quote creation and approval
- Improved quote accuracy through automated validation of product and pricing rules
- Higher win rates due to faster response times and clearer proposals
- Reduced reliance on manual processes across the sales cycle
For these early adopters, quoting has moved from a bottleneck to a competitive advantage. But many of their peers are still stuck with manual tools, giving agile teams a chance to win more business in a tough market.
Recommended Customer Stories
What’s Holding Others Back?
So why haven’t more oil and gas companies made the switch?
- Change resistance
- Many teams are used to "the way it’s always been done"—even if it’s inefficient.
- Complex legacy systems
- Some organizations worry that a quoting platform won’t integrate well with their ERP or pricing tools.
- Upfront effort
- Building out product catalogs, pricing rules, and approval workflows takes time—but the payoff is lasting.
The reality is that the hardest part is starting. But once teams see how much time they save—and how much more accurate their quotes become—it’s hard to imagine going back.
Is Your Team Falling Behind?
The quoting process is one of the most overlooked areas in oil and gas sales—but it’s also one of the most impactful. As early adopters of CPQ platforms begin to dominate, others risk falling behind with clunky processes, manual errors, and delayed responses.
If your team is still stitching together quotes manually, now is the time to explore quoting systems built for your industry. Because in a market defined by speed, precision, and trust, quoting better isn’t just smart—it’s essential.
CPQ's Profitability Impact
When combined with your expert knowledge and business rules, CPQ can be the catalyst that transforms you into agile prospectors. Imagine closing deals with safety valve accuracy and rotary drill speed.
In fact, industry studies demonstrate significant benefits for services companies:
- Increase sales win rates by 18% with faster quoting and accurate pricing. (Aberdeen Group)
- Reduce sales cycle by 17% with streamlined quoting and automated approvals. (Aberdeen Group)
- Improve quote accuracy by 27% by eliminating manual effort and errors. (Aberdeen Group)
How is XaitCPQ revolutionizing our customer’s sales process?
“The average time for completing quotations has reduced from half a day to twenty minutes, and quotation amendments from two hours to just a couple of minutes. The company’s capacity to grow sales has increased by a factor of twelve without adding to overheads.”
- Bert Thijssen, Sales & Marketing Director, Hepworth Group
Ready to Strike Gold?
Stop striking out with clunky processes and manual errors that stall sales. Equip your team with the potent power of CPQ and adapt faster than a chameleon on an oil slick.
- Enhanced configurability and pricing precision
- Faster, more accurate quotes
- Reduce cost-per-quote
- Optimize value and increased profitability
- Secure more satisfied and loyal customers
Swap manual effort and errors for precision and productivity. Emerge victorious as you dig for the golden promise of black gold. Learn more about CPQ software for complex services:
