This was posted as a custom solution when Usage Selling was not available in Revenue Cloud. Usage Selling has been released, see our post on Usage Selling in Revenue Cloud here.
Welcome to our guide on extending Salesforce Revenue Lifecycle Management (RLM) to support usage-based products.
As of Summer ’24, Salesforce RLM does not natively support usage-based products. However, with the flexibility of the Product Configurator, you can customize and create solutions that fit your business needs.
In this post, we will walk you through the process of setting up a usage-based product, such as a “Self-Driving Pay-per-Mile” product, using Salesforce’s tools and capabilities.
Step 1: Set Up Your Product in Salesforce
Before diving into the configuration, you need to ensure that your product is set up in Salesforce. In our example, we are using a product named “Self-Driving Pay-per-Mile.”
- Navigate to the Product object in Salesforce.
- Create or select the product you want to configure. (See our post on Creating Products in Revenue lifecycle Management)
- Enable a custom configurator for the product by assigning it to the product record. (See our post on Creating and assigning custom configurators)
Step 2: Customize the Configuration Flow
Salesforce’s Product Configurator allows you to create and assign custom configuration flows to products. Here’s how we customized our flow for a usage-based product:
- Clone the Default Configuration Flow:
- Start by cloning the default configuration flow.
- This provides a base that you can modify according to your needs.
- Add Custom Input Fields:
- We added a Minimum Usage input field. This simple number field allows users to set a baseline usage level.
- Define Consumption Rates:
- Include fields for lower and upper bounds and their corresponding rates. These fields help define the usage tiers and their rates.
- This setup can be done using custom objects or fields under the product in Salesforce.
Step 3: Implement a Flow to Transfer Data
To ensure that the consumption rates defined at the product level are transferred to the quote lines, you need to create a flow that runs on the creation of quote lines:
- Create a Flow:
- This flow will be triggered upon the creation of a quote line item.
- It will copy the consumption rates from the product to the quote line.
- Use Lookup Fields:
- Make sure you have lookup fields linking the consumption rates to both the product and the quote line.
Step 4: Use a Lightning Web Component for Configuration
For a better user experience during the configuration process, we used a Lightning Web Component (LWC):
- Create a Data Table Component:
- The LWC should include a data table component to display and edit the consumption rates during the configuration process.
- This component allows for real-time updates and ensures that changes are saved immediately.
- Handle Save and Exit:
- Due to the custom footer used in product configuration, ensure that changes are saved directly rather than relying on post-screen steps, which may not execute as expected.
Step 5: Testing and Finalizing
Testing is crucial to ensure your configuration works seamlessly:
- Test the Configuration Flow:
- Go through the entire process from setting up a quote to editing the consumption rates.
- Check if the minimum usage and rate modifications are correctly saved and reflected in the transaction line editor.
- Ensure Integration:
- If you plan to integrate this setup with a billing system or other backend processes, make sure to test those integrations thoroughly.
Conclusion
By leveraging the flexibility of Salesforce’s Product Configurator and using point-and-click tools alongside minimal custom code, you can successfully extend Salesforce RLM to support usage-based products. This approach not only enhances the capabilities of RLM but also demonstrates the power of customization within Salesforce.
For more details and step-by-step guidance, watch our YouTube tutorial and explore the Salesforce Product Configurator Documentation here.
Have Questions?
Feel free to leave a comment on our video or reach out through our blog if you have any questions or need further assistance. We’re here to help you make the most out of Salesforce Revenue Lifecycle Management.