In this episode, Franck Berthelot, a founder and operator with deep expertise in quote-to-cash (Q2C) and monetization architecture, discusses the strategic importance of Q2C in business. He highlights how Q2C goes beyond just a process—it’s about aligning teams across marketing, sales, finance, and operations to optimize the customer journey and revenue recognition. Franck discusses the common pitfalls companies face, such as underestimating the effort required, poor collaboration, and misaligned systems. He also emphasizes the critical role of the product catalog and the necessity of cross-functional ownership in Q2C processes. Drawing from his experience at Aircall, Franck explains the integration of various systems—product, finance, sales, and billing—and the need for a strong team with both technical and business acumen to manage Q2C projects effectively. The conversation wraps up with insights into the future of Q2C, including the growing influence of AI, self-service options, and the challenges of data accuracy and security.

Takeaways

- Quote to cash is a crucial part of business strategy, bringing together various teams to optimize the customer journey and revenue recognition.

- Companies often underestimate the level of effort required and the need for effective collaboration in quote to cash.

- Aligning systems and ownership is essential for streamlining the quote to cash process.- The product catalog plays a crucial role in quote to cash, and ownership should be cross-functional. Quote-to-cash processes involve integrating various systems, such as product, finance, sales, and billing.

- A strong team with a combination of technical and business skills is essential for managing and delivering quote-to-cash projects.

- Ongoing monitoring is crucial for maintaining a scalable tool stack and improving quote-to-cash processes.

- The future of quote-to-cash includes the use of AI for automation and decision-making, self-service options for customers, and a focus on data accuracy and security.

Sound Bites

"Quote to cash is one of the best means to bring most of the team in your company together."

"Quote to cash should be owned by sales, finance, and operations."

"Having a product catalog not aligned between systems increases the risk of error and manual mistakes."

"You've got these three big stacks that sit across the business, product, finance, sales..."

"To connect all these stacks, we use Seligo. Seligo is an integration tool."

"All the solution I'm mentioning, they are no code."

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Career Journey

05:08 Monetization Complexity at Aircall

08:29 Understanding Quote to Cash

13:14 The Role of Quote to Cash in Business Strategy

15:33 Common Mistakes in Quote to Cash

18:37 The Importance of the Product Catalog

22:24 Ownership in Quote to Cash

26:13 Systems Governing Quote to Cash

28:21 Integration of Systems in Quote-to-Cash

31:09 The Importance of Team Skills in Quote-to-Cash

33:43 Self-Service and Sales-Assisted Deals

37:50 Automation and Scalability in Quote-to-Cash

43:05 Customer Empowerment and Market Opportunities

47:16 The Future of Quote-to-Cash: AI, Self-Service, and Data Accuracy

52:40 Formative Moments in Franck's Career