Tag: Quote-to-Cash

Rachel Bruce

A Dreamforce 2025 recap on how AI, connected data, and usage signals are reshaping quote-to-cash, pricing, and customer growth.

TL;DR
- AI is shifting monetization from licenses and inputs to outcomes and measurable value.
- Usage data and connected systems are the foundation for fair, flexible pricing models.
- Unified product, contract, and financial data enable real-time insight and faster decisions.
- New KPIs like consumption cohorts and overage revenue better reflect customer value.
- Companies that design for flexibility will lead as quote-to-consumption replaces quote-to-cash.

At Dreamforce 2025, leaders from Continuous, FULLPRESS, and Dynatrace gathered to explore how AI and unified data are reshaping the quote-to-cash journey — powering smarter pricing, faster decisions, and measurable customer value. Moderated by Danielle Adams of Continuous, the discussion unpacked how organizations are moving from static subscription models to flexible, outcome-based monetization and what it takes to operationalize that change inside today’s systems.

Artificial intelligence isn’t just improving workflows and automating tasks, it’s fundamentally changing how we define value. The focus is moving from inputs, like licenses or API calls, to outcomes — the measurable benefits customers achieve, explained Banks.

Instead of “buy X seats,” it’s now “pay for Y results.” Companies are moving toward outcome-based models where pricing reflects real usage and delivered value. AI makes this possible because it allows precise measurement of engagement, case resolutions, or predictive impact — metrics that were hard to quantify before.

And with that comes flexibility — launching AI-powered capabilities as add-ons, usage credits, or pilot programs. It’s changing pricing from static tiers to dynamic, evolving frameworks that adapt as customers adopt.

Keenan Wojnicz (FULLPRESS) agreed. “We used to debate what a fair price was,” he said. “Now, fairness is in the outcome. When you tie usage directly to customer value, pricing becomes objective, not guesswork.”



Tools like Salesforce Revenue Cloud (now called Salesforce Agentforce Revenue Management) and Continuous’ AI-driven platform make that possible, connecting product telemetry to go-to-market data for a real-time view of performance. The result: smarter pricing, clearer ROI, and stronger customer relationships.

Artificial intelligence isn’t just improving workflows and automating tasks, it’s fundamentally changing how we define value. The focus is moving from inputs, like licenses or API calls, to outcomes — the measurable benefits customers achieve, explained Banks.

Instead of “buy X seats,” it’s now “pay for Y results.” Companies are moving toward outcome-based models where pricing reflects real usage and delivered value. AI makes this possible because it allows precise measurement of engagement, case resolutions, or predictive impact — metrics that were hard to quantify before.

And with that comes flexibility — launching AI-powered capabilities as add-ons, usage credits, or pilot programs. It’s changing pricing from static tiers to dynamic, evolving frameworks that adapt as customers adopt.

“Now, fairness is in the outcome. When you tie usage directly to customer value, pricing becomes objective, not guesswork.”

Connected Data: The Engine of Modern Monetization

If AI is the brain of smart selling, connected data is its bloodstream. Chitrang Patel (Dynatrace) described how his company unified usage data scattered across systems. “AI doesn’t work without unified data,” he said. “Once we connected everything, we could correlate product usage, training, and outcomes — and act on it.”



Continuous played a pivotal role, helping Dynatrace move from overnight batch processing to real-time insight. “What took six hours now happens in minutes,” Patel said. “That agility lets us make decisions and serve customers faster.”



Banks underscored the importance of incremental progress: “Start simple — daily or hourly reporting — then evolve toward real time. Once people see insights, they’ll want more.” Transparency also emerged as a differentiator. Dynatrace now shares consumption data directly with customers — a move Patel said “builds trust and drives proactive engagement.”

“What took six hours now happens in minutes. “That agility lets us make decisions and serve customers faster.”

- Chitrang Patel, Dynatrace

New Metrics for a Usage-Driven World

Traditional KPIs like ARR and MRR no longer tell the whole story. “Boards want to know how much growth comes through usage,” said Wojnicz. “Cohort analysis and on-demand revenue tracking paint a clearer picture than static bookings.”



Patel added, “Overage revenue — customers exceeding their commitments — has become a key indicator of adoption.” Banks (Continuous) explained that uniting financial and product data changes the game: “When usage, billing, and revenue recognition live in one system, finance can move from defense to offense.”



‘Traditional metrics like ARR and MRR don’t tell the whole story anymore. Companies are introducing new KPIs—on-demand revenue, overage ratios, consumption cohorts—that actually track how value is realized, not just sold.”

Flexibility and the Future of Quote-to-Consumption

As the session closed, Adams asked each panelist for one piece of advice for leaders navigating this shift.



“Define your North Star AI strategy,” said Wojnicz. “Know what data you’ll need and make sure your systems can deliver it.”



“Focus on customer experience,” said Patel. “Be transparent with usage and help customers realize value — that’s how you build trust.”



And Banks reminded attendees to “Design for flexibility. Pricing will change; your systems must evolve with it. Those who adapt fastest will lead.”



The conversation ended with a shared vision of the future as quote-to-consumption driven, with continuous data flow as the fuel for smart selling. “The entire customer lifecycle—selling, onboarding, renewal—is blending into one continuous loop of insight and action that will drive customer value and growth together.” said Banks

 “And that loop only works if data is unified. When telemetry, contracts, and finance data all live together, AI can finally operate on the full picture.” added Wojnicz.

As Adams summed up:  “When data is unified and AI is embedded across the lifecycle, every day becomes a selling day.” What happens in Salesforce flows cleanly into NetSuite, without surprises.

“When data is unified and AI is embedded across the lifecycle, every day becomes a selling day.” – Danielle Adams, Continuous

The Continuous Advantage

Salesforce and NetSuite weren’t built to handle complex quote-to-cash — especially when usage, credits, or hybrid deals enter the mix. The result: manual workarounds, disconnected tools, and teams buried in spreadsheets.

Continuous fixes that.



Built natively on Salesforce and NetSuite, Continuous automates the entire quote-to-cash lifecycle — from quoting and pricing to billing, revenue recognition, and usage visibility. Sales can configure any deal type directly in Salesforce, while finance bills and reconciles automatically in NetSuite.



By embedding automation and usage intelligence inside the systems teams already use, Continuous eliminates integration friction, speeds time to revenue, and gives companies a single, trusted view of every customer.

Continuous delivers what those systems can’t — modern quote-to-cash, out of the box.

Want to see how it works?

Schedule a personalized demo today and see exactly how Continuous transforms your capabilities, enhances data consistency, and delivers immediate value.