ISG Software Research Analyst Perspectives | Revenue Lifecycle Management

At this year’s Conga Connect 2025 conference held in Orlando, FL, the enterprise software provider unveiled both a new chief executive and a sharpened vision for the future of revenue management technology. David Osborne, recently appointed CEO of Conga, took the stage for his keynote address with a foundational question: “Why?”—as in, why does Conga exist? It’s a question designed to provoke reflection—one Osborne suggested every enterprise should ask to remain relevant. For Conga, the timing is apt. The company’s recent embrace of the tagline “The Revenue Company” has stirred some confusion, given its core capabilities in configure, price and quote (CPQ) systems and contract lifecycle management (CLM)—tools integral to the quote-to-cash process but not comprehensive on their own for full-scale revenue lifecycle management. Still, Conga has made notable progress in reshaping its platform. Over the past few years, the company has methodically reengineered its product suite to run on an independent Conga platform, shifting away from partial reliance on Salesforce infrastructure. This re-platforming has brought tangible performance benefits, including a major leap in CPQ processing speed and the ability to generate large volumes of documents within seconds—a capability unveiled at the conference. Artificial intelligence (AI), the expected centerpiece at any modern SaaS gathering today, was also front and center. Conga showcased how it is using AI to assess contract risk, parse clause language and extract terms from digital and scanned legacy contracts. The software provider also announced support for Salesforce Agents and reiterated its commitment to platform openness—welcoming integration with various AI large language models, Microsoft Azure and alternative CRM systems such as Microsoft Dynamics, with additional integrations in development. We recognize the importance of AI models in revenue lifecycle management. Through 2026, we believe more than one-half of sales and revenue providers will need to focus on deploying AI to continuously improve revenue processes to maintain customer engagement. Looking ahead, Conga is signaling a more nuanced product strategy. While continuing to position itself as a revenue lifecycle management provider, the company acknowledged that many customers are still in the market for standalone capabilities like CLM or document generation with e-signature features—applications with utility that extend well beyond sales and revenue workflows into areas like HR and operations as well as purchasing. In response, Conga plans to enhance its CLM offering for “buy-side” enterprise use cases, though it stops short of entering the broader procurement software space, such as RFP management. The shift to a unified platform is central to Conga’s evolving AI strategy. By consolidating data across CPQ, contract management and billing, the provider is building a first-party dataset with the potential to fuel more sophisticated, AI-driven insights. These could include identifying upsell and cross-sell opportunities, detecting bottlenecks in the revenue process and refining customer engagement strategies—all benefits that extend well beyond what traditional CRM, CPQ or CLM applications typically offer in isolation. Ultimately, Conga aims to serve as a CRM- and ERP-agnostic platform for enterprises serious about reimagining revenue operations. But I caution that true transformation requires more than just deploying new technology—it demands process alignment and organizational change that is often achieved only through executive sponsorship. Companies that adopt Conga without revisiting internal workflows may see only incremental improvements confined to the specific function of the individual application. Technology alone doesn’t drive transformation. But, in conjunction with forward-thinking leadership, it can be the catalyst that makes revenue lifecycle management and quote-to-revenue transformation possible. Regards, Stephen Hurrell

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