“I can honestly say that we could not have accomplished this with any system other than Nue.”

OpenAI Rolls Out Nue in Just Eight Weeks

 

What do you do when your company’s new products rapidly become a multi-billion dollar, multi-jurisdictional, multi-currency, multi-product line, multi-vertical juggernaut?

 

That was the challenge facing OpenAI, which was using a maze of spreadsheets and manual approvals to manage quotes and pricing for its ChatGPT Enterprise business. 

 

To scale at breakneck speed, OpenAI needed a CPQ platform that could keep up.

 

“It’s no secret that OpenAI has grown at unprecedented rates over the last several years,” said Keith Jones, OpenAI’s Head of GTM Systems. “We did not have the luxury of adding a CPQ to our GTM tech stack earlier because revenue and deal complexity were rapidly increasing.”

 

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Why OpenAI Chose Nue

 

OpenAI wasn’t just looking for any CPQ.

 

They needed a platform as dynamic as their business—one that could offer a mix of rigidity and flexibility to support its seat-based subscription and consumption-based API offerings, which are sold in different verticals, everything from enterprise and government to B2B SaaS.

 

So, why was Nue the right fit? 

 

As OpenAI’s product offerings quickly evolve, they can quickly adapt their products, pricing and processes, giving OpenAI the freedom to adapt without missing a beat.

 

 

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How OpenAI Rolled Out Nue in Eight Weeks

 

CPQ rollouts can be notorious for being slow, complex, and expensive, often dragging on for months, if not years. 

 

OpenAI didn’t have that kind of time. They established what Jones described as an “audacious goal”: get Nue live as fast as humanly and technologically possible. In the end, they did it in just eight weeks.

 

It's an understatement to describe it as an impressive accomplishment. It is a testament to OpenAI’s people, best practices and partners.

 

“Our Phase 1 rollout of Nue CPQ has been one of the single smoothest deployments of my career,” Jones said. 

 

So, what were the keys to success?

 

Jones said the biggest factor was the recognition that trying to “boil the ocean” would likely be entirely unrealistic. Instead, OpenAI collaborated with key stakeholders to identify the critical requirements for a smooth rollout. With a laser focus on high-impact use cases first, OpenAI avoided unnecessary complexity and ensured adoption was fast. 

 

A well-executed CPQ implementation hinges on the right combination of strategy, people, process, and technical expertise. 

 

For OpenAI, that meant leveraging key technologists like Stella Wu to establish priorities and drive internal alignment while leading the technical configuration and implementation of Nue CPQ. A task that was not without its complexity but further buoyed by the inherent flexibility of Nue.

 

This approach allowed OpenAI to launch Phase 1 quickly while laying the foundation for continuous enhancements, ensuring the platform can scale alongside its rapid growth and evolving needs.

 

 

Jones said a pleasant surprise is how Nue handles tiered and volume pricing via out-of-the-box functionality that is intuitive, easy to manage and requires minimal administrative work to maintain over time.  

 

“Nue's Revenue Lifecycle Manager allows for further flexibility on subscription management and feels like a significant upgrade from the legacy contract-based approach in other CPQ applications.” 

 

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Use Cases: How OpenAI is Leveraging Nue

 

OpenAI’s journey with Nue is an extreme example of a challenge many fast-growing companies can relate to—fixing and improving processes without slowing down. Here is how OpenAI is leveraging Nue to expand its  ChatGPT Enterprise business.

 

Accelerating Global Revenue Operations with a Scalable CPQ

 

Nue’s flexible pricing and quoting solutions allow OpenAI to manage complex subscription and consumption-based models across multiple business lines. With intuitive, out-of-the-box support for tiered and volume pricing, OpenAI can seamlessly adjust strategies and scale without operational bottlenecks.

 

Streamlining Subscription and Revenue Lifecycle Management

 

Unlike traditional CPQ platforms, Nue is flexible, allowing OpenAI to update subscriptions independently of any associated opportunities. This reduces friction in contract adjustments and allows real-time modifications that improve financial forecasting.

 

Driving Sales Efficiency and Revenue Intelligence

 

Nue is natively integrated with Salesforce enabling OpenAI to track revenue in real-time across sales, finance, and operations, eliminating data silos and streamlining decision-making. The ability to generate quotes, approve deals, and analyze revenue performance within a single system has significantly improved sales efficiency.

 

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Technology that employees love 

 

OpenAI’s sales team isn’t just using Nue—they love it!

 

What used to be a cumbersome, time-consuming process is now lightning-fast. 

 

Reps can configure even the most complex subscription and usage-based deals in minutes, with pricing and terms automatically aligned. 

 

With Nue, OpenAI’s sales team can focus on what they do best: closing deals, not wrestling with complex pricing tools.

 

Jones summed up the impact: 

 

“It’s perfectly understandable that changes put forth by a systems team can be unwelcome due to the simple fact that change requires sales teams and others to take time away from their demanding roles to acclimate to new processes.”

 

 

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So what’s over the horizon for OpenAI and Nue?

 

Only half-joking, Jones says, “Approvals, approvals, approvals.”

 

“I can’t express enough how excited I am to see us introduce a creative and modular approach to approvals. This is a particular aspect of most solutions on the market that has remained largely stagnant.”

 

 

The ability to configure granular, highly responsive approval processes ensures that sales, finance, and RevOps teams remain aligned without unnecessary delays. 

 

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The Future of AI Needs a Smarter CPQ—And OpenAI Found It in Nue

 

As OpenAI continues to push the boundaries of artificial intelligence, it demands technology that can keep up. 

 

With Nue, OpenAI has eliminated the inefficiencies of manual CPQ processes, seamlessly integrated complex pricing models, and empowered its teams to operate at full speed. 

 

What once took hours is now handled in seconds with Nue’s intuitive, automated workflows.

 

But this is just the beginning. 

 

OpenAI’s journey with Nue proves that a successful CPQ strategy is a strategic growth catalyst. 

 

Whether streamlining global approvals, adapting pricing models in real-time, or scaling into new markets, Nue ensures that OpenAI’s revenue operations move as fast as its innovation.

 

For fast-growing companies looking to break free from legacy systems and accelerate their revenue lifecycle, the question isn’t if they need a modern CPQ but how soon they can implement one. 

 

OpenAI’s success proves that with the right platform and strategy, CPQ transformation doesn’t have to be slow or painful—it can be a game-changer.

 

Ready to transform your CPQ and accelerate growth like OpenAI?

 

Don’t let legacy systems slow you down. See how Nue can drive your revenue growth today.

 

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Advice to SaaS companies deploying a CPQ.

 

Jones encourages technologists and operators worldwide to revisit every assumption they have ever had about CPQ before implementation. Instead of viewing it as simply a quoting tool, companies should treat CPQ as a strategic revenue enabler that connects sales, finance, and customer success. 

 

“CPQ is undoubtedly one of the gnarlier efforts any GTM or GTM Systems team will take on, regardless of the technology in play. But Nue brought something truly innovative to the market. I can’t wait to see what further success stories they’re able to share with other customers in the future.”