At Threekit, we built our platform around a clear idea: getting a manufacturer's sales reps, dealers, and customers to the right configuration and quote shouldn't take days. It should take seconds. Our AI-native CPQ takes a voice note, a photo, a plain-language request, and turns it into a valid configuration and proposal on the spot, without the 50-question forms that used to slow everyone down.
We're proud of what that speed unlocks for the manufacturers we work with. But building this category has taught us something that doesn't get talked about nearly enough in conversations about quoting software: a CPQ tool is only ever as good as the data it's working from. We've seen it firsthand: the fastest, smartest configuration engine in the world still depends on the CRM underneath it telling the truth.
That's a layer that too many manufacturers aren't thinking about when they evaluate sales tech, and it's exactly where our friends at Simple Machines help.
Who they are, and what they focus on
Simple Machines is a technical HubSpot consultancy and training firm based in Chicago, and they've built their practice around what they call Data Trust - the discipline of making sure the data running through your CRM is actually clean, governed, and reliable enough to build on. Rather than one-off cleanups, they look at this as an ongoing practice: deduplication that runs continuously, validation rules that catch bad data before it spreads, and clear ownership over what's feeding your automation and reporting.
They also specialize in something a lot of manufacturers need but rarely find in one partner: connecting HubSpot to the systems that run the rest of the business: ERP platforms like Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Epicor, accounting systems like QuickBooks and NetSuite, so the CRM, the quoting tool, and the back office are all working from the same facts instead of three different versions of the truth.
What this actually prevents
In practice, Data Trust is what stands between a manufacturer and a handful of quiet, expensive problems:
- A dealer's account record hasn't been updated, and a quote goes out against the wrong pricing tier.
- Two records exist for the same customer, and a configuration or entitlement gets pulled from the wrong one.
- The CRM and the ERP disagree, so a technically correct quote can't actually be fulfilled or invoiced as written.
None of these are failures of the quoting tool. They're failures of the foundation underneath it, and they're exactly what Simple Machines' work is designed to catch before they reach a customer.
Why this matters more as CPQ gets smarter
Here's the part we think about a lot: as AI-native tools like ours take on more of the work, such as reasoning over a photo or a voice note instead of a rigid form, there's less manual double-checking left in the process to catch a bad assumption before it goes out the door. That's not a knock on AI-native CPQ; it's exactly why it's better. But it does mean the foundation matters more, not less. The smarter the tool, the more it depends on getting good information to reason over.
That's the case for thinking about your CRM's data trust and your CPQ platform at the same time, not as two separate projects on two separate timelines.
Our recommendation
If you're a manufacturer running HubSpot, or thinking about a CPQ investment and wondering whether your systems can actually support it, Simple Machines is who we'd point you to. They're the team we'd trust to make sure the data underneath any quoting tool - ours included - is something you can actually build a business on.
FAQ
What is Data Trust?
Data Trust is Simple Machines’ practice of keeping CRM data clean, governed, and reliable on an ongoing basis, through continuous deduplication, validation rules, and clear ownership of the data feeding automation and reporting, rather than treating data quality as a one-time cleanup.
Why does CRM data quality matter for CPQ tools?
A CPQ platform configures and quotes based on whatever the CRM tells it: pricing tiers, entitlements, account and product data. If that data is duplicated, outdated, or disconnected from other systems, the CPQ can produce fast, confident quotes that are still wrong. Clean, trustworthy CRM data is the foundation any CPQ tool depends on.
Who helps manufacturers connect HubSpot to their ERP or accounting systems?
Simple Machines specializes in this, integrating HubSpot with ERP platforms like Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Epicor, and accounting systems like QuickBooks and NetSuite, so manufacturers' CRM, quoting, and financial systems are working from the same data.