RevOps Framework Deep Dive: Systems & Tools

Recently, we published the Hyperscayle RevOps Framework. Hyperscayle defines revenue operations as the design and execution of Go-To-Market (GTM) processes and systems across the lead-to-cash lifecycle.   

To us, this includes marketing operations, sales operations, customer success operations, channel operations, and finance operations. Ours is a holistic view, not thinking in terms of silos bolted together, but rather as steps of a unified process. We created the Hyperscayle RevOps framework to further structure our approach. 

The categories of our framework include leadership alignment, process definition, team structure, systems & tools, and data foundation. These five categories cover all facets of a holistic RevOps program, and Hyperscayle uses this framework to organize our efforts and prioritize the right things for our clients.  

Each of these categories is a weighty topic, so this article is a deep dive into RevOps systems and tools. 

When people think of Revenue Operations, systems and tools are some of the first things that come to mind. However, there’s a lot more to this topic than just what software you buy. We recommend thinking about three very important areas around systems and tools, which are building the process first, making smart technology choices, and supporting these systems with an adequate team. Let’s look at each one of these.

Technology Matters, but Process Comes First

We firmly believe in a process-first approach. And while in theory, almost everyone will agree with this, in practice it is often forgotten. It is crucial to start any decision about technology platforms - or how to configure them - by looking at what business process you are trying to capture/automate.  

More often than not, there is work to be done to build consensus on what the business process should be and how to drive adoption within the team. For example, if marketing and sales don’t agree on how lead qualification and handoff to sales should work, then no matter what software you implement, your funnel is going to be a mess.  

This is especially important to remember when you are considering add-on purchases that expand your technology stack. There is a dizzying array of RevOps tools on the market, covering a range of categories like data enrichment, intent, data cleansing, account-based marketing (ABM) and sales enablement.  

The discussion usually starts when someone suggests adding a new tool as a way to solve a business problem. An example could be, “Our lead quality is bad, and we aren’t getting the right prospects into the funnel. We need an intent platform!” Or perhaps, “Our account data quality is terrible in our CRM, so we should buy a third-party enrichment solution to fill in the blanks.”

Whatever the specific situation is, it’s very common for the default answer to be to buy another tool and bolt it onto the tech stack.  

There are indeed cases where adding new tools is the right move, but before doing so, the RevOps team should take a step back and look at the business process they are trying to address.  

• Is it well defined?  

• Do all the relevant teams agree on that definition?  

• Is it being followed as designed, or in practice are the teams doing something different?  

Answering these questions will help determine if the process itself is to blame, or if you really do need a new tool to address the problem. And if you do need a new tool, this exercise is never a waste of time. It will enable you to do a better job selecting the tool you ultimately buy! 

Make Smart RevOps Technology Stack Choices 

When you are ready to invest in a tech stack – whether establishing it from scratch or upgrading an existing stack – start with a focus on three core systems:

• Marketing Automation Platform (MAP)

• Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

• Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)

These three categories of systems form the backbone of any GTM stack because they handle everything from lead to cash, including capturing leads, managing sales opportunities, recognizing revenue, and invoicing. The most common are Salesforce, HubSpot, Marketo and NetSuite.

So what’s the right tool for you?

We get asked this A LOT while doing systems implementations and RevOps Diagnostic, and the right answer varies for each business, but our general principle is to err on the side of simplicity. If you’re looking for a car, and all you really need is to commute 10 minutes to work and back, then you don’t need a Ferrari. All you need is a standard sedan. Too many companies buy heavy-weight enterprise tools before they really need them, which cost significantly more money and are significantly more difficult to maintain.  

The same principle applies when considering whether to switch platforms. Often when a company starts to have problems related to RevOps it’s because of a heavy burden of tech debt in an existing core system. The common reaction then is to say, “Oh system X hasn’t worked for us, let’s buy Y instead and start fresh.” However, we usually advise people against switching solely because the current system has tech debt.  

It is usually easier to clean up tech debt than migrate to a whole new instance. Plus, in keeping with a process-first approach, we usually find the root cause is poorly defined business processes rather than the system really being at fault. In these situations, switching platforms means you’ll spend a lot of time and effort to end up in the same place with the same problem a year later. 

So what about all the other tools that make up the rest of a tech stack? Outside of the core systems, most organizations will have a sales outreach tool, one or more data enrichment tools, an ABM tool, and probably more. The total number of RevOps technologies in the market grows every year, and the sheer number of choices can be overwhelming.  

It’s common for organizations to buy too many of these satellite tools and end up wasting budget on redundant or underused technologies. This is another place where outside experts can help a lot. We are often asked to help decide what additional tools to add or to evaluate an existing tech stack and advise about what tools can be removed. 

Consider the People Required Support RevOps Tools 

As you can imagine, maintaining a full RevOps tech stack and supporting a big group of users can be a long-term challenge. Most scaling companies make a minimal investment in their Revenue Operations team, often expecting a couple of beleaguered analysts to maintain 20 different systems and platforms. Odds are this means the tech stack is increasingly held together with proverbial duct tape and baling wire, and the return on investment for RevOps technology never materializes.  

If you’re considering adding a new tool, you must ask, “Which department is going to own this system? Who on their team has the technical expertise and experience?” Any tool or platform is only as good as the people who build and maintain it, so when considering an investment, it is important to factor in the cost of hiring operations experts to work with it. If you are going to buy a plane, you must also hire a pilot. 

The Bottom Line on RevOps Systems and Tools 

Of course, choosing the right technology for your company is important, but putting process first and properly supporting the tech stack are also crucial.  

Click here for a review of our overall RevOps framework, and articles exploring the other categories that make it up.