New research released by Forrester Consulting, and commissioned by Salesforce, surveyed nearly 800 executives and nearly 1,500 CRM users across 15 countries to understand the trends driving CRM technology success and innovation.
To meet ever-evolving customer expectations and more flexible workplace environments, companies are tapping into a new generation of CRM use and strategy that connects data across departments to automate processes, drive personalization, and support productivity from anywhere, according to a new report from Salesforce.
New research released by Forrester Consulting, and commissioned by Salesforce, surveyed nearly 800 executives and nearly 1,500 CRM users across 15 countries to understand the trends driving CRM technology success and innovation.
The research found that CRM systems are used to drive customer growth, business productivity and resiliency, and market differentiation. Despite massive market disruption, however, CRM system usage over the past couple years has remained largely flat, and frankly, isn’t delivering on expectations.
Less than half of respondents noted that their CRM system supports the entire customer lifecycle, from discovery to engagement and retention, but nearly 80% believe it should.
73% of executives say CRM use is fragmented at their organization, with some or all departments each using their own CRM system. 50% of employees agree that since not all departments use the same CRM system, they cannot share information easily across teams.
Fifty-seven percent of executives report struggling to maintain good CX with the shift to remote work because their CRM systems were not well-integrated and accessible.
Employees and executives alike note their top challenges are productivity, information access, and communication and coordination challenges caused by the shift to remote work.
“When unified, accessible CRM systems are the central tool in an employee’s toolkit, they are better able to navigate a remote or flexible workplace while continuing to create great CX for customers. And executives can more easily adapt go-to-market strategies to pivot during times of change or uncertainty,” notes the report.