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Bluewolf's The State of Salesforce Report Reveals 77 Percent Think Their Companies Could Do More with SalesforceNEW YORK, Sept. 26, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Global consulting agency, Bluewolf, an IBM Company, has released its fifth annual The State of Salesforce Report that evaluates how companies use and capitalize on the promise of the world's #1 CRM platform. Based on insights from more than 1,700 Salesforce customers worldwide, the 2016-2017 report reveals that while 96 percent of respondents say they see innovation potential with Salesforce, 77 percent think their companies could be doing more with their Salesforce investments. Bluewolf's report delves deep into how the best companies are committing to ongoing innovation with Salesforce and not married to the status quo. Bluewolf defines the "best" as companies that are leveraging intelligent applications, investing in multi-cloud integrations, and improving experience design to drive exceptional customer experiences. Intelligent applications are key to driving better outcomes 63 percent of company respondents will increase their Salesforce budgets next year–13 percent by more than 50 percent. Salesforce has the ability to integrate experiences and processes, and deliver intelligent recommendations for employee and customers; but the reality is that bad data, lack of integration, and antiquated processes are preventing businesses from actualizing business outcomes. However, the more intelligent a company's applications are, the more likely they are to succeed. 65 percent of companies are investing to make their analytics more actionable. And 75 percent of companies increasing investment in analytics have cited revenue gains as a measurable business outcome attributable to their use of Salesforce. Customer experience starts with the employee experience More than quarter (27 percent) of salespeople see inputting data as simply a means to satisfy reporting requireents. But when employees say Salesforce is easier to use–like running an entire sales cycle from their phones–companies are almost three times more likely to see cost reductions and twice as likely to see revenue gains as attributable to Salesforce. Companies that prioritize the customer experience must first start with continually improving the employee experience. While 52 percent of companies are releasing changes to their Salesforce orgs at least monthly, they need to remember that user experience (UX) is more than just mobile–the best companies think about the daily routines of each user and fully integrate Salesforce into their day-to-day. Perfect data is a farce–don't let it stall innovation 54 percent of marketers believe that when their company moves a process into Salesforce, the process improves; yet 34 percent of marketers use Salesforce for reporting or lead routing only. Additionally, only 26 percent believe their data quality is a competitive advantage or strategic asset. Data is a universal struggle, but it doesn't have to limit innovation. Of those who see great innovation potential in the Salesforce platform, 46 percent rated their own data quality practices as emerging or in need of improvement. The best companies don't wait for perfect data to start innovating; they are realizing the benefits of Salesforce with the data they have now. "To thrive in today's digital economy, where disruptors come quickly and unexpectedly, businesses must make customer and employee engagement their top priority," said Eric Berridge, CEO, Bluewolf. "This year's The State of Salesforce Report shows that technology matters less than how you're using it. Elevating processes with intelligence, intuitive UX, and actionable insights will help companies get closer to their customers and get to their future now." Bluewolf's annual report surveyed more than 1,700 Salesforce customers. The respondents were employees of very large enterprises (more than 1,000 employees), large enterprises (up to 1,000 employees), and medium to small enterprises (fewer than 500 employees). The study was conducted via online survey in the second and third quarters of 2016.
About Bluewolf Salesforce, Customer Success Platform and others are among the trademarks of salesforce.com, inc. Media Contact: Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160925/411530 To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bluewolfs-the-state-of-salesforce-report-reveals-77-percent-think-their-companies-could-do-more-with-salesforce-300333747.html SOURCE Bluewolf, an IBM Company |