Picture a kid’s birthday party with zero parental supervision. Nobody is stocking the fridge with soda or making sure the trampoline is safe. You might think this sounds fine; plenty of kids dream of just being left to it. But the reality is it’s hard to have fun when everyone is dehydrated and the trampoline’s broken.
Well, that’s basically what happens to your RevOps function when there’s no system manager. Everyone is left to their own device, which generally does not lead to sales and marketing working together in perfect harmony.
That’s why we’re going to explain how system management fits into a successful RevOps strategy — and teach you how to build an effective system.
What is System Management in RevOps?
Systems Management was originally an IT term referring to the centralized administration of an organization’s computer networks. But because RevOps is a blended function, incorporating skills from tech, business strategy and sales and marketing, system management in this context is a more complex concept - and harder to implement.
A traditional systems manager is responsible for ensuring the IT system stays functional, whereas a RevOps system manager does the same thing for your RevOps tech sack and optimizes the systems to produce the greatest possible revenue uplift.
Typically, this means they have three goals:
- Gaining visibility of the RevOps system to understand how it works as a cohesive whole
- Maintaining the system, removing bottlenecks and ensuring it functions as intended
- Optimizing the system to align sales and marketing, enhance collaboration and deliver optimal bottom-line results
In order to meet those goals, there are four key steps they need to follow.
Four Steps to Build a RevOps System
1. Map the tech stack
RevOps systems managers need to understand both their existing system and the ideal processes they are working towards. Start by consulting with a team of sales, marketing and customer service executives to determine the ideal system that would accelerate and improve your buyer journey.
Next, you need to map out the existing tech stack. This includes all of the sales and marketing functions it facilitates and tracks and how they relate to the buyer journey.
While you do this, rank both the effectiveness and necessity of each system. Organizations often accumulate numerous systems over time, and many are either not optimized or simply not serving a clear enough purpose. This ranking will help you determine what can be removed, what needs to be overhauled and what simply needs to be maintained.
Key actions:
- Sketch an ‘ideal’ RevOps system
- Map out the existing RevOps tech stack
- Assess which systems need to be improved or removed
2. Optimize your dataflow
A RevOps system is only as good as the data that flows through it. Your next job is to determine which software holds which data; the quality and reliability of that data; who it is relevant to and when; and how it should therefore flow through the system.
A simple principle here is nobody should have access to data that will not help them in their role. Your role is not simply to make systems operate; it’s to make them user-friendly so that every sales rep, marketer and customer service employee can focus exclusively on driving results.
It’s also important here to stress the importance of universal definitions. Individuals often have slight ideas of what constitutes a lead or different Lifecycle and Deal status leading inevitably to confusion and miscommunication. Avoid this by creating a set of universal definitions so that information can be properly labeled and individuals can reference your definitions to understand what is being communicated.
Key actions:
- Assess your existing data practices
- Design an optimal dataflow
- Create universal definitions for specific terminology
3. Design system rules
An ideal RevOps system will work effectively without constant oversight. It is best practice to design clear system rules that enable teams to work autonomously without consulting developers every time they need to access or change something in the IT system.
This will typically mean giving specific individuals access to specific systems or data and creating a clear set of protocols so that individuals know who to ask for what. The following questions should be addressed:
- Who has what responsibilities and rights within the system?
- Who has access to what information?
- Who can build new processes?
- And how does all of this serve the organization’s larger revenue goals?
The goal should be to design a system that is as simple as it can be without creating bottlenecks.
Key actions:
- Create a data governance framework
- Assign individuals and teams with access to the relevant systems
- Assess the rules to ensure there are no bottlenecks
4. Regularly evaluate and clean the system
RevOps is not a ‘one and done’ function. You need to build regular updates and evaluations into your workflow to ensure problems are addressed swiftly and things continue to optimize.
Set up a regular cadence where you individually assess the system. Additionally, establish regular check-ins with relevant executives to get feedback and plan for upcoming sales and marketing strategies. This will not only ensure the system is well maintained; it will increase buy-in and build confidence in your system.
It is RevOps best practice to continually remove and replace systems which are not functioning optimally. This should be approached methodically, undertaking a cost/benefit analysis to understand how difficult overhauling a given system will be - and what are the realistic benefits.
Key actions:
- Plan regular systems evaluation (at least once per month)
- Schedule regular check-ins with sales and marketing executives to plan for the future
- Undertake regular assessments of existing systems to determine whether they should be replaced
Take Your RevOps Strategy to the Next Level
RevOps systems management is like being a parent at a birthday party. But that role is always more fun (and more effective) when you have lots of support, which is why working with a RevOps agency is so popular.
Want to learn how ProperExpression can help your B2B brand build flawless RevOps systems that scale and improve over time while utilizing HubSpot to deliver lasting improvements to your bottom line?
1. https://marketbusinessnews.com/financial-glossary/systems-management-definition-meaning/
2. https://knowledge.hubspot.com/contacts/use-lifecycle-stages
