The right path toward operational maturity

In the rapidly evolving world of B2B marketing and sales, we’re constantly on the lookout for what sets the best apart from the rest. That’s where the concept of operational maturity comes into play. Think of it as a secret sauce for organizations aiming to streamline their go-to-market strategies. But what does operational maturity really mean, and why is it so pivotal to success?

What is operational maturity?

Operational maturity isn’t about how advanced your tools are or the size of your RevOps team. Instead, it’s about measuring how effectively your company combines process, technology, and teams to push growth, stay agile, and deliver standout value to customers. It’s a trifecta of go-to-market team alignment, data management capabilities, and RevTech stack readiness. In simpler terms, it’s about making sure everything and everyone works together smoothly to achieve strategic goals.

To shed light on this critical aspect of business operations, Openprise fielded a comprehensive industry survey in collaboration with MarketingOps and the RevOps Co-op, gathering insights from hundreds of global revenue ops professionals. The result is The 2024 State of RevOps Survey, a seminal report that not only benchmarks operational maturity across industries but also offers a roadmap for organizations aiming to refine their revenue operations strategies.

Let’s dive into some of the key findings.

The 2024 State of RevOps Survey

The average survey respondent reported working in B2B organizations with 100 to 499 employees. Although this sample size may influence our maturity findings, we found no notable deviations in responses from employees working for organizations with 500 or more employees. Only a small number of respondents reported working for B2C organizations.

That said, we found that a company’s size doesn’t significantly influence its maturity. Our study asked a few key questions. Here are your peers’ answers.

Does having a RevOps department improve go-to-market team alignment?

The short answer: not really.

Our study examined organizations with formal Revenue Operations departments to see whether or not they experienced better alignment than the overall average. Results show there are no statistically significant variations from the general population in any category.

Given the lack of maturity across all aspects most organizations report, several factors contribute to misalignment:

Leadership infighting
Lack of investment
Operational talent gaps
Insurmountable technology challenges
Changing market conditions

However, one key thing is missing: the why behind it all. We’ll need to collect more data to better understand the reasons for misalignment.

Which option best describes how your team manages its data?

Over half of the organizations surveyed have centralized data sources that automatically integrate with most revenue technology tools. These organizations can spend more time looking for patterns and anomalies instead of wasting it on manually combining sources. Operations professionals in these organizations are better able to meaningfully impact go-to-market efficiency.

However, a significant portion of organizations still struggle with fragmented data sources, relying on manual processes like spreadsheet entries for data aggregation. The path to operational maturity for these organizations begins with prioritizing centralized data management and automation.

Which option best describes your team’s RevTech stack?

Although more than half of the organizations surveyed report that their tools are efficiently integrated into a single data source, only eight percent believe their systems are optimized for end users. The latter is crucial, as usability needs to be improved for the ability to effectively collect and refresh first-party data.

Does company size impact operational maturity?

Not necessarily.

We found that there are no statistically significant changes in operational maturity scores in organizations with more employees versus smaller companies. Working in a large organization doesn’t guarantee peak operational efficiency, nor does it negate the idea that small organizations can pivot and quickly adapt.

However, the survey documented clear consistencies in both highly mature organizations’ and early maturity organizations’ values and priorities. This suggests that regardless of company size, the journey toward operational maturity shares common challenges and goals.

Your roadmap to success in 2024

Our 2024 State of RevOps Survey isn’t just a report – it’s a roadmap to help professionals reach peak operational maturity in the ever-evolving world of B2B RevOps. Packed with data breakdowns, go-to strategies, and actionable insights, it’s the perfect guide for RevOps professionals to chart their way toward success in 2024.