BOSTON, MA--(Marketwire - February 6, 2008) - Companies are increasingly challenged with the
task of delivering customer integration to an ever-growing constituency
without placing additional burdens on an already stretched IT staff. For
this reason, Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) is an attractive option for
organizations because it provides a flexible self-serve platform that can
be used practically anywhere by a virtually unlimited number of users. A
recent survey conducted by Aberdeen, a Harte-Hanks Company (
NYSE:
HHS),
revealed that only 7% of respondents will not consider purchasing CRM
delivered via SaaS. The move towards SaaS as the preferred delivery method
for a CRM system is due in part by the need for organizations to find
efficient ways to increase the productivity of a diverse sales force.
The top pressure causing all organizations to focus resources on SaaS as a
CRM delivery method is the need to provide access to account information
anywhere to an increasingly mobile and global workforce. Best-in-Class
companies indicated that they currently blend organizational capabilities,
such as the ability to provide remote access to employees (95%) and CRM
security processes (57%), with technology deployment to positively affect
the productivity of sales reps, while reducing the IT constraints that
would accompany an on-premise solution. As a result, Best-in-Class
companies have reduced Time-to-Close 30% more than Laggards. Furthermore,
71% of Best-in-Class companies integrate lead management technology with a
CRM solution to provide increased visibility into the sales pipeline.
"Companies choosing on-demand CRM delivery are more pressured to provide
remote access than those that choose on-premises CRM. A built-in benefit of
Software-as-a-Service is being able to log in to the system through any web
browser," explains Gretchen Duhaime, Senior Research Analyst at Aberdeen.
"The potential downside, however, is the threat of login credentials
falling into the wrong hands, and sensitive customer information being
exposed. Best-in-Class are more likely than Industry Average or Laggards to
have CRM security processes in place, regardless of deployment model."
The report demonstrates the value of collectively leveraging organizational
practices in process, performance measurement, knowledge management and
technology to maximize the productivity and efficiency of an organization's
CRM system and sales force. By utilizing CRM/SFA (90%) and system access
restrictions (67%), Best-in-Class companies are able to provide their
employees with a secure repository of account, contact, and customer
information.
The research educates readers on how to leverage organizational
capabilities to support CRM implementation. The report also provides the
results that Best-in-Class companies achieve across key sales metrics after
employing processes and technologies and compares these companies to the
Industry Average and Laggards who have not yet pursued a similar strategy.
A complimentary copy of this report is made available due in part by the
following underwriters: Aplicor and Astadia. To obtain a complimentary
copy of the report, visit:
http://www.aberdeen.com/link/sponsor.asp?cid=4580.
About Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Company
Aberdeen is a leading provider of fact-based research and market
intelligence that delivers demonstrable results. Having benchmarked more
than 30,000 companies in the past two years, Aberdeen is uniquely
positioned to educate users to action: driving market awareness, creating
demand, enabling sales, and delivering meaningful return-on-investment
analysis. As the trusted advisor to the global technology markets,
corporations turn to Aberdeen™ for insights that drive decisions.
As a Harte-Hanks Company, Aberdeen plays a key role of putting content in
context for the global direct and targeted marketing company. Aberdeen's
analytical and independent view of the "customer optimization" process of
Harte-Hanks (Information - Opportunity - Insight - Engagement -
Interaction) extends the client value and accentuates the strategic role
Harte-Hanks brings to the market. For additional information, visit
Aberdeen
http://www.aberdeen.com or call (617) 723-7890, or to learn more
about Harte-Hanks, call (800) 456-9748 or go to
http://www.harte-hanks.com.
© 2008 Aberdeen Group, Inc., a Harte-Hanks Company
260 Franklin Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02110-3112
Telephone: (617) 723-7890
Fax: (617) 723-7897
www.aberdeen.com
Contact Information: Media Contact:
Gretchen Duhaime
Aberdeen Harte-Hanks
(617) 854-5350
Gretchen.duhaime@aberdeen.com