Shelfware Shuffle: the Silent Killer of RevOps Efficiency

According to Rattle’s excellent new State of RevOps report, 50% of RevOps professionals surveyed think their tech stack isn't being fully utilized. That’s a really high number. Just imagine if half of all Ferrari owners were using their sports cars solely to drive to the mailbox and back.

Enter the shelfware problem.

Shelfware refers to software that's purchased but not effectively used. It's an issue that (for a bunch of reasons I’ll discuss in a minute) is more prevalent within RevOps teams than most other parts of the modern SaaS org. The problem also highlights a yawning disconnect: despite the growing investment in RevOps, many RevOps teams struggle to maximize the ROI of their tech investments. This leads to wasted resources and untapped potential.

In this newsletter, I’m taking a deep dive into the root causes of the shelfware problem and providing frameworks for revenue leaders to address it effectively. We'll explore the unique challenges RevOps teams face, like complex tech stacks, rapidly evolving tools, and pressure to demonstrate ROI, to name a few. I'll share practical strategies that I’ve seen successful organizations use to maximize the value of their RevOps tech investments–such as conducting comprehensive audits, implementing effective onboarding and training, aligning tools with business processes, and fostering a culture of adoption and continuous improvement. By the end of this newsletter, you will (I hope!) have a clearer understanding of the shelfware problem and a toolbelt of strategies to better ensure your RevOps tech stack is fully leveraged and driving measurable results.

Root causes of the shelfware problem

The shelfware problem in RevOps can be attributed to three interconnected factors that create challenges for teams trying to maximize the value of their tech investments. By understanding these interconnected root causes, revenue leaders should be better able to develop targeted strategies to address them.

Cross-functional tech stacks

Revenue operators work with a vast array of tools that reflect the cross-functional nature of their roles. This complexity can lead to a lack of clarity on how each tool fits into the overall revenue strategy, resulting in underutilization or redundancy.

Consider a typical RevOps tech stack, which might include a marketing automation platform (e.g., Marketo or HubSpot), a sales engagement tool (e.g., Outreach or SalesLoft), a customer success platform (e.g., Gainsight or ChurnZero), and a BI tool (e.g., Tableau or Looker). Each of these tools serves a specific purpose within the revenue pipeline, but without a clear understanding of how they interact and contribute to the overall revenue strategy, teams may struggle to leverage them effectively. More than that, the sheer number of tools in a RevOps tech stack can lead to redundancy, with multiple tools serving similar purposes. This not only increases costs but also creates confusion among team members who may be unsure which tool to use for a given task.

Pressure to demonstrate ROI

RevOps teams face growing pressure to prove the value of their tech investments to stakeholders. In an effort to quickly justify the cost of new tools, teams may prioritize short-term wins over long-term adoption and optimization strategies.

This short-sighted approach leads to a slew of problems. First, teams may rush through the implementation process without properly integrating the tool into their existing workflows or providing adequate training to users. Without proper training and support, team members may struggle to incorporate new tools into their daily workflows, leading to low adoption rates and suboptimal usage. Second, they may focus on vanity metrics that don't accurately reflect the tool's impact on revenue generation or operational efficiency. Finally, once the initial excitement of the new tool wears off, teams may neglect ongoing maintenance and optimization, leading to underutilization or even abandonment.

Rapid evolution and overabundance of RevOps tools

For better or for worse, the RevOps tech landscape is a) rapidly evolving and b) rapidly expanding.

On the one hand, as new technologies emerge and existing tools add new features, it becomes increasingly challenging to keep pace and fully leverage their current tech stack before it becomes outdated. Constant evolution also creates the pressure to adopt the latest technologies, leading teams to hastily acquire new tools without fully considering how they fit into their existing workflow or whether they duplicate the functionality of current tools. This can result in a bloated tech stack with overlapping features and underutilized tools.

On the other, the abundance of tools in the market can be overwhelming. There are countless options for marketing automation, sales enablement, customer success, analytics, and other RevOps functions. This wide array of choices can lead to decision paralysis, as teams struggle to identify the best tools for their specific needs. As a result, they may end up with a collection of tools that don't work well together or fail to address their most pressing challenges.

How to avoid shelfware and maximize tool ROI

Alright, let's dive into some actionable strategies you can use to tackle the shelfware problem head-on and get the most bang for your buck when it comes to your RevOps tech investments.

Audit, audit, audit

First off, you need to take a good, hard look at your RevOps tech stack and figure out which tools are pulling their weight and which ones are just collecting virtual dust. Here's how:

• Connect each tool to your revenue goals and processes – if you can't draw a clear line, that's a red flag
• Dig into the usage data and chat with your team to get their honest feedback
• Evaluate the ROI of each tool based on how it's impacting your key metrics

Implement effective onboarding and training

Proper onboarding and ongoing training are critical for ensuring that RevOps team members are able to fully leverage the tools at their disposal. This should include:

• Providing hands-on training that covers all the key features and use cases
• Creating a library of resources, like user guides and video tutorials, that they can refer back to
• Designating tool champions who can offer ongoing support and guidance

Align tools with business processes

To really maximize the value of your stack, you need to ensure that your tools are working seamlessly with your overall business processes and revenue goals. Here's how:

• Map each tool to specific stages of your revenue pipeline and key performance indicators
• Weave your tools into your team's daily workflows and encourage their use through smart process design
• Regularly review and optimize your processes to ensure your tools are being used effectively

Foster a culture of adoption and continuous improvement

Finally, to truly maximize the ROI of your RevOps tech stack, you need to foster a culture that's all about embracing technology and always striving to be better. That means:

• Encouraging your team to experiment, share feedback, and learn from each other in a supportive environment
• Celebrating wins and sharing best practices across the organization when a tool adoption really hits the mark
• Keeping a constant pulse on tool usage and impact, and using that data to make informed decisions about optimizations

Wrapping up

So there you have it – a roadmap for overcoming the challenges of the shelfware problem and setting your RevOps team up for long-term success. By taking a proactive, strategic approach to technology management, you'll be able to maximize the ROI of your tech stack and crush your revenue goals like never before.

The shelfware problem is a real and growing challenge for RevOps teams, but it's not an insurmountable one. By understanding the root causes–the complexity of cross-functional tech stacks, the pressure to demonstrate ROI, and the rapid evolution of tools–you can develop targeted strategies to address them head-on.

Regularly auditing your tech stack, implementing effective onboarding and training, aligning tools with business processes, and fostering a culture of adoption and continuous improvement are all powerful levers you can pull to ensure your RevOps tools are being fully utilized and delivering measurable value.

Ultimately, the key is to be intentional and strategic about your technology investments. Don't just chase the latest shiny object or bow to pressure from stakeholders to demonstrate quick wins. Instead, take a long-term view and focus on building a lean, efficient tech stack that's closely aligned with your revenue goals and processes.