Survey Says: CRM Adoption Strong Among SMBs

Increasingly small to mid-size businesses are adopting CRM solutions and the percentage of CRM functionality they use is higher than one might have anticipated, according to the results of a May survey conducted by research firm ITIC, which polled over 200 SMBs.

Seventy-four percent of the survey respondents indicated they have a CRM platform, and 52% of them said their companies use at least 50% of the solution's functionality. Additionally, half of the survey respondents said they are analyzing requirements or evaluating (new or upgraded) CRM solutions with an eye toward adoption; and another 20% plan to install a CRM solution within the next six to 12 months. Twenty-six percent of the respondents said they've used a CRM solution for over 10 years and 26% of the survey participants said they were not currently using a CRM solution.

The survey, which was commissioned by OSF Global Services, also looked at CRM deployment trends, timetables and specific vendor products; issues that propel and/or impede CRM deployment and usage; the types of CRM deployed-on-premise, SaaS, cloud or a hybrid; and the benefits the company as well as its customer derived from a CRM solution.

"These C-level executives and IT managers were extremely forthcoming about what they liked and disliked regarding their CRM experiences," said ITIC principal analyst Laura DiDio, in a statement. "Participants clearly recognize and embrace both the potential and actual benefits a CRM solution delivers to them and their customers. At the same time they are anxious for CRM solution providers to appreciate and respond to the unique needs of SMBs."

Gerry Szatvanyi, President and CEO of OSF Global Services, said the CRM adoption rates indicate that companies can no longer ...