Magic Quadrant for CRM and Customer
Experience Implementation Services,
Worldwide
Published 7 February 2019 - ID G00351111 - 51 min read
Customer experience and CRM implementation services remain in high demand, fueled by
demand for design, UX, commerce and analytics skills. We position major CX and CRM
service providers to help application leaders of CRM and CX initiatives identify providers
fitting their needs.
Strategic Planning Assumption
By 2022, demand for consulting and implementation services for digital marketing and
commerce initiatives (which are 40% today) will exceed services for core sales and customer
services (60% today).
Market Definition/Description
Gartner defines the CRM and customer experience (CX) implementation service market as
project-based services to help clients develop a CX strategy, transform a customer
relationship, and/or design, build, integrate and deploy process change and technology
solutions that improve interactions between organizations and their customers. These services
are specific to improving clients’ sales, customer service and marketing operations and
interactions with customers and also include commerce transaction enablement.
These projects have goals of improving customer satisfaction, acquiring new customers,
retaining customers, creating a single view of the customer, cross-selling/upselling to
customers, improving campaign response rates, transacting commerce, increasing customer
advocacy/referrals and/or improving margins via improved pricing.
CRM projects tend to focus on more traditional CRM technology implementations that
deploy core CRM systems-of-record applications. Over 80% of these projects involve the
deployment of technology. The major CRM software packages that are the most typical
systems of record include Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Oracle CX Cloud, SAP
C/4HANA (Hybris), Adobe Marketing, Pegasystems and Oracle Siebel.1 This part of the
market includes projects that upgrade, modernize or adapt existing CRM applications,
particularly when extending this to improve usability and analytics.
Customer experience (CX) projects encompass a far wider range of activities, and only 50%
of these projects involve the deployment of technology. They are often driven to change or
transform the business operations and modes of interaction with customers and include
marketing operations and commerce transaction enablement. The goals of these projects are
aiming to increase customer satisfaction, loyalty and advocacy (see “The Definition of
Customer Experience Management”). The skills needed for these projects tend to be more
creative and design-oriented, but it also requires analytics and process skills, including
business process transformation, digital commerce knowledge, information
architecture/migration, customer analytics and digital design.
There are eight primary differences between CRM and customer experience (CX):
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CX goals include a subset of CRM goals.
CX roles are at the executive level, while CRM roles are more linked to a single
department.
The permanence of a CX operational capability differs from the transience of a CRM
project team.
A CX initiative coordinates several projects, but a CRM project stands alone.
More time is needed to demonstrate the benefits of a superior CX than more-tactical
CRM.
CRM projects have more association with technology than CX projects.
The focus for CRM is on actions taken; in CX, it is on the customer’s perception of
the actions.
A rational approach is more important in CRM; in CX, the customer emotions matter
more.
For more, see “How to Tell the Difference Between Customer Experience and CRM
Projects.”
This market includes the work done by digital agencies but excludes work done by brand
agencies for chief marketing officers in branding, media buying, image projection and
strategic marketing initiatives. The assessment also excludes marketing operational services,
such as lead generation or customer service centers. The assessment also excludes application
management and modernization services related to CRM applications.
Magic Quadrant
Figure 1. Magic Quadrant for CRM and Customer Experience Implementation Services,
Worldwide
Source: Gartner (February 2019)
Vendor Strengths and Cautions
Accenture
Accenture is positioned in the Leaders quadrant due to its market presence, scale/scope of
capabilities and digital design orientation. Accenture’s approach is to leverage resources from
across business units, with Accenture Strategy setting vision, Accenture Consulting leading
business transformation, and Accenture Digital (including Accenture Interactive) providing
design, digital marketing and analytics, while Accenture Technology leads CRM technology
implementation. Accenture is a good fit for large enterprises needing complex CX or CRM
roadmaps and implementation efforts requiring multiple disciplines. Gartner estimates that
Accenture is one of the two largest CRM and CX implementation service providers, with
revenue estimated to be $3.5 billion in 2017 (about 9% of Accenture’s total revenue and 16%
of its consulting and implementation revenue).2 The industries that generate more than 12% of
its CRM and CX service revenue or are a strong focus of its CRM and CX services are
telecom/media, banking, retail and the public sector.3
Strengths
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Global scale and presence — Accenture leads the market in terms of revenue and
staff, as well as being referenced most frequently on competitive bids, according to
references that reported shortlist candidates. Accenture has the strongest ability to
support global and multinational accounts due to its extensive scale and global
breadth.
Digital design — Accenture leads clients through large initiatives to continuously
adapt in a manner that integrates new technology and digital design but also links to
legacy systems to support clients to become “living businesses.” Accenture has
continued on an aggressive agency acquisition spree related to CX and especially
digital design with over 20 acquisitions in 2017 and 2018. Recent ones include Kolle
Rebbe, Rothco, Phase One, Clearhead, Kaplan, Meredith Xcelerated Marketing, Wire
Stone and Altima. Ad Age named Accenture Interactive the largest digital network
worldwide in its Agency Report 2018.
Application partnerships — Accenture is either the largest or second largest partner
for all the major CRM technology providers, including Salesforce, Adobe, Oracle,
SAP, Microsoft (with Avanade) and Pegasystems. Accenture invests in solutions and
accelerators with all these partners to have both technical depth and accelerators.
Cautions
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Project agility and speed — References desired Accenture to be more flexible in the
approach to projects, to adhere to timelines and to manage scope change better. Clients
also noted that, at times, Accenture would utilize junior staff when the clients
anticipated more senior staff.
Integration of capabilities — Accenture is a large complex organization with five
business units, and the Accenture Digital business unit alone has resources aggregated
from over 40 acquired entities. At times, client interactions are with traditional
Accenture and/or acquired entities, which may not bring the full breadth of Accenture
capabilities together well. This is especially an issue with small rapid projects and for
clients that are not the largest most strategic for Accenture.
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Price — If pricing is a top criterion for selection, then evaluate Accenture with care.
Accenture tends to approach projects with large teams, and contracts typically quote
hourly rates higher than most competitors. Accenture also leverages teams drawn from
multiple delivery units for specialist skills. The combination of higher rates and large
teams often makes proposals from Accenture higher than many competitors.
BearingPoint
BearingPoint with its global alliance partners is positioned in the Niche Players quadrant. It
utilizes an effective consultative and innovative approach to CX operational transformation
that leverages technology. BearingPoint partners with West Monroe Partners, gA and ABeam
Consulting, which are all regional consulting firms that support each other’s clients globally.
Gartner estimates that BearingPoint, combined with its partners, makes up the 16th-largest
CX and CRM implementation service provider worldwide, with 2017 revenue of about $500
million.2 BearingPoint and West Monroe are good candidates for enterprises looking for
assistance with their CX strategy, digital commerce or Salesforce solutions. ABeam is a good
choice for Japanese clients looking for CRM software implementation skills, and gA is a good
choice for CRM software implementation in Latin America. The industries that generate more
than 12% of its CRM and CX service revenue or are a focus of its CRM and CX services are
banking, insurance, automotive, retail and the public sector.3
Strengths
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CX strategy — BearingPoint and partners have considerable business consulting and
architecture skills to develop CX strategies that are pragmatic and effective. A
consultative approach enables them to understand the objectives and nuances of the
client situation, then bring CX best practices, business frameworks and technologies to
address the client objectives. References gave BearingPoint and partners high ratings
in business acumen, business process consulting, technical architecture and system
integration.
Operational change management — BearingPoint and partners are strongest in
supporting clients through operational changes that require the combination of
business consulting and technology. This is particularly true with commerce and sales
initiatives where operational change is widespread.
Project management — References cited BearingPoint as being effective in project
execution. This included the collaborative approach, transparency, scope management
and delivery as expected. BearingPoint uses small teams led by senior consultants to
envision, design and implement solutions using workshops.
Cautions
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Digital marketing and design — BearingPoint has not invested in or acquired digital
agencies of digital design firms in the same way as its competitors. BearingPoint
references gave it relatively low ratings for mobile design, digital design and user
interface design.
Project resources — While references commented on the strength of BearingPoint’s
senior consultants, they also identified issues with some projects where less
experienced staff took too long to get up to speed. There were also instances where
BearingPoint communicated using “consultant speech” that was not concise and
digestible for the client.
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Geographic consistency — BearingPoint and each of its partners cover different
geographic regions and leverage each other to support global clients. Each of the four
partners has a different market focus and strengths. Increasingly, the partners share
methodologies and best practices. BearingPoint is the dominant partner with 60% of
the partnership’s total revenue from Europe. Thirty-one percent of revenue is driven
by ABeam in Asia (mostly Japan), and only 8% of revenue is from North America and
Latin America combined. Buyers in each region must evaluate the strengths and scale
of the regional partners relative to their requirements.
Capgemini
Capgemini is positioned in the Leaders quadrant due to its above-average market growth rate
and focus on solutions for large and/or complex projects. Capgemini is a good fit for projects
requiring business innovation, as well as CRM technical advisory and implementation skills,
particularly when related to digital commerce and customer service. Gartner estimates that
Capgemini is the fourth-largest CX and CRM implementation provider worldwide, with 2017
CX and CRM revenue estimated to be around $3.2 billion.2 The industries that generate more
than 12% of its CRM and CX service revenue or are a focus of its CRM and CX services are
banking, insurance, retail, the public sector and consumer goods.3
Strengths
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Customer collaboration — References consistently commented on the commitment,
style and collaborative nature of Capgemini teams. Several referred to Capgemini as a
trusted partner that listens well, is responsive to requirements and had the right attitude
to do what was needed for project success. The formation of Capgemini Invent
institutionalized a collaborative ideation studio approach and integrated the recently
acquired Fahrenheit 212, Idean and LiquidHub.
Commerce and customer service — Capgemini has for a long time had a particular
strength in the area of customer service and has been matching this with a strength in
digital commerce. The scale and scope of digital commerce competencies has steadily
expanded through targeted acquisitions, including Itelios and Lyons Consulting
Group.
Project execution — Capgemini has instilled consistency in delivery through its
digital CX foundry and center of excellence. References commented on Capgemini’s
ability to consistently execute projects with quality. References cited the openness and
transparency of the project management along with the competencies of architecture,
technology integration and CRM technology that drive project success.
Cautions
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Resource management — Multiple references commented on Capgemini project
teams having turnover and having some difficulty in replacing team members.
References also indicated that there was some erosion in senior team members and
that team members were overcommitted due to limited resources.
Proactive recommendations — Some references expressed a desire for Capgemini
resources to be more proactive and forthcoming in making recommendations. They
particularly wanted on-site resources to take a more active role in guiding and driving
solution development.
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Price — Capgemini’s fees for projects are typically higher than many competitors’. If
pricing is a top criterion for selection, then evaluate Capgemini with care. Capgemini
utilizes larger teams and has a higher reliance on on-site and nearshore delivery than
many competitors, especially in Europe.
Cognizant
Cognizant is positioned in the Leaders quadrant due to its market presence in selected
geographies, high growth rate and CRM implementation skills. Cognizant is a good fit for
firms looking for a responsive and adaptable partner for complex CRM and CX technology
solutions, particularly within specific industries, in North America and the U.K. Cognizant’s
Enterprise Application Services (EAS), Digital Business unit and Cognizant Interactive drive
most CRM and CX implementations. Gartner estimates that Cognizant is the seventh-largest
CX and CRM implementation service provider worldwide, with total 2017 revenue from CX
and CRM implementation services of about $1.5 billion.2 Cognizant is focused on a few
specific industries, and it is particularly effective at leveraging industry expertise within
banking/securities, insurance, healthcare, life sciences and retail.3
Strengths
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Adaptable and responsive — Multiple Cognizant references commented on the
responsive and adaptable approach that Cognizant takes. This included being
approachable, innovative and committed to the client outcomes. Several referred to
Cognizant as a trusted partner that listens well, is responsive to requirements and had
the attitude to do what is needed for project success.
Customer satisfaction — Cognizant references provided high ratings in multiple
customer satisfaction criteria, including overall experience, value for money and
overall execution. Many references were long-term Cognizant clients that are satisfied
from past projects.
Broad set of competencies — Cognizant has deep technology skills in architecture,
customer analytics, digital design, integration and major CRM software applications.
It has been aggressively building CX strategy, design and consulting capabilities
organically and through acquisitions in the last two years. These capabilities include
CX consulting (Advanced Technology Group and Softvision), digital strategy firms
(ReD Associates, Idea Couture and Brilliant Service), CRM implementation scale
(SaaSfocus) and digital marketing agencies (Mirabeau, Quick Left, Netcentric and
Zone).
Cautions
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Integration of acquisitions — Many Cognizant CX and CRM implementation
services are delivered from the Cognizant Salesforce practice and Cognizant
Interactive groups. These include the multiple acquisitions listed above, as well as
Cognizant consulting. There are times when these separate units operate too
autonomously and coordination across the delivery units is not as seamless as desired.
Global resource management — Multiple references commented on coordination of
resources between on-site teams and offshore delivery centers. In some times of high
demand, references identified instances where project teams were slow to be staffed
and changes in team members did not bring in the desired level of skills quickly
enough.
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Geographic coverage — Cognizant is strongest when leveraging its large India-based
delivery model for English-language customers. Of Cognizant’s CRM and CX
revenue, 75% is generated from North America, 20% within Europe and 5% in
Asia/Pacific. Cognizant has gradually been increasing revenue within Europe and
growing its European onshore resources, in part through recent acquisitions.
Deloitte
Deloitte is positioned in the Leaders quadrant due to market presence, scale, consulting
expertise and CX transformation competencies. Deloitte positions itself as a “creative digital
consultancy” and has consulting, design and implementation skills all in one organizational
structure. Deloitte is a good fit for enterprises that seek complex CX solutions requiring
business-consulting-led approaches, particularly when the business is looking for innovative
CX solutions for competitive differentiation. Gartner estimates that Deloitte is the largest CX
and CRM implementation service provider worldwide, with 2017 CX and CRM revenue
estimated to be $3.8 billion (17% of its consulting and implementation revenue).2 Deloitte
also has above-average organic growth. The industries that generate more than 12% of its
CRM and CX service revenue or are a focus of its CRM and CX services are discrete
manufacturing, utilities/energy, natural resources/oil/chemicals and retail.3
Strengths
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Business outcome orientation — Deloitte approaches CX services as part of digital
business transformation, leveraging business and industry consulting, along with CX
expertise and technology. Customer references commented on Deloitte’s ability to
develop approaches and then implement solutions in response to desired business
outcomes. Deloitte has extensive change management and utilizes outcome-based or
risk-based contracting models more often than others.
Scale and breadth — Deloitte has one of the broadest sets of capabilities from
business strategy consulting to design and digital marketing agency skills through to
technology implementation and integration resources. It supplements these with its
human capital, financial audit, risk and finance advisory practices on projects when
needed. Deloitte has either the largest or second-largest application CRM software
technology practices with all the main application vendors.
Collaborative innovation — Multiple references commented on Deloitte’s ability to
bring ideas to clients and executives to refine the vision and strategy. They also
commented as to Deloitte’s style of collaboration and partnership. Deloitte’s focus is
on business transformation and the innovation process, and collaborative ideation is
centered on business executives dedicated to the client’s success.
Cautions
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Integration with broader teams — Multiple references commented on the desire to
have Deloitte interact better with other teams as part of delivery execution. This
included the coordination of multiple Deloitte teams, Deloitte working with clients’
delivery teams and Deloitte working with other service and software providers.
Project execution — Deloitte is often asked to lead the CX transformation and
change; however, some references commented that there were instances with issues in
project execution. This included replacing senior staff with less experienced staff, and
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also inconsistency in the ability to coordinate onshore and offshore resources on the
project.
Price — Multiple references commented on the high costs of Deloitte engagements.
This was most pronounced when Deloitte brought in specialists from multiple
domains and practices or when inexperienced staff were being heavily utilized with
high day rates.
EY
EY is positioned in the Visionaries quadrant due to a focus on CX strategy, digital consulting
and CX transformation with limited scale in technology implementation. EY’s brand promise
is “building a better working world.” It is a good fit for enterprises that seek businessconsulting-led CX or CRM strategy, design and roadmapping of solutions, particularly for
multichannel commerce or complex customer service transformations. Gartner estimates that
EY is the 15th-largest CX and CRM implementation service provider worldwide, with 2017
CX and CRM revenue estimated to be about $500 million (accounting for 3% of its consulting
and implementation revenue).2 The industries that generate more than 12% of its CRM and
CX service revenue or are a focus of its CRM and CX services are industrial manufacturing,
natural resources/oil/mining, retail/wholesale and utilities/energy.3
Strengths
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CX thought leadership — EY typically approaches CX and CRM services as part of
broader business transformation work, leveraging business and industry consulting,
along with CX and CRM expertise and technology. References rated EY very high in
CX thought leadership, business acumen, business change management and industry
expertise. References also commented on EY’s ability to drive innovation and
transformation.
Customer satisfaction — EY references gave it high ratings on many of the customer
satisfaction criteria, including overall experience, delivery execution and overall
capabilities. This was most prevalent with business buyers when CX vision and
strategy were a key part of the project.
Cultural alignment and partnership — EY takes care to assemble project teams
based on a good fit with client style and culture. These are usually small teams of
senior consultants for strategy, vision and design efforts, supplemented by technicians.
References commented on the consultants consistently being professional,
knowledgeable and responsive to their unique needs.
Cautions
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CRM technology scale — EY has practices in SAP Hybris, Microsoft Dynamics and
Adobe, but these practices are smaller than many other firms’ and geographically are
not spread evenly. EY’s acquisition of Sonoma Partners adds additional scale to its
Microsoft Dynamics and Salesforce skills base. EY has a limited Salesforce practice
due to its auditor-client relationship with Salesforce. EY will partner with other
technology providers to supplement its own staff when additional scale and technical
skills are needed for implementation.
Coordination of capabilities — Some references alluded to instances where the EY
project team did not leverage the full capabilities of EY and/or partners. At times,
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references felt EY operated too rigorously within practice, geographic and industry
units and did not bring all internal or external capabilities in a consistent manner.
Digitalmarketing and design — EY has not invested in digital design capabilities or
acquired digital agencies to the same degree as competitors. EY references gave
below-average ratings for mobile design and user interface design. The acquisition of
Citizen will help, but with limited scale, partnerships with digital agencies may also be
utilized to supplement internal capabilities.
HCL Technologies
HCL Technologies (HCL) is positioned in the Challengers quadrant due to reliable, scalable
and flexible execution of CRM implementation services with high levels of customer
satisfaction. HCL brings high value in implementation through consistent execution with
competitive rates. HCL is a good fit for clients that are looking for CRM technology
implementation and integration services, particularly for digital commerce and for its
Microsoft Dynamics expertise. Gartner estimates HCL to be the 17th-largest CX and CRM
implementation provider, with 2017 revenue estimated to be about $450 million.2 The
industries that generate more than 12% of its CRM and CX service revenue or are a focus of
its CRM and CX services are banking, manufacturing, consumer goods and high technology.3
Strengths
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CRM technology depth — HCL frequently utilizes design thinking, architecture
know-how and technology integration to design and architect CRM solutions.
References gave HCL high scores in technology architecture, CRM technology
expertise, system integration and UX interface design.
Value for money — Multiple HCL references commented that HCL consistently
delivers high value for the fees with flexibility and high quality at competitive price
points. References gave HCL high scores in several satisfaction categories, including
overall value, ease of contracting and delivering consistent outcomes.
Project execution and adaptability — References praised HCL for project
execution, commitment to execution and partnership attitude. HCL is reliably on time
and budget while being flexible in working as a partner and sharing risks. HCL rarely
points to contractual constraints and minimizes changes of scope.
Cautions
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Scale — HCL is one of the smaller providers for CRM implementation and also had
lower-than-market growth. HCL has scale only for Microsoft Dynamics CRM, SAP
Cloud and Salesforce.
CX strategy and business consulting — HCL does not have the scale and depth of
CX strategy and business consulting of some competitors. HCL is adept at translating
CX vision into operational design, particularly in commerce implementations, but
typically does not drive the CX vision.
Team stability and resource management — References identify instances where
the project team’s stability was an issue due to team member and relationship manager
turnover. Replacement of key resources took time and caused short-term issues.
IBM iX
IBM iX is positioned in the Leaders quadrant due to its vision, scale and high levels of
customer satisfaction. IBM iX is the business unit within IBM Global Business Services
(GBS) that leads services focused on front-office transformation. IBM iX is a good fit for
enterprises looking to transform their interactions with customers, partners and suppliers —
especially related to digital commerce and marketing. IBM iX is one of the top four largest
providers of CX and CRM implementation services, with 2017 global revenue for CRMrelated implementations estimated to be about $2.7 billion (20% of IBM GBS’s overall
consulting and implementation revenue).2 The industries that generate more than 12% of its
CRM and CX service revenue or are a focus of its CRM and CX services are
banking/securities, consumer goods and the public sector.3
Strengths
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Thought leadership — IBM iX has aggregated research perspectives on CX from
many acquisitions and is supported by IBM Research Labs. The outcome is a wider
range of white papers and thought leadership pieces than competitors. References
commented on IBM’s ability to lead CX and CRM ideation and gave IBM high ratings
for thought leadership, business process operational processes and business change
management.
Cultural alignment and partnership — IBM iX supports clients in a highly
participative and engaging style. References described a trustworthy partner that
brings innovative approaches as well as technology depth to solve business issues
through technology. References also scored IBM iX well above average in overall
satisfaction and the ability to deliver business outcomes.
Scale and breadth of capabilities — IBM iX and other parts of IBM GBS, such as
consulting, industry competencies and cognitive, provide a full range of capabilities,
including business consulting and strategy, CRM technology, technical architecture,
analytics, and digital commerce. IBM received high ratings for technology
architecture, analytics, digital design and technology integration.
Cautions
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Integration of IBM resources — Clients expect IBM iX to bring a complete set of
resources and competencies to projects. However, reference feedback indicated
instances in which IBM iX did not consistently assemble and orchestrate all the
resources needed on projects. Clients reference IBM business units (such as Aperto,
Bluewolf, ecx.io and IBM Cognitive), and these units at times did not facilitate all the
IBM resources needed.
Price — Some references described the cost and expense of IBM services as being
high. References commented on the price being an area of potential improvement.
IBM may not be optimal for clients looking for smaller stand-alone CRM
implementations or a predefined technology approach where cost is a large factor.
Agility and speed — Multiple references commented that IBM was not as agile as
desired. References expressed a desire for IBM to respond more rapidly in assembling
teams and increase the use of agile approaches and tools to reduce the time to
implementation.
Infosys
Infosys is positioned in the Niche Players quadrant due to strengths in CRM technology
integration and implementation. While Infosys has a full range of CX and CRM capabilities,
it is best fit for enterprises needing technology-led CRM implementations — particularly for
sales and customer service initiatives. Gartner estimates that Infosys is the 11th-largest CX
and CRM implementation service provider worldwide, with estimated total CX and CRM
implementation revenue in 2017 of about $1 billion, which represents 10% of its consulting
and implementation revenue.2 Infosys goes to market by vertical industry. The industries that
generate more than 12% of its CRM and CX service revenue or are a focus of its CRM and
CX services include banking/securities, telecom/media, retail and automotive.3
Strengths
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CRM technology skills — Infosys has core strengths in technology design,
integration and implementation. Client references viewed Infosys as having extensive
CRM technology skills, particularly with SAP, SAP Cloud/Hybris and Salesforce.
Infosys is particularly adept with the implementation of sales and customer service
CRM projects. The acquisition of Fluido has notably increased the Salesforce practice
scale in Europe.
Commitment and dedication — Infosys references described it as highly dedicated,
committed to its clients’ success and adaptable to the changing needs of projects.
Design thinking — Infosys is becoming more assertive and creative with clients.
Infosys trained all its consultants not only in design thinking, but also in becoming
more proactive in making suggestions and recommendations to clients. Infosys is also
accelerating design and creative capacities with the acquisitions of Brilliant Basics and
WONGDOODY.
Cautions
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Strategy and business consulting — Infosys’ strength is in technology consulting
and design, and Infosys is strengthening CX and CRM business strategy development.
Infosys was rated below average by references and has to increase its focus in business
acumen, business change management, business functional skills, CX thought
leadership and achieving desired business outcomes. References did recognize Infosys
as executing implementation efforts once it understood the business and technology
needs.
Customer analytics — In comparison to competitors, Infosys has less scale to bring
together deep business operational capabilities and data science. References gave
Infosys relatively low ratings for CRM data and customer analytics.
Project management and execution — Some references commented on Infosys’
ability to deliver projects consistently. References expressed a desire to more rapidly
assimilate their strategy and needs, which resulted in slow progress early in the efforts.
References also identified issues with project management and resource management.
NTT DATA
NTT DATA is positioned in the Challengers quadrant due to scale and strength in CRM
technology implementation. NTT DATA is a good fit for enterprises that require CRM and
CX solutions with complex technical requirements, particularly related to customer service.
NTT DATA has grown rapidly in North America and Europe from multiple acquisitions,
including Dell Services and Nefos. Growth in Asia/Pacific was low due to the Japanese
market. Gartner estimates that NTT DATA is the 10th-largest CX and CRM implementation
service provider worldwide. Gartner estimates 2017 revenue to be around $1.3 billion,
comprising 13% of its total consulting and implementation revenue.2 The industries that
generate more than 12% of its CRM and CX service revenue or are a focus of its CRM and
CX services differ by region, but globally, they are telecom/media, automotive,
banking/securities and healthcare.3
Strengths
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CRM technology integration and implementation — NTT DATA leverages CRM
software skills and technology integration to implement the solution. References
commented positively on the technical skills, technical consulting and project
execution that pulled these capabilities together. NTT DATA is focused on sales and
customer service solutions.
Flexibility and client commitment — Multiple references commented on NTT
DATA being very flexible to their requests, bringing innovative approaches to CRM
technology implementation and partnerships. References pointed to the senior staff
and project managers as the key to success for implementations that were on-time and
on-budget.
Operational understanding — NTT DATA takes a pragmatic approach to projects,
listening to the client to understand the business objectives and strategy, and then
using its understanding of sales, customer service and marketing to define a solution.
NTT DATA approaches the market from an industry orientation, with most
consultants having some industry operational experience.
Cautions
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CX strategy and business consulting — NTT DATA does not have extensive
business strategy and transformation capabilities; rather, it focuses more on
operational consulting and technology consulting. References expressed a desire for
NTT DATA to be more directive and understand their business more quickly.
References gave NTT DATA relatively low ratings for CX vision, business acumen
and business change management.
Proactive guidance — Multiple references expressed a desire for NTT DATA to be
more proactive and directive. NTT DATA was perceived as being too reactive and
accommodating at times rather than recommending solutions.
Resource management — Multiple references identified issues with staff turnover
and junior staff not having adequate business acumen to drive efficient success.
References also suggested that better management and leverage of global and offshore
resources would have brought better results.
Publicis.Sapient
Publicis.Sapient is positioned in the Leaders quadrant because of its rapid growth, its high
customer satisfaction scores, and its holistic approach with deep business marketing, creative
and technical integration skills, particularly for the marketing and customer service
departments. In 2018, SapientRazorfish and Sapient Consulting integrated into
Publicis.Sapient. Gartner estimates that Publicis.Sapient is the sixth-largest CX and CRM
consulting and implementation service provider worldwide, with 2017 CX and CRM revenue
of about $1.5 billion.2 The industries that generate more than 12% of its CRM and CX service
revenue or are a focus of its CRM and CX services are banking/securities, automotive, retail,
consumer goods and manufacturing.3
Strengths
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Customer satisfaction — References gave Publicis.Sapient high ratings for cultural
alignment and many customer satisfaction aspects, including overall satisfaction,
delivering business outcomes and project execution. References also commented on
the flexible blend of business, creativity and technology skills and its client-centric
culture.
Digital marketing and commerce — Publicis.Sapient approaches services in a
holistic manner, leveraging a combination of business acumen, technology expertise
and creative competencies. This focus makes Publicis.Sapient effective in complex
solutions needed to drive sales and marketing initiatives.
Consistent execution approach — Multiple references commented on the approach
and methodology that Publicis.Sapient brings to its projects. The FOCUS/Fast
approach brings structure to agile innovation, the PeopleCloud Platform brings
human-centric design, and VIP Accelerators and Rapid Commerce bring intellectual
property (IP) to Salesforce and commerce implementations.
Cautions



Operational transformation and change management — Publicis.Sapient is
currently not known for broader strategic front-office transformations. References
gave it relatively low ratings for business change management and business process
consulting.
Global delivery — Publicis.Sapient drives more than 80% of revenue from clients in
North America, the U.K., France and Germany. There is a presence in other European
countries and a minor presence in Asia. Publicis.Sapient focuses on in-country and
nearshore delivery and has less offshore delivery than many competitors. Its global
delivery model is less developed than competitors’.
Price — Some references commented on high rates and fees, but also rated
Publicis.Sapient high in value. Publicis.Sapient may not be optimal for clients looking
for smaller stand-alone CRM implementations or a predefined technology approach
where cost is a large factor.
PwC
PwC is positioned in the Leaders quadrant due to market traction, a consultative approach and
the technology design and execution needed for business transformations. PwC is a good fit
for enterprises seeking business-consulting-led complex CX solutions in specific industries
and geographies. Gartner estimates that PwC is the eighth-largest CX and CRM
implementation service provider worldwide, with revenue estimated to be about $1.5 billion
(9% of its consulting and implementation revenue).2 The industries that generate more than
12% of its CRM and CX service revenue differ by region, but globally, they are life sciences,
technology, consumer goods and utilities/energy.3
Strengths

CX strategy and thought leadership — PwC approaches the market from a business
transformation perspective. PwC was rated highly by client references in CX thought


leadership, business process consulting, business acumen and business change
management.
Business consulting — PwC is good at working with clients to understand their
desires and then help refine their vision. PwC leverages consulting to design solutions
and has technology capabilities to extend through execution. This is particularly
effective with projects related to digital commerce, marketing and complex
omnichannel sales initiatives. PwC will also incorporate adjacent competencies, such
as privacy, data protection or tax, as part of solutions.
Collaborative partner — Multiple references commented on PwC as being a
collaborative and committed partner. Multiple references cited PwC’s culture, style
and approach as being able to listen, understand and then execute to achieve desired
business outcomes. Multiple references appreciated the innovation PwC brought, as
well as the approach.
Cautions



Price — Some references commented on the high rates and fees, as well as limited
flexibility in contract negotiations and contractual execution. References did
acknowledge that PwC is a “premium” provider and value was delivered for the higher
fees. PwC may not be optimal for clients looking for smaller stand-alone CRM
implementations or a predefined technology approach where cost is a large factor.
Technology integration and scale — PwC has adequate technology staff for most
projects, but the scale of its core application technology practices is smaller than many
competitors’. References identified instances where staffing was delayed and also the
need to use subcontractors. References also gave relatively low ratings for technology
integration and architecture skills.
Project methodology and management — Multiple references commented on a
desire to improve PwC’s approach to projects and project management. At times,
methodologies were not clearly communicated and transparent to enable clients to
understand progress.
Reply
Reply is positioned in the Visionaries quadrant due to its committed focus on creativity and
innovation, as well as its ability to deliver through the use of technology and pragmatic
consulting. Reply is a good fit for European clients looking for revenue growth from
multichannel sales and digital commerce leveraging cloud-based applications. Reply is a
holding company made up of a network of specialist companies that act like independent
agencies, each bringing competencies in a few disciplines and leveraging each other to bring
their combined value to clients. Reply continues to expand rapidly organically, as well as
through adding companies to the network. Gartner estimates that Reply is the 13th-largest CX
and CRM implementation service provider worldwide, with revenue estimated to be about
$600 million in 2017.2 CX and CRM services are the major focus of the company, with 70%
of all its consulting and implementation revenue coming from CX and CRM services. The
industries that generate more than 12% of its CRM and CX service revenue or are a focus of
its CRM and CX services are banking, telecom/media, automotive, consumer goods and
retail.3
Strengths



Digital marketing and commerce — Reply is highly focused on B2C industries.
Reply practices are strongest related to commerce, multichannel digital sales and
mobile enablement. References commented on Reply’s ability to combine CX and
technology to design and deploy new and complex sales and commerce solutions.
References had high satisfaction with the business outcomes delivered and business
change management.
Multidimensional teams — Reply utilizes multidimensional teams pulled from
multiple Reply companies. Reply uses a methodology that it terms the Multi-layer
Customer Experience Model to execute in a consistent manner across teams. This
includes journey mapping, human-centric design thinking, technology architecture and
digital design to understand, design and implement complex CRM solutions.
References commented on the agile approach and discipline brought to the
engagements, as well as the teams’ collaborative culture.
CRM technology and architecture — Reply references rated it above average in
technology architecture, CRM technology competencies, system integration, CRM
data, analytics and mobility UX design.
Cautions



Geographic presence — Reply is the least geographically dispersed of the providers
in this assessment with 78% of its CX and CRM revenue from Europe. Reply has
increased its North American revenue to 15% (partly due to the Valorem acquisition).
Four percent of revenue is from Latin America (mostly Brazil), and 3% is from Asia.
This allows Reply to support a limited number of global clients.
Integration of internal capabilities — Reply often assembles teams from across its
network of companies, and even though there is a consistent approach, the firms have
different specializations and cultures. References identified challenges within Reply to
integrate and coordinate these multidimensional teams.
Business consulting — References gave Reply below-average ratings on CX thought
leadership and business consulting. Multiple references commented that Reply did not
bring the level of business transformation of other firms. However, it was seen as
effective in translating its vision into designs and outcomes, particularly for commerce
and sales initiatives.
Salesforce Success Cloud
Salesforce Success Cloud is Salesforce’s professional services organization that provides
consulting, architectural and implementation services around Salesforce technologies. It is
positioned in the Niche Players quadrant due to an exclusive focus around Salesforce
technologies. Success Cloud is a good fit for enterprises deploying complex Salesforce
solutions or when newer Salesforce technologies are being utilized. Success Cloud continues
to increase its scale and geographic reach, primarily through rapid organic growth in all
regions. Gartner estimates that Salesforce Success Cloud is the 12th-largest CX and CRM
implementation service provider worldwide, with revenue estimated to be $650 million in
2017.2 The industries that generate more than 12% of its CRM and CX service revenue or are
a focus of its CRM and CX services differ by region, but globally, they are retail, banking,
insurance and telecom/media.3
Strengths



Salesforce technology expertise — Success Cloud focuses only on working with
Salesforce and application partner technologies. It has a consistent methodology
(Compass), along with accelerators/tools to enable clients to be more effective in
designing and deploying Salesforce solutions. References gave high ratings in
technology integration and deep Salesforce technology knowledge. They also praised
Success Cloud’s ability to translate business needs into Salesforce solutions and
roadmaps.
Speed and time to value — Success Cloud delivers through small senior teams
focused on utilizing agile development approaches and may also execute early
ideation projects (Envision or Expedition) to develop innovative CX solutions.
Projects often involve developing a vision and architecture for core CRM
implementations. References commented on the agile approach, efficiency and
effectiveness and the short time to value.
CX architecture and design — Success Cloud is strongest in developing complex
information architectures for CX solutions, especially when newer Salesforce
technologies are being deployed. References commented on the quality of the staff and
deliverables on these projects. References also gave high scores for architecture, UX
design and analytics.
Cautions



Expansion of Salesforce technology — Salesforce Success Cloud teams are at times
perceived by references as too tied to Salesforce technology and Salesforce account
teams. References described instances where consultants were too aggressive in
developing architectures that included additional Salesforce technology and/or
recommended these technologies without evaluation of alternatives.
Price — Some references commented on the high hourly rates charged by Salesforce
consultants on projects. This corresponds with experience from reviewing proposals
and statements of work. However, due to the smaller teams and rapid projects, the
overall cost for a significant deployment is often competitive with other consulting
and implementation firms.
Experience with other technologies — Salesforce consultants have limited focus and
certifications on technologies that are not from Salesforce or application partners.
Projects that include a wide range of technologies to be implemented, customized or
modernized (beyond integration), such as multiple platform projects, may experience
difficulties in staffing from Salesforce without additional partners.
Tata Consultancy Services
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is positioned in the Challengers quadrant due to good
market traction and consistent execution of CRM technology implementation projects. TCS is
a good fit for enterprises seeking complex technology-heavy CRM implementation,
particularly in the areas of customer service and sales. Gartner estimates that TCS is the
eighth-largest CRM service provider worldwide, with CX and CRM implementation revenue
of about $2 billion in 2017, representing 29% of total TCS consulting and implementation
revenue.2 TCS goes to market by industry sector; the industries that generate more than 12%
of its CRM and CX service revenue are banking, telecommunications/media, consumer goods
and healthcare.3
Strengths



CRM technology and integration consulting — TCS has extensive capabilities in
technology architecture, design and implementation. References gave TCS high scores
for technology architecture, integration skills and CRM technology expertise.
Commitment to client success — Multiple references praised TCS as a partner that
was dedicated to the success of their initiatives. References described TCS as being
highly committed, flexible, reliable and highly engaged.
Sales and customer service implementations — TCS is highly focused on the
architecture, design, implementation and ongoing management of CRM initiatives
focused on customer service, field service and sales. These require solid technology
consulting, integration, security and testing of complex solutions.
Cautions



CX vision and consulting — While TCS has set up a consulting and service
integration team, TCS does not have the scale or depth of business consulting and CX
thought leadership of some competitors. TCS’s primary relationships are with IT and
technology buyers, and TCS is good on translating clients’ vision into technology
solutions but less consistent in developing strategy and vision with marketing and
sales leadership. References gave TCS relatively low ratings in CX thought leadership,
business acumen, business process consulting and business change management.
Proactive direction and innovation — Some references expressed a desire for TCS
to be more assertive, proactive and directive. Clients viewed TCS as having these
capabilities, but at times, the project teams did not bring forward best practices,
suggest new approaches or challenge the clients. TCS continues to expend consulting
staff and skills, but these are not consistently brought forward often or early enough.
Resource management — Some references commented on issues related to resource
allocation and management on projects. This included initial staffing, replacing staff
that had left the project and coordination of multidiscipline teams across different
business units.
Tech Mahindra
Tech Mahindra is positioned in the Niche Players quadrant due to its technical capabilities but
is limited in supporting clients from CX vision through to the start of implementation. Tech
Mahindra is a good fit for enterprises within specific industries that are seeking core CRM
customer service and sales technical implementation services. Gartner estimates that Tech
Mahindra is the 14th-largest CX and CRM implementation service provider worldwide, with
2017 revenue of about $550 million from CX and CRM implementation services.2 The
industries that generate more than 12% of its CRM and CX service revenue or are a focus of
its CRM and CX services are telecom/media, banking/securities and healthcare.3
Strengths


CRM technology — Tech Mahindra has deep technology, architecture and system
integration capabilities. Customer services are a domain of particular strength of Tech
Mahindra with integration into contact center technology, network, security and ERP
systems.
Client dedication and flexibility — All references pointed to Tech Mahindra as
being committed and dedicated to the project success and easy to work with.

References described Tech Mahindra as being highly committed, flexible, responsive,
reliable and professional.
Cost of service — Multiple references commented on Tech Mahindra being costeffective. Tech Mahindra uses on-site and offshore resources to deliver in a costefficient manner.
Cautions



Project management and execution — Multiple references identified issues in
project execution. They commented on the quality of communication with their
employees, difficulty in staffing on-site resources, lack of transparency in project
status and the need for continual close oversight. References gave relatively low
ratings for project management and project methodologies.
Proactive guidance — Multiple references expressed a desire for Tech Mahindra to
provide more proactive guidance and direction. While references described Tech
Mahindra as being highly flexible and responsive, they also wished that Tech
Mahindra challenged the design and brought more innovation and best practices.
CX vision to implementation — Projects that Tech Mahindra and BIO jointly
execute have covered the design, consulting, process and technology areas, but the
handoffs can be much smoother. Some references gave Tech Mahindra relatively low
ratings for business acumen, business process consulting and business change
management.
Virtusa
Virtusa is positioned in the Visionaries quadrant due to a combination of pragmatic CX
consulting and an impressive depth of up-to-date in-demand technology capabilities. Virtusa
is a good fit for clients that are looking for complex CRM technology implementation and
integration services, particularly for customer service and marketing. Gartner estimates
Virtusa to be the 18th-largest CX and CRM implementation provider, with 2017 revenue
estimated to be about $400 million.2 The industries that generate more than 12% of its CRM
and CX service revenue or are a focus of its CRM and CX services are banking, securities,
insurance and telecom/media.3
Strengths



Up-to-date technology skills — Virtusa focuses on niche advanced technologies and
on building differentiating solutions for customers. Virtusa invests heavily in
competencies, continuously upskilling its consultants and technicians, motivating
employees and keeping ahead of competitors.
Customer experience design — Virtusa brings a consultative approach that focuses
on refining the CX vision with the client and translating it into a solution design.
Virtusa brings together domain expertise, design thinking and journey mapping and
utilizes its XLabs for leading clients through solution formulation. References
commented positively on Virtusa’s ability to combine business consulting, technical
consulting and technology.
Client-centric agile delivery — References described Virtusa as collaborative,
committed, flexible and agile in execution. Virtusa leverages an above-average level
of business acumen competencies to understand the client’s objectives, and it also uses
agile innovation workshops to explore possible solutions.
Cautions



Resource management — Multiple references pointed to challenges with staffing and
resource management. Mostly this was related to turnover on projects and losing staff
with lack of continuity. Clients expressed frustration in not knowing the project team
members, and team members not having skills well-matched to their assignments.
Customer data and analytics — While being strong in information architecture and
focused on analytics, references did not view Virtusa as strong in applying analytics
capabilities to CX. References gave Virtusa relatively low ratings on customer data
and customer analytics.
Geographic presence — Virtusa is not geographically dispersed, being highly
focused on North America with 77% of its CX and CRM revenue. Fifteen percent of
revenue comes from Europe (mostly from the U.K.) and 8% from Asia (mostly from
India). Most implementation resources are located in India.
Wipro
Wipro is positioned in the Leaders quadrant due to its ability to bring CX design and technical
skills to complex CRM solutions. Wipro is a good fit for enterprises seeking CRM technology
implementation skills for customer service, marketing and sales solutions. Gartner estimates
that Wipro is the ninth-largest CX and CRM implementation service provider worldwide.
Wipro is estimated to have about $1.4 billion in CX and CRM consulting and implementation
service revenue in 2017 and is growing well above market rates.2 Wipro goes to market by
industry; the industries that generate more than 12% of its CRM and CX service revenue or
are a focus of its CRM and CX services are banking, healthcare/life sciences, discrete
manufacturing, technology and retail.3
Strengths



Customer experience design — Wipro brings extensive CX design and consulting
capabilities to projects. This is typically done as part of the discovery phase or early
project phases and draws from consulting, Designit and technology teams. References
commented on the strong consulting, visualization and CX thought leadership.
CRM technology — Wipro has deep technology and integration capabilities and is
particularly effective with complex customer services marketing and sales initiatives.
References commented on the depth of technical capabilities and rated Wipro highly
on core CRM technology competencies, particularly for Salesforce and Microsoft
Dynamics CRM.
IP and asset-based execution — Wipro has invested more than its competitors on
many platforms, industry solutions, software extensions and accelerators to bring
reusability and efficiency to implementations. These are centered on Salesforce,
digital engagement, marketing, analytics and testing.
Cautions

Business operational change — Some references commented on issues related to
translating business design into operations. Some of the issues were related to failure
to understand the business operations quickly enough, and others related to not enough
time spent on implementing business change management. References gave Wipro
relatively low ratings in business process consulting and business change
management.


Integration of end-to-end capabilities — Wipro has made several acquisitions to
expand the portfolio, including Appirio (Salesforce), Designit (design visualization),
Cooper (UX design) and Harte Hanks (marketing). There are instances where these
units are not used together or well-orchestrated. References described instances where
project efforts were not optimized and others where the design was not translated into
implementation seamlessly.
Resource management — Some references identified issues that related to managing
resources on projects, including turnover, staff with fewer-than-expected skills, and
resources being stretched across too many projects. Several references cited project
delays caused by changes in project teams.
Vendors Added and Dropped
We review and adjust our inclusion criteria for Magic Quadrants as markets change. As a
result of these adjustments, the mix of vendors in any Magic Quadrant may change over time.
A vendor’s appearance in a Magic Quadrant one year and not the next does not necessarily
indicate that we have changed our opinion of that vendor. It may be a reflection of a change in
the market and, therefore, changed evaluation criteria, or of a change of focus by that vendor.
Added
There are no additional providers included in this Magic Quadrant assessment this year.
Dropped
Three providers have been dropped from last year. This is due to significant changes in the
qualification criteria (see next section) and not reflective on the capabilities or performance of
any of these providers. Providers dropped from last year include Atos, North Highland and
Slalom Consulting. All three providers continue to focus on CX and CRM services and are
quite appropriate depending on the domain, geography and/or CRM software.
Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria
The inclusion criteria represent the market qualification characteristics that analysts believe
are necessary for inclusion in this research. To qualify for inclusion:


A provider must have a minimum of $400 million (in U.S. dollars) for calendar year
2017 in project-based CRM and CX consulting and implementation service revenue.
o This includes CX strategy consulting, CRM or CX solution design, and CRM
implementation for sales, customer service, marketing or commerce.
o This is only for project-based services and excludes application management
services, as well as SaaS software fees.
o This specifically excludes revenue from software, CRM software
maintenance/support, CRM application management, contact center
infrastructure integration and managed services (customer service centers,
marketing campaigns and sales/lead generation).
A provider must have no more than 80% of this revenue generated from within a
single region.
o
o
Providers must be viewed as global and not be dependent upon a single
geographic region
Regional providers that exceed the minimum qualification threshold of
US$400 million will be described and included in a separate section of the
research but not formally assessed.
Evaluation Criteria
Ability to Execute
Table 1: Ability to Execute Evaluation Criteria


Product or Service
High
Overall Viability
Not Rated
Sales Execution/Pricing
Low
Market Responsiveness/Record High
Marketing Execution
Not Rated
Customer Experience
High
Operations
Medium
Source: Gartner (February 2019)
Completeness of Vision
Table 2: Completeness of Vision Evaluation Criteria


Market Understanding
High
Marketing Strategy
Medium
Sales Strategy
Not Rated
Offering (Product) Strategy High
Business Model
Low
Vertical/Industry Strategy Medium
Innovation
High
Geographic Strategy
Low
Source: Gartner (February 2019)
Quadrant Descriptions
Leaders
Leaders in this Magic Quadrant bring a wide range of business, analytic and technical
capabilities, including CX strategy, business consulting, customer analytics, enterprise
architecture and design, CRM and other customer-facing technology expertise, industryspecific domain expertise, and digital design capabilities. They demonstrate strong
comparative revenue and growth. They can scale across multiple geographic regions and are
consistent in delivering high client satisfaction.
Challengers
Challengers do not have the full breadth of business, CX transformational capabilities and/or
digital design, but have scale and breadth of the technical, architectural and CRM technology
skills. The market presence must be high, with high market growth and high customer
satisfaction across multiple regions.
Visionaries
Visionaries in this Magic Quadrant bring a wide range of business and technical capabilities,
including CX strategy, business consulting, customer analytics, enterprise architecture and
design, CRM technology expertise, industry-specific domain expertise, and business change
management. They can demonstrate innovative new projects that have not yet been replicated
by competitors. However, relative to Leaders, they do not have the scale or consistency in
terms of market presence, breadth of technology, and/or geographic reach. They may also
have lower satisfaction ratings on execution or outcomes.
Niche Players
Niche Players have deep capabilities that are limited to some areas. They may be strong in a
few of the various domains (for example, business consulting, CRM technical skills, sales,
commerce or digital marketing) or CRM software (for example, Salesforce) or they may have
limited market focus (industry and/or geographic reach). These providers are highly
competitive as specialists in selected markets based upon their chosen focus and service
portfolios.
Context
This Magic Quadrant analyzes the market for CX and CRM consulting and implementation
services. The relative positioning of vendors in this Magic Quadrant is based on inclusion
criteria and key criteria for evaluating the Ability to Execute and Completeness of Vision.
Consulting and solution implementation projects require a blend of business, industry,
technology, and project and program management skills that must align with your objectives,
institutional and business culture, and employees. Do not simply select service providers in
the Leaders quadrant. All selection processes are enterprise-specific; consequently, vendors in
the Challengers, Visionaries or Niche Players quadrants may prove to be more appropriate for
your requirements. Many smaller service providers not covered in this Magic Quadrant may
be appropriate for your needs on smaller or region-specific projects.
Market Overview
The CX and CRM implementation service market is completing the shift from the
implementation of core CRM technology to complex initiatives that not only transform the
front office but integrate across the full enterprise’s operations. Customers now demand that
organizations provide them with a continuous experience, preserving continuity of user
experience across traditional boundaries of devices, time and space. To fulfill their journeys,
customers want to seamlessly interact with enterprises across multiple devices and channels
(both digital and physical) in a multistep sequence that can last over an extended period of
time. A lack of, or gap in, continuity during the customer journey will end in frustration,
because it requires customers to repeat themselves or prevents them from their intended
outcomes. Ultimately, failure to provide a continuous experience can cause customers to leave
for a competitor.
Along with this demand, organizations will need to adhere to new privacy constraints and
build customers’ trust regarding how their data is used to produce a continuous and
personalized experience. While these can be seen as competing forces, both are critical to an
organization’s success in converting prospects to repeat customers, building customer loyalty
and lifetime value, and providing points of differentiation against competitors.
Business and IT technical professionals involved in CX and CRM initiatives now face the
following challenges:








Pressure to deliver CX projects quickly, which will push implementation teams toward
brittle and unsustainable point-to-point integration techniques
Adoption of design thinking and customer journey mapping to assure that the
continuous experience is complete and relevant to customers and partners
Development of architectures and adherence to them to ensure consistency across
CRM applications and user interface (UI) channels with regard to data and
personalization
Gaining acceptance and adoption of the CX strategy, vision and design by all
constituencies and business units
Managing the business through the changes in process, information sharing and
technology architectures that are part of complex CX and CRM initiatives
Creating or providing flexibility to support the wide variety of CRM applications,
models and integration requirements (including cloud, SaaS and on-premises)
Managing data privacy and security across an expanding landscape of CRM cloud and
application offerings
Exploiting conversational interfaces with chatbots and virtual customer assistants
(VCAs) to improve CX and bring additional value to the business
Evidence
1
The most typical systems of record were determined by analysis of 150 CRM projects and
the software that was deployed on these projects where primary CRM software was identified.
Salesforce was indicated on 47% of the projects, with the remainder all being less than 10%.
2
Revenue estimates were derived from briefings, vendor-provided surveys, publicly available
information and Gartner Market Share analysis for 2017.
3
Industries of focus include only those industries that generated more than 12% of total CX
and CRM revenue. This was based upon estimates provided in briefings and provider surveys,
as well as Gartner vertical-industry market share analysis. All providers support other
industries; however, these are only those with large scale and focus.
Evaluation Criteria Definitions
Ability to Execute
Product/Service: Core goods and services offered by the vendor for the defined market. This
includes current product/service capabilities, quality, feature sets, skills and so on, whether
offered natively or through OEM agreements/partnerships as defined in the market definition
and detailed in the subcriteria.
Overall Viability: Viability includes an assessment of the overall organization's financial
health, the financial and practical success of the business unit, and the likelihood that the
individual business unit will continue investing in the product, will continue offering the
product and will advance the state of the art within the organization's portfolio of products.
Sales Execution/Pricing: The vendor's capabilities in all presales activities and the structure
that supports them. This includes deal management, pricing and negotiation, presales support,
and the overall effectiveness of the sales channel.
Market Responsiveness/Record: Ability to respond, change direction, be flexible and
achieve competitive success as opportunities develop, competitors act, customer needs evolve
and market dynamics change. This criterion also considers the vendor's history of
responsiveness.
Marketing Execution: The clarity, quality, creativity and efficacy of programs designed to
deliver the organization's message to influence the market, promote the brand and business,
increase awareness of the products, and establish a positive identification with the
product/brand and organization in the minds of buyers. This "mind share" can be driven by a
combination of publicity, promotional initiatives, thought leadership, word of mouth and sales
activities.
Customer Experience: Relationships, products and services/programs that enable clients to
be successful with the products evaluated. Specifically, this includes the ways customers
receive technical support or account support. This can also include ancillary tools, customer
support programs (and the quality thereof), availability of user groups, service-level
agreements and so on.
Operations: The ability of the organization to meet its goals and commitments. Factors
include the quality of the organizational structure, including skills, experiences, programs,
systems and other vehicles that enable the organization to operate effectively and efficiently
on an ongoing basis.
Completeness of Vision
Market Understanding: Ability of the vendor to understand buyers' wants and needs and to
translate those into products and services. Vendors that show the highest degree of vision
listen to and understand buyers' wants and needs, and can shape or enhance those with their
added vision.
Marketing Strategy: A clear, differentiated set of messages consistently communicated
throughout the organization and externalized through the website, advertising, customer
programs and positioning statements.
Sales Strategy: The strategy for selling products that uses the appropriate network of direct
and indirect sales, marketing, service, and communication affiliates that extend the scope and
depth of market reach, skills, expertise, technologies, services and the customer base.
Offering (Product) Strategy: The vendor's approach to product development and delivery
that emphasizes differentiation, functionality, methodology and feature sets as they map to
current and future requirements.
Business Model: The soundness and logic of the vendor's underlying business proposition.
Vertical/Industry Strategy: The vendor's strategy to direct resources, skills and offerings to
meet the specific needs of individual market segments, including vertical markets.
Innovation: Direct, related, complementary and synergistic layouts of resources, expertise or
capital for investment, consolidation, defensive or pre-emptive purposes.
Geographic Strategy: The vendor's strategy to direct resources, skills and offerings to meet
the specific needs of geographies outside the "home" or native geography, either directly or
through partners, channels and subsidiaries as appropriate for that geography and market.