What is build and run in revenue operations teams?

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June 30, 2023
4
min read
What is build and run in revenue operations teams?

After a decade of software adoption by companies, the limits of productivity-sold by saas editors has reached their limit. Every department used to implement new software in a siloed way. One pain, one solution, one software.


At the time of cost-cutting, performance improvement and search for overall company efficiency, a new way to organize the company operations is emerging. As a result, operation jobs have been blossoming in every department of an organization over the past years. Operations management is turning to a functional build-run organization model by breaking down silos and to unify experience, facilitate performance and transformation objectives. 

What is Revenue Operations?

Revenue Operations - also called Revenue Ops or RevOps - is a company practices at the intersection of sales, marketing, and customer success to optimize revenue generation processes. Revenue Ops professionals work focuses on aligning and streamlining the operations of these departments to enhance overall revenue performance. Revenue Ops teams analyze and improve sales and marketing strategies, implement efficient processes and systems, manage data and analytics, and drive collaboration between teams. Their goal is to maximize revenue growth and improve the customer experience.


The employees from the Marketing, Sales and Success departments are at the center of revenue operations. Sometimes called the Players, the RevOps is designing the experience to make them collaborate and perform to their best way.

The inefficiencies of the tower model


Historically, revenue operation teams managed their day-to-day with the tower framework. This approach involves 4 key components and works under the following logic: Plan > Design > Build > Operate.

Plan

This tower focuses on strategic planning, goal setting, and defining revenue targets. It involves activities such as market research, customer segmentation, and developing sales and marketing strategies to drive revenue growth.

Design

In the design tower, the emphasis is on creating and refining the sales and marketing processes and systems. This includes designing effective sales funnels, developing pricing strategies, creating marketing campaigns, and establishing lead generation and qualification processes.

Build

The build tower involves the implementation and execution of the designed processes and systems. It includes activities such as hiring and training sales and marketing teams, setting up CRM (Customer Relationship Management) systems, deploying marketing automation tools, and integrating various technologies to support revenue generation.

Operate

The operate tower focuses on day-to-day operations and optimization of revenue processes. It involves monitoring key performance indicators (KPIs), tracking sales and marketing metrics, analyzing data and trends, conducting sales forecasting, and continuously improving the revenue operations to achieve desired outcomes.




The tower model is breaking down each subject into distinct towers so companies can better manage and optimize each component.
However, this approach made to streamline and optimize revenue-related processes and activities has proven the limits. Indeed, the company is losing visibility, fractionning the Player’s experience and always tries to find new ways of connecting the towers. 
Despite some good practices, it doesn’t provide the agility a company needs to run operations and adapt to macro-economy. And by the way, before we used to talk about Sales Ops, Marketing Ops or Success Ops. Revenue operations word description has been used for the last couple of years. 

The new build-run model


In Revenue Operations teams, "build and run" refers to the activities involved in creating and maintaining the systems, processes, and technologies that drive revenue generation and operational efficiency within an organization.

In this approach, there is a Plan Aspect which is quite straightforward. You define the problem by clearly articulating the problem you want to solve and aligning it with the desired outcomes. With an array of possibilities at your disposal, to start, it is vital to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the current revenue landscape and identify pain points that hinder growth. Are there bottlenecks in the sales funnel? Are customers churning due to certain factors? Is there a need for more efficient onboarding processes? Answering these questions provides valuable insights into the areas where conversion models can make a significant impact.


The Build Aspect

The "build" aspect of RevOps teams involves designing and implementing various components necessary for revenue generation. This can include:

Systems and Tools: RevOps teams build and integrate different software systems and tools such as Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platforms, marketing automation software, sales enablement tools, and analytics platforms. They configure and customize these tools to align with the organization's specific needs.

Data Infrastructure: RevOps teams develop data infrastructure to ensure accurate and accessible data for revenue-related activities. This involves setting up data warehouses, data pipelines, and data integration processes to consolidate data from different sources such as marketing campaigns, sales activities, and customer interactions.

Process Design: RevOps teams collaborate with various departments, including sales, marketing, and finance, to design and optimize revenue-related processes. They define lead management processes, sales workflows, pricing and quoting processes, and other operational procedures to streamline revenue generation and ensure consistency across teams.


The Run Aspect

The "run" aspect of RevOps teams involves day-to-day operations, monitoring, and continuous improvement of revenue-related activities. This includes:

Monitoring and Reporting: RevOps teams track key performance indicators (KPIs) related to revenue generation, such as conversion rates, pipeline velocity, win rates, and revenue forecasting. They generate reports and dashboards to provide visibility into these metrics and enable data-driven decision-making.

Troubleshooting and Issue Resolution: RevOps teams address operational issues related to revenue processes and systems. This can involve investigating data discrepancies, identifying bottlenecks in the sales pipeline, resolving technical issues with revenue tools, and providing support to sales and marketing teams.

Continuous Improvement: RevOps teams proactively identify opportunities for process optimization and revenue growth. They analyze data, seek feedback from stakeholders, and propose enhancements to revenue processes, systems, and strategies. They collaborate with cross-functional teams to implement these improvements and measure their impact.

Overall, build is adding more service to grow and run is about continuous improvements of existing services.
The "build and run" activities in RevOps teams aim to establish and maintain efficient revenue-generation processes, systems, and strategies to drive business growth and improve operational effectiveness.

Unlocking Success: Synergizing the Build and Run Approach for Revenue Growth

There are two crucial realms: Build and Run. The Build phase revolves around projects, acting as a cost center, while the Run phase encompasses activities that generate revenue. Without the effective execution of activities, there can be no customers, no business

The question arises: How can we harmonize these two seemingly distinct strategies? Although they have different focuses, they must work in tandem to achieve optimal results. Build concentrates on internal growth, enabling organizations to organize, pivot, innovate, and transform practices. On the other hand, Run prioritizes external growth by seeking and satisfying customers, proving the business model, and meeting quotas.

While both strategies need attention, emphasizing one or the other becomes essential. By dedicating efforts to transformation and internal enhancements, businesses can become leaner and accelerate their growth trajectory. Simultaneously, when focusing on external growth through Run, Build continues to play a vital role in facilitating operational efficiency and forecasting future projects.

The true challenge lies in valuing and attributing resources effectively. Recognize that both Build and Run are equally important. It's important to avoid creating a hierarchy that undervalues certain roles within the organization. While project managers, top managers, and innovators contribute significantly, it is equally crucial to acknowledge the contributions of sales teams, customer service representatives, and middle management. Emphasizing a collaborative approach ensures that all team members work synergistically toward revenue generation.

All in all, the key to unlocking success in revenue operations lies in integrating the Build and Run approaches. By leveraging the Build phase to innovate and refine internal practices and the Run phase to test and validate externally, businesses can achieve sustainable growth. Embrace the power of synergy, valuing all team members' contributions, to drive conversion and propel your organization towards revenue excellence. 

Do any other teams use this approach?

While operations usually focus first on revenue, there are other teams which are rising in companies looking for efficiency and make organization viable. We are talking here about People Ops & IT Ops which are specialized operational roles within organizations that focus on specific areas of operations.


People Ops (also known as Human Resources or HR Operations)

People Ops professionals are responsible for managing the human resources function within an organization. They handle various aspects of employee management, such as recruitment, onboarding, training and development, performance management, employee engagement, benefits administration, and employee relations. People Ops teams ensure that the organization has the right talent, policies, and processes in place to support its workforce.

IT Ops (Information Technology Operations)

IT Ops professionals are responsible for managing the technical infrastructure and systems within an organization. They ensure the smooth functioning of IT systems, networks, servers, and applications. IT Ops teams handle tasks such as system monitoring, incident management, troubleshooting, software installation and configuration, system maintenance, and security management. Their focus is on maintaining the reliability, availability, and performance of the organization's IT infrastructure.

These operational roles play critical roles in their respective areas to ensure efficient and effective operations. Build and run approach is also being used in these different teams when they search for efficiency. 

Siit: Empowering Efficient Growth through the Build and Run Approach

Welcome to Siit, your trusted partner for driving efficient growth. We understand the evolving needs of operational teams, which is why we have embraced the powerful Build and Run approach to help you build an agile and effective organization.

When running operations, you often encounter numerous requests that can be time-consuming and repetitive. At Siit, we offer a solution that effortlessly handles these support requests, enabling your operations teams to focus on what truly matters: projects, fostering human connections, and improving overall efficiency.

Streamlining Conversational Requests

By leveraging Siit AI, your teams can eliminate the need for providing repetitive answers to questions that have already been documented (Notion, Confluence, Drive, Sharepoint, and more). This saves valuable time, accelerates operations, and empowers sales, marketing, support, and other teams to easily access frequently asked questions, policies, processes, and training materials in a single platform. 

Seamlessly integrating with existing communication channels like Slack, Microsoft Teams, or email, Siit AI meets employees where they already work, making it a user-friendly solution that encourages them to ask questions and seek support in their day-to-day tasks.

Transform Your Organization: Build Processes and Boost Productivity with Siit

Siit offers innovative solutions that simplify your operations and optimize processes, paving the way for remarkable results. One of the key features of Siit is its visual workflows, providing you with the flexibility to customize your processes effortlessly. With intuitive drag-and-drop interfaces, you can design workflows that align with your unique business requirements. This enables you to streamline operations, eliminate bottlenecks, and enhance overall efficiency.

By automating onboarding tasks such as document collection, system access provisioning, and orientation schedules, you can prevent an overwhelming influx of requests when new employees join your organization. You can go beyond basic automation by enabling you to automate approvals for specific deal discounting scenarios. Imagine a system that automatically triggers approval requests to managers when certain deal parameters are met, ensuring compliance and timely decision-making. This level of automation eliminates the need for manual intervention, reduces delays, and keeps your sales processes running seamlessly.

Moreover, by integrating the software systems you already use, such as HRIS, ATS, and Active Directories, into your workflows, Siit enables seamless data flow and communication across departments. This integration eliminates duplication, reduces errors, and fosters collaborative work environments. Siit empowers your teams to excel, driving your organization to new heights of success.

Continuous improvements with analytics

With Siit, you gain valuable insights through comprehensive analytics. Measure the volume of requests during the Run phase, and leverage this data to shape your onboarding programs based on the most frequent employee queries. Monitor the adoption and usage of new services, empowering you to drive effective change within your organization. By logging every request, you gather critical inputs for your future Build periods. Analyze the data to answer questions like: How many requests were made for implementing CPQ-related quotes? How did the travel policy change impact the number of requests received? How many requests were there for computer changes before switching to a new provider? 

Siit goes beyond traditional support by enabling you to become proactive and predictive in meeting employee needs. By analyzing data on employee needs, trends, and support requests, you can identify areas for improvement and make informed decisions to optimize your processes. This data-driven approach empowers you to continuously enhance your operations and foster a culture of continuous improvement.

In conclusion, Siit is committed to enhancing your internal operations and supporting the construction of an agile and effective organization. With our suite of solutions, including powerful AI-driven assistance, a people-centric approach, and actionable analytics, we empower you to thrive in today's dynamic business landscape. Experience the Siit difference and unlock the true potential of your operations. If you want to know more about Siit, try it for free.

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Chalom Malka
Co-founder & CEO

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