Copyright Fast Company
Revenue operations (RevOps) is no longer an emerging trend; it’s becoming the backbone of go-to-market (GTM) strategy execution. In our 2025 State of RevOps and RevTech in GTM report, MarketingOps.com and Demand Metric surveyed over 250 professionals across sales, revenue operations, marketing, and marketing operations to explore how RevOps is evolving, how RevTech stacks are performing, and what still gets in the way of alignment and growth. The findings reveal both momentum and growing pains. REVOPS ADOPTION IS GROWING, BUT MATURITY VARIES RevOps is on the rise, but many teams are still early in their journey. Nearly 60% of organizations with a RevOps function have had it in place for three years or less, while 39% do not have a formal function at all. For those without RevOps, budget constraints and internal politics are the top barriers. Only 2% believe they simply don’t need it. Still, the perception of RevOps is strong. Nearly three-fourths of respondents (72%) view it as a strategic revenue driver, not just a tactical or administrative function. That belief, however, is not always shared across the organization—only 45% feel that their company views RevOps as truly strategic. FORECASTING AND PIPELINE ARE TOP RESPONSIBILITIES When asked what RevOps teams are primarily responsible for, 74% of respondents pointed to pipeline efficiency and forecasting. Data quality and governance followed at 49%, and tech stack integration and ownership came in just behind. Subscribe to the Daily newsletter.Fast Company's trending stories delivered to you every day Privacy Policy | Fast Company Newsletters This narrow focus on pipeline may be limiting. Some leaders worry that over-indexing on forecasting positions RevOps as a tactical sales support function rather than a broader driver of GTM strategy. As RevOps matures, there’s a clear opportunity to expand its role upstream in the customer journey. MOST BELIEVE IN THE VALUE OF REVTECH, BUT RESULTS ARE MIXED There’s broad agreement that RevTech enables the customer buying journey. In fact, 88% of respondents say the tech stack helps move prospects from interest to purchase by powering enrichment, automation, outbound efforts, and forecasting. But only 47% are satisfied with their current RevOps stack, and just 16% say it provides strong data-driven insights for revenue-impacting decisions. Data inconsistency is the top frustration, cited by 75% of participants. Lack of integration is another pain point—82% say their RevOps tools do not integrate seamlessly with their martech or sales stack. The more integrated the stack, the more likely teams are to report satisfaction and stronger insights. AI IS GAINING GROUND, BUT SLOWLY RevOps teams are starting to adopt AI, though it’s far from widespread. Over half (57%) are using AI in some way, most commonly for data cleaning (54%) and automated workflows (51%). Very few (4%) report extensive AI use, and 6% are not considering it at all. Among organizations planning new investments, advanced analytics and AI tools top the list. This suggests many teams are still in early stages but are actively exploring how to scale impact with smarter technology. REVOPS IS UNDERFUNDED AND LACKS DECISION-MAKING AUTHORITY Although 72% of respondents say their RevOps budget stayed the same or increased over the past year, 60% report that someone outside RevOps owns the tech budget. Tool purchasing authority is often split, with 43% of RevOps teams having final decision-making power. advertisement Team size is also limited. More than half of organizations with RevOps report teams of just two to five people. Only 12% of younger RevOps functions have more than 10 team members. In more mature organizations (three-plus years), that number climbs to 26%. THE INTEGRATION GAP LIMITS ROI Only 40% of participants say they are getting a good return on their RevOps technology, and none rate it as excellent. ROI and satisfaction correlate strongly with integration. When tools integrate well, 80% of respondents report satisfaction. When integration is a major challenge, satisfaction drops to 20%. Similarly, those with a well-integrated stack are three times more likely to report getting strong, revenue-impacting insights. The takeaway is clear: Disjointed systems not only frustrate users; they blunt RevOps’ strategic potential. WHAT’S NEXT FOR REVOPS TEAMS When asked what they would change to improve RevOps in their organization, participants pointed to a consistent set of themes. The top priority: better cross-functional alignment between marketing, sales, customer success, and finance. Other frequently mentioned needs include executive buy-in, clearer ownership, system integration, improved data quality, and more strategic recognition. Despite the challenges, the direction is promising. Most organizations see RevOps as a growth enabler, not a cost center. But to get there, they must invest in foundational areas like clean data, aligned processes, and a well-integrated stack. Mike Rizzo is community-led founder and CEO of MarketingOps.com.
