Technology and tools are a heated topic in the marketing ops space. While people have affinities and loyalties towards specific tools, we often get the question, “what tools should I consider?” It starts with solving the business problem first. Tools and tech are only as effective as the foundational strategy behind them. You need to know what you are solving for and the business requirements before selecting a specific solution.
Sara McNamara, Marketing Ops at Slack, shared the importance of defining use cases and success before buying a new tool. A platform isn’t a strategy. It can enable and support the strategy, but you still need a strategy.
Another common challenge marketing ops professionals face is dealing with the after-effects of newly purchased technology. A new solution is often purchased, and MOPs are told to “make it happen” with little to no input in the decision-making process.
Sara McNamara, Marketing Ops at Slack, suggests building a strong relationship with executive leadership early so that you are looped into conversations from the start. Additionally, it’s important to clarify what resources the migration will require, the number of hours, and what truly goes into setting up a new system and processes. Being explicit about the work associated with technology changes helps decision-makers evaluate if it’s truly worth switching technology or if the process, time, and cost of implementation will outweigh the benefits.
